My Finnish friend had a visit from a fellow countrywoman and her 24 year old American boyfriend, Charlie. Charlie is from the state of Oregon, a graduate from West Point, and presently a Blackhawk helicopter pilot who has served in Iraq and now, while stationed in Wurzburg, is awaiting orders for Afghanistan.
Charlie is one of those soft spoken, highly intelligent Americans I love to encounter over here in Europe because it confirms what I know that not all Yanks are 'blah, blah, blah'. These types have a wonderful easy going way about them and a homespun wisdom. I asked him if he liked Bush. He said 'Oh, yeah, he's kicking ass!' I mentioned how amazing it was that the elitist intellectual liberals with George Soros, Bruce Springsteen, Hollywood, the press, and the whole world behind them, could lose the election to a majority of red state, everyday, common Americans. He said 'You don't have to be an educated intellectual to make the right decision.' I asked Charlie what he thought of the reporting of the daily suicide bombings which are scheduled for the morning so the press can get it out to the world for everyone to read in time. He said 'It's not like that; the press only report the worst. For the most part Iraq is doing very well and the soldiers are appreciated for their sacrifice and efforts there. The press just can't sell papers with the truth.'
Charlie listens to FOX News and really likes 'that firebrand' Bill O'Reilly. He watches CNN, too - just to get local stateside news; but, for the most part he prefers to keep his head clear from misrepresentation by the press about places like Iraq as it doesn't make his job easier.
When I asked him why the world thinks Bush is stupid because he 'can't string two words together' just as it thought Reagan was when he was president, he responded 'I don't think any of our presidents have been "stupid"'. I reckon this reflected that simple truth he mentioned earlier that you don't have to be an super intellectual to make the right decision.
When I showed how impressed I was he flew helicopters, as my father, a pilot during WWII, told me how much more difficult they were than planes; Charlie said they were much easier these days with the new technology. Charlie likes Germany because of the food and beer; although he finds Germans very aggressive. He smokes, drinks, and loves snow boarding. All the time I spoke with Charlie, his humility, poise, and calm impressed me more and more.
I said to my friend that Charlie's girl must be proud to be going out with a Blackhawk pilot who's so soft spoken, handsome, charming, and intelligent; but, on the other hand, he could be wrongfully accosted as 'one of those American bullies over there killing innocent women and children.' At this, she nodded sadly. We both admitted we felt a sincere wish that, after meeting an American serviceman in the flesh, we would send our angels to protect him as it would deeply hurt us to know anything bad happened to him.
Charlie is in for 6 years and will be out in 2008.