Posted on 10/15/2004, 4:36:59 AM by LeoWindhorse
On July 20, 2004 GySgt Michael J. Clark USMC, an EOD technician attached to the 1st Marine Div , serving in al Anbar Prov. Iraq , stepped up to a suspicious vehicle that had been left by an Iraq that had left it while running off shooting. GySgt. Clark was on his second tour in Iraq , having been in on the first assault wave that slugged it’s way up the right flank drive of the invasion in April 2003 , ending up in Baghdad. On this day he saw that there were some suspicious elements to the left vehicle and motioned everyone to stand back while he took a closer look. Apparently an Iraqi in the nearby crowd had an arming device and as Mike Clark moved around the vehicle , they detonated the IED killing GySgt Clark instantly. Mike Clark left a wife , whom I shall call S and 2 beautiful little daughters. I had gotten to know S over a year ago by being a customer of theirs on EBay for USMC surplus. All during the lead up to the war in Iraq we discussed issues about Mikes deployment and then I helped her glean the Internet for news of his unit and their activities and location . I knew he returned safe and sound and then I knew he had volunteered to re-deploy again since his crucial skills as an EOD tech were in great demand and he was able to save so many lives , both American and Iraqi with these skills. I was reading through the casualty reports one day this last July , as I often do , just to know who are they, these brave men and women that are giving their lives for our country . I saw the name of Mike Clark and thought “oh no…” I couldn’t believe it was the same Mike Clark that I knew and wrote a tentative e-mail to S to just inquire. Well it was the same guy and S was now a war widow. And I and my family became part of her support group. I came to find out that she had been married to Mike for about 5 yrs but that she herself was not a US Citizen , but rather a native of a European country. Mike of course was born and raised American and their children were US citizens , but S was only just slightly into the immigration process with a temporary alien card when Mike died. In addition to grieving for her lost husband , and the limited time they a lot of widows to be able to remain on base housing , she faced a further dilemma of having to move back to her home country when her temporary alien card expired . I had heard of how President Bush has signed into law an act that made anyone who was KIA in the US Armed Forces and who was not a citizen at the time , to be posthumously granted such citizenship , and further that the benefits of citizenship be extended to their immediate family members also . However it appeared that no such assistance was extended to the non-US Citizen spouses of US citizen soldiers that fell in battle. This was a grey area and unaddressed. So on behalf of S , my brother and I wrote an appeal to President Bush and told him the sad story of Mike Clark and his family. We asked him to please try and personally make this right for this wonderful but deeply suffering family. We sent him the Appeal , with copies to Mr. Vice President and a few others . Our friend S had been having a lot of problems with the INS , they had lost her green card papers and tried to tell her that she had to re-apply all over again at least once. Then suddenly , not even 2 weeks after we sent off our appeal on her behalf she got an urgent call requesting her to present herself for her Citizenship test! No mention of alien status , no bickering about minor details or lost papers , just: “Please come in right away”… Well today S did go in and present herself for her citizenship exam . At first she faced the same run around about “you haven’t been here long enough” “ you haven’t been married long enough” etc etc. But once they got on the phone and made a call to some ‘higher up’s , suddenly they became very profusely apologetic and welcoming!
She took her test , she passed with a 100% ,and soon she will be a wonderful brand new US citizen and she and Mike’s children will have the right to remain here in this great country that meant so much to her heroic husband GySgt Clark. Now we cannot say 100% for sure that Mr. President’s hand is to be seen in this directly. But I have a strong feeling it is , and I conclude thusly: We Americans have a very wonderful and decent man serving as President of the United States at this time . In spite of being in the middle of the fight of his career for the Office we all hope he gets to keep , he took the time to address this small little , yet crucial humanitarian issue for 3 very real , very deserving people. I am hoping one day we will know for sure that what we strongly suspect is in fact the case. No one else could have or would have taken the time to cut thru the red-tape , after we wrote to him directly. He did what he did for these sweet people quietly and without any fanfare or politics involved. This is the sign of a truly great man …..
I would like to take this opportunity to just say thank you Mr. President . Sir, you did a really great and wonderful thing today. Thank you and God Bless you.
What makes a person truly great is not what he or she does when everyone is looking, it's what he or she does when only God is!
I too believe our president was behind this
And I am confident W is humble enough he will never tell anyone he was behind it. :)
Big Guy, tears a falling..Good post God bless the family and our wonderful president.
Maybe we FReepers could do 'a little something' for this adopted family of yours...
You're so right about this friend. And it made me think of Jonh Kerry, who so arrogantly trumpets his service in Vietnam and tries to make himself out to be a hero. The true heros are the quiet, humble ones who go about their business of helping others and say nothing to no one about it.
oops, 'say nothing to anyone'
"Thus says the Lord of Host:
Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother"-Zechariah 8: 9-10
This is not the act of a President, this is an act of a good, god fearing and God loving Christian who obeys the teachings of his lord who also happens to be the President of this great Nation. God Bless you President Bush as God has so clearly bless all of us by delivering you to lead us here and now when we need you the most. Our Prays of thanks giving for you are offered up and our prays of guidance and resolve are offered up on your behalf, God Bless you as much as God has blessed us with your leader ship.
Wow what a story. It really broke me up. I could not fight back the tears as I read this story. My wife read it too and was also moved. The selflessness of these soldiers and marines is absolutely incredible.
Today I thought what an incredible opportunity and experience I had to hear President Bush in person at the Thomas and Mack here in Las Vegas, NV. It was an amazing experience with about 12,000 people cheering the President over and over again at 10:15 AM, when most of us should have been at work. The atmosphere was simply electric. I left convinced that President Bush is a very real and very good man. What you see is what you get. Reading this article only confirms what for me has to be one of the better days in my life. I am saddened at the loss of this brave Marine, but I am heartened that his family has been spared at least some of the grief that surrounds the loss of a very brave loved one.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.