WASHINGTON – President Bush yesterday flew to California to thank Marines for going into harm’s way to protect America – and thank families who face the anxiety of a holiday season with loved ones on the front lines.
“Being left behind when a loved one goes to war is one of the hardest jobs in the military,” Bush told camouflage-clad Marines and families at Camp Pendleton.
“In these dangerous times when terrorists seek to harm our families and murder free citizens, Americans are thankful that the Marines are on the front line, taking the fight to the enemy,” Bush told the cheering crowd of “Devil Dogs.”
He also stressed that “foreign terrorists” are fighting in Iraq and revealed that in Fallujah, troops found “equipment [for] forging Iraqi passports to make the foreign fight- ers appear to be Iraqi insurgents.”
Some news reports have claimed there are only a small number of foreign fighters in Iraq and Bush’s revelation could offer an explanation for why the numbers appear low.
Afterward, Bush chowed down on beef, noodles and rice in a mess hall and met in small groups with more than 50 families who lost loved ones in Iraq. He awarded one posthumous Bronze Star.