On Saturday night, at the big air base in the north, Bagram, we did another meet-and-greet with the men and women of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. At all of these things, we'd set up a table in front of the room with a mike and speakers. I'd conduct a Q&A with the players, we'd take questions from the audience, we'd give away a few USO-donated prizes and then everyone would come up and take photos and get autographs from the guys. Harris, by the way, signs his autograph quicker than anyone I've ever seen. He can do it in three seconds. I counted.
This meet-and-greet was the biggest. We had maybe 300 enlisted men and women. It was sort of a somber occasion. We'd all just come from a Fallen Comrade Ceremony, one of the most touching things you'll see on any base, ever. A 24-year-old California Army kid, riding in an armored Humvee, got blown up by an improvised explosive device, and the entire base, some 8,000 men and women, lined up along the base main street at attention as their comrade's casket was driven by.
A military band played as the casket slowly was carried to a stop near the C-130 transport plane that would take the body to Dover, Del., and then on to his family home in California. The base chaplain spoke. I stood next to Mike Rucker, who got emotional several times during the week, and he was so rigid at attention during the ceremony that he appeared to be in a standing coma. Then the casket was wheeled into the plane, and the plane taxied out; and just a few hours, maybe 12, after this young man died, he was on his way home.
Anyway, a few minutes later, we found ourselves in front of this crowd of soldiers, all waiting to be entertained. As master of ceremonies, I couldn't let the moment pass without opening the evening with a question about the impact of this trip on the three players' lives.
When it was Rucker's turn, he took the mike and took a deep breath. "When I go home,'' he said, "part of my vision is I want to keep your story alive. I want to make sure NO ONE forgets about the job you're all doing ... ''
And then he started to choke up.
"I just ... I love you guys,'' he said, and he had to stop.
"Little things we take for granted ... '' he said, and he had to stop again, and he put his hand to his face.
The crowd gave him an ovation, long and loud. Later, the base's second-in-command, Sgt. Major Thomas Capel, told us, "Thank you so much for coming. You have no idea how much you've helped. This is a visit these men and women won't soon forget.''
They're not alone.
