President Barack Obama calls troops in several countries to wish them a happy Thanksgiving and to thank them for their sacrifice personally, and the story reminds some why he will leave office on soaring popularity.
However, many are slamming Obama for staying comfortably in a beautiful mansion in Washington instead of flying to Afghanistan or Iraq to share a piece of turkey with these heroes. In a brief press release, the White House stated that the president delivered his last Thanksgiving message to the troops serving abroad.
Mr. Obama made a total of nine phone calls where he spoke to several members of the US Army. Officials at the White House confirmed that Obama talked with members of the Army, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Coast Guard.
Like for the past seven years, not many details were shared on what the leader of the free world said to the men and women, who are protecting this great country. The statement read:
“The President made 9 phone calls to deployed service members this morning: two from the Army, one from the Marine Corps, two from the Navy, two from the Air Force and two from the Coast Guard.”
The report has gone viral on the Internet, and comment sections of blogs and other news outlets have been lit with negative comments from former and active military personnel. Many have said that they would not take the call from POTUS.
Others stated that they would respond to Obama and take the opportunity to slam him for mishandling ISIS and Syria. Many called Obama weak and said that his decision to lead from behind had diminished America’s standing in the world.
However, First Lt. Joel Van Note, who is currently at Fort Bragg’s 18th Airborne Corps, said he was thrilled to speak with Obama. He said the conversation was very long and Obama was very friendly and knew many details about him and his family. He said despite feeling nervous and not knowing what to say at first; he enjoyed the personal call from the president, and he will cherish that moment for the rest of his life.
On Facebook, President Obama shared his final Thanksgiving message from the White House where he spoke about his wife, Michelle, and their daughters – Sacha and Malia. Obama wrote:
“So today, as we gather to spend time with the people who matter most, let’s take some time to remind our children why we are so thankful for them. Because of them, I feel more certain than ever that — no matter what lies ahead — America will always be shaped by those who strive to be kind, giving, and fearless about the future. I’m grateful for that. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.”
