Life is filled with unintended consequences--or as we would say in the Army, second and third order effects. Like anyone, I see many things in my Facebook feed that make me cringe, some that make me laugh, and more than a few during this political season that make me shake my head. Nothing confounded me more than Donald Trump and Mr. and Mrs. Khan.
Having been involved in more than a few political events, I can imagine what went through the minds of DNC Convention organizers when they scheduled the Khans. During the 2008 Obama Campaign, we routinely invited Gold Star Families to recite the Pledge of Allegiance or other types of activities. For us, they served as a symbol of the people we needed to take care of -- the people to whom we owed everything.
For them, I think these events were a way of honoring their sacrifice and more importantly, remembering their fallen. So I would imagine that the DNC organizers had similar thoughts. An immigrant family loved America so much their son volunteered to serve and make the ultimate sacrifice. What could speak our better angels more truly? What could be more American?
I did not know CPT Khan, but I can imagine that the conversations he had with his family we the same I had with mine. That the assurances he gave his friends, family, and parents we similar to the words I had said. But deep down he knew, I knew, we all know, that this could be it.
We all do different things to come to terms with the idea that we are facing possible death; some of us ignore it, others avoid it, and a lucky few come to peace with it. The truly daunting question that we all ask ourselves is, "Where will I be and how will I act when that moment of truth comes?"
CPT Khan answered that question. He went towards the danger. He put himself above his soldiers.
Sadly, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made stories like CPT Khan's all too familiar, but I can thank Mr. Trump for making certain that CPT Khan has been noticed by all. As stated in Senator John McCain's statement referring to Mr. and Mrs. Khan: "your son was the best of America, and the memory of his sacrifice will make us a better nation - and he will never be forgotten."
This is probably not the context in which we'd prefer to remember an American hero but no matter the source, every reminder of the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make is essential to the character of our nation and make us a better people.