Jim Spiri in Iraq

January 28, 2008.

In my youth, I was told the saying, "birds of a feather, flock together". It had been impressed upon me that one could be defined by the company one keeps. These days I find that to be the case. In mid January, I was able to be in the company of some fine folks. Although I cannot lay claim to any of their respective achievements, I can however say that I am a better man today, than I was before, just for having been in their presence.

Upon invitation, I had gone to the "Low-Country" of South Carolina, to witness a battleground of sorts in the Republican Presidential primary. Going back 28-years, no candidate had gone on to receive the nomination without first securing South Carolina. It would be a tight battle with many looking back to eight years earlier when then Gov. George W. Bush, of Texas, would run a down and dirty campaign against Senator John McCain, R-AZ. Bush of course went on to victory in South Carolina in 2000 and subsequently became the Republican nominee for President and eventually beating out former VP Al Gore, in the controversial election of 2000. Eight years later, John McCain had returned to South Carolina this time packing a stronger punch than before and determined to meet any negative campaigning against him, head on. South Carolina would be pivotal.

My reasons for wanting to be present during this primary were varied, but one reason in particular stood out among others. I knew that this time South Carolina would attract a large number of notable people many of whom I held a high degree of respect for and had longed for the opportunity to meet. As an historian of sorts, I felt more than a desire to attend, I felt more or less compelled. One thing led to another, and I found myself in the midst of national heroes who are living legends whom I had only been able to read about over the years but now would have a chance to speak with face to face. I would remain front and center for the next ten days in South Carolina and take advantage of every opportunity as a child turned loose in a candy store full of dreams that come true.

Although I had known for many years of Senator John McCain, I had only seen him once before, from afar, while I was a guest of the US Senate in 2003, during the passage of a bill in Congress in honor of my late son, 2nd Lt. Jesse James Spiri, USMC. Now I would be photographing him at every event in the Charleston area leading up to election night. It would be very busy. During times between events, I would find myself at campaign headquarters mingling with people from all over. And it was here that I began to witness the "flock gathering" around one of their own. Some were quite well known, others were hidden, unknown gems. But all were patriots. I was in good company.

One of the first persons to stand out to me was a man named Joe Albanese. He and his wife had volunteered to work the phone banks in the days leading up to the election. This job is mainly delegated to the younger crowd, but Joe and his wife had determined to give it all they had for "their guy" running. Joe is a Korean War veteran. He is originally from New York, but had retired to South Carolina many years back. He is well past retirement age but has the stamina and determination of a man half my age. As I watched Mr. and Mrs. Albanese work the phones, I observed a finely tuned duo, working as one. She would line up the calls and read out the numbers to Joe. Joe would make the call and give his pitch. The two would work hours on end, every day. They were volunteers.

On another day, a big gentleman was brought into the headquarters and introduced to the staff and volunteers. His name is Orson Swindle. I had known of this man from historical accounts about him dating back to his time as a POW in North Viet Nam. He is a personal friend of Senator John McCain and the two have much in common from their long years of imprisonment in Hanoi. Swindle is detailed much in McCain's book, "Faith of My Fathers", and is noted to be among the strongest resistors of all the POW's during that time. His legendary strength and willingness to sustain sever beatings by his captors are well documented in McCain's book. Swindle was shot down on his last scheduled combat mission (his 205th) and spent nearly seven years in captivity before being released in 1973. Listening to this man and hearing his reasons for supporting "his man" in the race, was in itself, a lesson in living history.

On one morning, I was invited to come into downtown Charleston by a man named Charley. We linked up on in an old historic part of town on a street called, Rutledge. I parked my car and got into his. It happened to be a "Jag". It was nice. We drove a short distance to an old hotel where we waited for the person we would be taking back to where my car was parked, outside a synagogue. The man we were picking up was Senator Joe Lieberman, of CT. Lieberman, the 2000 VP candidate on the democratic ticket with Al Gore, was in town stumping for Senator McCain. Upon meeting Senator Lieberman, I was introduced and the two of us rode together in Charley's car. I spent some time talking with him and did an audio interview with him asking questions concerning troops in Iraq and long deployments. He gave me straight up honest answers and assured me his full and unconditional support for all the troops in Iraq including my own son, who had just returned. Lieberman, who shrugged off his own party's primary defeat last year and ran as an Independent, returned to the US Senate in full support of Gen. David Petreaus and the surge operations in Iraq over the past 12-months. Upon our arrival back at the synagogue, I was invited in to take photographs of his talk. It was a unique experience and once inside I met many more people whose lives and experiences captivated me for the rest of the morning. One in particular, Mr. Pinkus Collender, a Holocaust survivor, spoke with me at length about events that had shaped a great deal of his life. I was humbled.

In the final days leading up to the eve of the election, I would find myself invited to several different events where Senator McCain would be speaking. All were large gatherings but the final one before the election on the 19th, was Friday evening at the USS Yorktown. This would turn out to be a very special night. The USS Yorktown is now a museum harbored in the bay in Charleston. It is a wonderful, historical exhibit detailing the events of the Jimmy Doolittle raid on Tokyo in 1942 as well as many static displays of aircraft from years past. For the history buffs, it is for sure a site to see. McCain chose to wrap up his final stop on the Yorktown and it brought out a huge crowd, all of them patriots. I was now in the company of America's finest spanning several generations.

In short, the experience on the USS Yorktown was the highlight of my journey to the "Low Country of South Carolina". I was able to snap photographs of the entire event, up close and personal. I had been brought to the center of the best that America has to offer. One person that night stood out among many. He was young Iraq war veteran named Pete Hegsteth. He was on the stage with all the guest speakers. He told the crowd of his time in Iraq and how his generation desires earnestly to continue carrying the torch of freedom as those had done before him. Listening to him speak, one could hear in the atmosphere the likes of Jimmy Doolittle and his 16-crews cheering in the clouds above. The event would soon end and the huge crowd would slowly disperse. The night would come to an end.

As I was gathering my things and walking down the stairs of the hangar deck, I would take my time and take one last look behind me at this famous ship now a museum. The night was over. I found my rental car in the parking lot and decided to sit there and give my son a call. I had raised him as a patriot who had seen much war in his own right. We spoke about where I had been and what I had been a small part of . It was a good conversation. I found my way back to where I was staying at my friend Mike's house. I stayed up late that night looking over my photographs and making some notes. The next day was the primary which Sen. John McCain eventually won. There was a victory speech the following night and the day after that, I was back on a plane headed to Albuquerque, NM. This short journey was now over.

In short, there is just too much to really explain adequately what all I saw and experienced. I had just been in the company of many an American hero. I was all the better for having had the opportunity to experience it. Politics is a strange bird. But what I realized through this short time was that it was not the political world that I had enjoyed. Rather, it was the gathering of simple American patriots who had all been a part of very profound things. I, a lone freelancer, was allowed to be a small part of this historical time, even if for what seemed a fleeting moment. But in the end I can say that it is true, "birds of a feather do indeed flock together" from time to time. For my honest experience seems to have been being borne on the wings of one mighty eagle.

Sincerely,

Jim Spiri
jimspiri@yahoo.com