Bush thanks service members in Christmas Eve phone calls
Stationed on the farthest island in Alaska's Aleutians, Coast Guard Fireman Michael Joseph feels like he's living at the end of the earth. But he wasn't too far away to receive a Christmas Eve greeting from President Bush.
''First thing he said was, 'Michael, Merry Christmas," said Joseph, 24, of Tucson, one of 20 men at the Coast Guard's Loran Station Attu on Attu Island. ''It was great."
Placing calls yesterday from his retreat at Camp David, Md., Bush talked to 10 members of the US military around the world and in the United States to thank them for their service and share holiday greetings.
Joseph said in a telephone interview that his name was among those submitted for the honor of receiving a call from Bush. He said he was surprised and elated to learn two weeks ago that he would be among those talking to the president on Christmas Eve.
Joseph, who has been stationed on the Aleutian island for nearly nine months, awoke at 2:45 a.m. local time to prepare for the call at 4:15 a.m., which at Camp David was 8:15 a.m. EDT. The conversation lasted three or four minutes. He said Bush told him, ''I want to say thanks for your service out there and the sacrifice you're making."
Bush asked about the island, its weather, and the Coast Guard mission there, Joseph said.
''It was pretty nice just to know that all the hard work that we do out here gets recognized by the president," Joseph said. ''Not many people back home where I'm from can say they've talked to the president."
After the president finished, the Camp David operator connected Joseph to his wife, Amanda, in Tucson.
''As these members of our armed forces sacrifice to protect our freedom and liberty, the president wanted to express his gratitude for their service and sacrifice and to wish them all a merry Christmas and happy holidays," White House spokesman Ken Lisaius said in a conference call.
The nine other service members Bush called were:
