I suppose this will scroll to diary oblivion but somehow this letter to Altercation's Eric Alterman got to me (see below).
Posted without further comment.
Name: Fred Griffin
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Eric:
Regarding your August 1st comments about the outpouring of solidarity we received from Europe following 9/11: There was a story which may not have made it out of military e-mail circles about the actions of a German Navy destroyer. In the week or so after 9/11 an American destroyer was coming out of the big NATO base at Rota, Spain. As it was proceeding up the channel, it was signaled by the German Navy destroyer behind it which asked for permission to pass the American ship. This is a rather unusual request, so after the American destroyer granted it, much of the crew came to the side of the ship the German destroyer was going to pass on to see what was what. As the German destroyer passed the American, the entire crew of the German ship was lining the rail in their dress uniforms and saluted the U.S. destroyer as they passed it. Per one of the officers on the American ship, there wasn't a dry eye on board ship. This is what Bush has squandered.