AJChenMPH
Forum Health Inspector
Just got this in my inbox -- the more I read about this guy, the more I admire his leadership ability and skills. I'd love to meet him one day.
I believe the name of the narrator (comments in Italics below) is Bill O'Quin.
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A friend of mine (Bob Littell of Atlanta) and I were recently privileged to hear a speech by General Norman Schwarzkopf. The speech was great, but the Q&A session created the most emotional moment I can ever remember during any speech I've ever heard. What follows is Bob's attempt to try and recreate some of the electricity and energy which the episode released. Nancy Richardson was the brave lady who moved the entire audience by her comments.
"Norm," as he likes to be called now in his retirement, is into so many humanitarian and charitable activities, it would be difficult naming them all. He may be a retired "military" General, but like Colin Powell, he represents everything that is ethically and morally good about the American Spirit. The fact that our military is charged with and pursues the role of protecting the purity and sanctity of these values and ethics for this greatest experiment in humanitarian democracy the world has ever known, makes our mission on earth that much more meaningful.
Most of his talk was about leadership. It was an incredibly inspirational talk and at the end of his address, he opened things up for Q&A. Just as the session was about to end, a young lady came up to the microphone. She was a manager for Xerox, one of the companies exhibiting at the convention. A very attractive and athletic-looking young lady, as she approached the microphone, she held some notes in her hand which she had obviously just scribbled onto the notepads provided on the tables in the meeting room.
As she started out, you could hear a slight tremor in her voice, which you simply passed off as nervousness from addressing an audience of perhaps 1,000 people or more.
"Good Morning," she said, as she looked down at her notes.
Kiddingly, General Schwarzkopf, seeing she was a little nervous and reading from her notes, asked her if she had memorized that part or if it was spontaneous (he has a great sense of humor and it was NOT meant to be a cutting comment, but was only trying to put her at ease).
Audience laughed and she recomposed herself and started reading.
With an ever-increasing emotionally-toned voice inflection, she described the PRIDE she, her sister and husband who were veterans of the United States Air Force all felt, having served under him, adding that she served in Panama (Air Force - Aircraft Engineer) and as her father before had served in the Army Air Corps. As a request from her father, she thanked him for his past and continued leadership.
She also expressed her wish that she could have been in uniform to salute him (military protocol required), while she also regretted that even a handshake wasn't possible because of the added security protection in place in the hall. It had already been announced that Secret Service had been advised to "tackle and subdue" anyone coming within a 30-40 foot microphone-to-stage-corridor.
She then asked what advice we as parents should give to our children as the next generation of leaders of this country. He said, tell them "it's ok to do your own thing, but do it PLUS 1." That ONE something else is to help someone else up a hill; be a leader and stay one step ahead in helping them meet their goals successfully. That's the advice he says he's given his own children.
With her short-read piece completed and answered (probably taking less than a minute), General Schwarzkopf then asked her to come forward to join him on stage.
As she walked the 30-40 feet to the stage and stood at attention, you could have heard a pin drop. General Schwarzkopf directed her to salute him and she addressed him with a full military salute, which he immediately returned. After she saluted him, he shook her hand, then asked if he could hug her.
That's when she totally lost it and through her sobs into General Schwarzkopf's lapel-microphone, this audience was treated to an event which will stay in our collective memories for the rest of our lives. If there was a "dry eye" in the audience, that individual should have been "profiled" as a terrorist suspect. It was an event I shall never forget - one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that EVERY person in that room will carry in their hearts, and pass on to their grandchildren. We truly were blessed being in that room and "God Bless America" now takes on a special meaning.
I believe the name of the narrator (comments in Italics below) is Bill O'Quin.
-----
A friend of mine (Bob Littell of Atlanta) and I were recently privileged to hear a speech by General Norman Schwarzkopf. The speech was great, but the Q&A session created the most emotional moment I can ever remember during any speech I've ever heard. What follows is Bob's attempt to try and recreate some of the electricity and energy which the episode released. Nancy Richardson was the brave lady who moved the entire audience by her comments.
"Norm," as he likes to be called now in his retirement, is into so many humanitarian and charitable activities, it would be difficult naming them all. He may be a retired "military" General, but like Colin Powell, he represents everything that is ethically and morally good about the American Spirit. The fact that our military is charged with and pursues the role of protecting the purity and sanctity of these values and ethics for this greatest experiment in humanitarian democracy the world has ever known, makes our mission on earth that much more meaningful.
Most of his talk was about leadership. It was an incredibly inspirational talk and at the end of his address, he opened things up for Q&A. Just as the session was about to end, a young lady came up to the microphone. She was a manager for Xerox, one of the companies exhibiting at the convention. A very attractive and athletic-looking young lady, as she approached the microphone, she held some notes in her hand which she had obviously just scribbled onto the notepads provided on the tables in the meeting room.
As she started out, you could hear a slight tremor in her voice, which you simply passed off as nervousness from addressing an audience of perhaps 1,000 people or more.
"Good Morning," she said, as she looked down at her notes.
Kiddingly, General Schwarzkopf, seeing she was a little nervous and reading from her notes, asked her if she had memorized that part or if it was spontaneous (he has a great sense of humor and it was NOT meant to be a cutting comment, but was only trying to put her at ease).
Audience laughed and she recomposed herself and started reading.
With an ever-increasing emotionally-toned voice inflection, she described the PRIDE she, her sister and husband who were veterans of the United States Air Force all felt, having served under him, adding that she served in Panama (Air Force - Aircraft Engineer) and as her father before had served in the Army Air Corps. As a request from her father, she thanked him for his past and continued leadership.
She also expressed her wish that she could have been in uniform to salute him (military protocol required), while she also regretted that even a handshake wasn't possible because of the added security protection in place in the hall. It had already been announced that Secret Service had been advised to "tackle and subdue" anyone coming within a 30-40 foot microphone-to-stage-corridor.
She then asked what advice we as parents should give to our children as the next generation of leaders of this country. He said, tell them "it's ok to do your own thing, but do it PLUS 1." That ONE something else is to help someone else up a hill; be a leader and stay one step ahead in helping them meet their goals successfully. That's the advice he says he's given his own children.
With her short-read piece completed and answered (probably taking less than a minute), General Schwarzkopf then asked her to come forward to join him on stage.
As she walked the 30-40 feet to the stage and stood at attention, you could have heard a pin drop. General Schwarzkopf directed her to salute him and she addressed him with a full military salute, which he immediately returned. After she saluted him, he shook her hand, then asked if he could hug her.
That's when she totally lost it and through her sobs into General Schwarzkopf's lapel-microphone, this audience was treated to an event which will stay in our collective memories for the rest of our lives. If there was a "dry eye" in the audience, that individual should have been "profiled" as a terrorist suspect. It was an event I shall never forget - one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that EVERY person in that room will carry in their hearts, and pass on to their grandchildren. We truly were blessed being in that room and "God Bless America" now takes on a special meaning.
