Presidential visit, one of a kind

Lt Gen SR Ghosh (retd)

In the early hours of December 26, 2004, a devastating tsunami struck the shores of several Indian Ocean countries, killing thousands and destroying billions of dollars worth of property. The worst affected were Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India.

Sitting far away at the Indian embassy in Washington DC, we could only watch in horror the destruction that had struck our country and our neighbours. Over the next few days, condolence messages and phone calls started pouring in from the local diplomatic fraternity, especially from my fellow Military Attaches posted there.

Then suddenly, out of the blue, we received a message from the White House that President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush would be visiting the embassy on January 3 to sign the condolence book. This was unprecedented and the news sent a wave of excitement. Overnight, the mission was spruced up. The tiny receptionist’s room was converted into a receiving area, while the adjoining conference room was rearranged for the signing of the book. We were now ready to receive the 43rd President of the United States!

Early morning on January 3, when I reached the embassy, I was disappointed to see no police squads, black cars with Secret Service agents, or any other paraphernalia associated with a presidential visit. Nothing at all to indicate the impending arrival of the Big Man, not a single person to check my credentials or pat me down for weapons!

I went up to my office on the second floor, opened my window and lit up a cigarette. Within minutes, an agitated embassy security person barged into my office to inform me that the Americans had spotted smoke emerging from the room and could I please shut my window immediately. Secret Service was around, unseen and unobtrusive, probably with snipers deployed in rooms of the fancy Westin Hotel opposite us.

At 11 am, the Military Attaches and a few others assembled in the reception room. Soon, a flurry of activities and voices from the lobby indicated the arrival of the guests. The door opened and in came ambassador Ronen Sen, followed by President Bush, the First Lady and Kalpana Sen. Then, to the astonishment of everyone, walked in two more towering personalities, George HD Bush, followed by William J Clinton. Three successive Presidents were now literally at hand-shaking distance. Even the media was left speechless. It was a unique experience and a strong message of friendship.

The condolence book was signed and we lined up in the lobby to bid them farewell. They shook hands with each of us and graciously said a word or two as they passed along. George W Bush shook my hand and moved down the line to the others. Then suddenly, he turned around, came back to me, shook my hand again and said, ‘Great Indian Army! We’re gonna do a lot of things together!’

Mr President, Jai Hind! You sure made my day.