Article

Palin Bids Goodbye to Her Son

By Monica Davey

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska – Along a brisk airstrip here, Gov. Sarah Palin, now the Republican vice presidential candidate, on Thursday sent off her son, Track, and thousands of other soldiers during a deployment ceremony as they prepared to leave for Iraq.

Gov. Sarah Palin at a ceremony Thursday for soldiers, including her son, who are going to Iraq. (Photo: Jim Wilson/The New York Times)

Calling the efforts in Iraq a “righteous cause,” Governor Palin told the soldiers, who stood stiffly in endless lines here, to allow for a few tears from family members now. “Or if we hold you just a little closer once more before you’re gone because we’re going to miss you,” she said. “We can’t help it.”

Ms. Palin appeared to connect the 2001 terror attacks in New York and Washington, which occurred seven years ago to the day, to the soldiers’ current mission in Iraq.

“You’ll be there to defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans,” she told the soldiers. “America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before September 11, 2001.”

Private First Class Track Palin, 19, the Palins’ eldest child, and his unit - the 1st Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division’s Combat Team (also known as the Arctic Wolves) - will leave in the coming weeks for northern Iraq. Private Palin, an infantryman who enlisted on Sept. 11, 2007, will work, mainly, providing security for the deputy commanding officer while he is deployed, according to Major Chris Hyde, an army spokesman at Fort Wainwright.

“He’s a super patriotic kid,” said Major Hyde, who said he had spoken with Track Palin last week, as well as members of his unit. “He wants to make his own route in life. He doesn’t want to just be the son of the governor.”

No special instructions or changes in assignment had been made for the unit or Private Palin, Major Hyde said, because of his presence and the new found attention on his mother.

“It’s definitely a concern, but there’s nothing different that we’re doing,” Major Hyde said. Major Hyde said he had not heard of any concern from other members of the unit either. “If anything they just think that it’s kind of cool,” he said.

The notion of doing the deployment ceremony on Sept. 11, the anniversary of the terror attacks on New York and Washington, came long before Gov. Palin’s selection as the vice presidential nominee, Major Hyde said, and was the choice of the commanding officer. Governor Palin, who has spoken at such ceremonies here before, was asked to come months ago.

Some 11,000 military members and their families live on Fort Wainwright, one of three army bases in the state. In 48 degree temperatures, thousands of troops stood at attention in lines as the leaders spoke, and a handful of babies, bundled in fleece and wool, wailed from strollers.

While media was allowed by the Army to attend the ceremony, officials set firm limits. Among the rules reporters were required to agree to abide to before being allowed on the base: No interviews with Ms. Palin.

Ms. Palin’s voice seemed to turn emotional and shaky at moments as she addressed the soldiers and her son.

“This is one of the moments when we have to face the fact that you may not need our protection anymore,” she said. “In fact you’re the ones who will now be protecting us, protecting America.”