When we lived in the DC area in the 80's we had a couple of neighbors who worked the Secret Service detail. The guy next to us would just say he worked for the Treasury department. It turned out that he was a sharpshooter for the Secret Service. We only found out because the other fellow became a friend of ours. He was a driver for President Reagan. Although we never learned any of the specific details of his job, we did learn that he was highly skilled in driving and could virtually drive a vehicle out of any kind of situation as long as the engine was running and the wheels were still on.
I was reminded of these elite people, who serve but remain unseen, as I watched Barack Obama give his acceptance speech last night. If you noticed the people who were behind Michelle Obama and her daughters, you would have seen the Secret Service at work. Although they blended into the crowd and appeared to participate in the activities, they never ever looked at Obama. Their eyes were constantly scanning the hordes of people watching intently for anything that would signal trouble.
I also wondered which one(s) were assigned to watch over the younger daughter because from observing her over the course of the last 4 days I figured that those agents had their hands full. She was a delight; confident and spontaneous in her actions and her words. But I imagine that the agents would really have to be on their toes and be quick to keep up with her.
No one ever thinks about the individuals who put their lives on the line to protect our President(s) and Vice President(s) and their families. These people go beyond the 9 to 5 job and I take my hat off to them! Mom
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