My Ed Bradley Story

As you may know, Ed Bradley passed away today.  I met Ed Bradley while I was in the U.S. Air Force.  I was part of a combat communication group which had been deployed to Zaire.  While loading up a C-130 getting ready to fly into what was effectively a war zone at the time, Mr. Bradley came up to us and asked for a ride. 

There was none of this embedded journalist stuff, no handlers (for the most part) just reporters doing the hard work to get the news to people. In the late 70s, it was a different world.

We spent a good deal of time together bouncing around in the back of that plane.  At one point, while listening to the BBC, the president of the US was talking about the "humanitarian aid only" nature of the mission.

Mr. Bradley looked around at the guys with guns then looked at me. I simply said, we like our humanitarian aid to have a bit of 'formality' to it.

He just smiled and made some notes, while I worried about my flying days being seriously cut short.  Mr. Bradley stayed with us for a bit while we set up camp at the airport.  I traded him some tasty "C-Rations" for a CBS news ball cap.

Friendly, insightful, thoughtful, and an amazingly good listener.

The world's loss. Rest in peace, sir.

Comments

[MRM]

this is a great story

you had your gift for understated humour back then i see