This post is the text of an email sent to Grassroots North Shore by Dr. Robert L Seward, MD.

Bowe Bergdahl was rescued alive without the loss of one of our people. In fact, on President Obama's watch, the following crises were resolved successfully without the loss of a single American serviceman or woman: The Somali hostage crisis, the Bin Laden raid, the toppling of Muammar el Gaddafi in Libya, and the recent crisis/showdown with Russia, in the Ukraine. That is remarkable.That is the Obama doctrine, getting things done successfully without getting our people killed or captured.

At the Memorial day service, May 26 2014, at Arlington Cemetery, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, a highly decorated Vietnam Veteran who has worked intimately with the President for a year, said this, in his introduction of the President: "America is approaching another period of transition. As always, these times of change and uncertainty require exceptional leadership. They demand leaders who are strong in the face of challenges, who are wise in the face of complexity, who are prudent in the face of uncertainty, and who are as humble as the courageous individuals they lead. Our Commander in Chief is one of those exceptional leaders.” Coming from Chuck Hagel, that is the ultimate compliment.

Dr. Robert L Seward, MD, is a retired board certified internist. He grew up in Berlin, Wisconsin and graduated from the U of Wisconsin Medical School. He is a licensed physician in Wisconsin and an Air Force veteran (1968-1970). He had the privilege of caring for veterans in Veterans Hospitals for the last 15 years of my career. I have listened to hundreds and hundreds of veterans’ stories and their experiences in combat. Dr. Seward now lives in Oregon.