Transcript of M.E. Sprengelmeyer's interview with Seamus Ahern

The Rocky

Published August 22, 2008 at midnight

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Interview with Seamus Ahern by M.E. Sprengelmeyer of the Rocky Mountain News on June 17, 2008, at a VFW hall in East Moline, Ill.

Q: Why don’t you tell me your name and where you grew up?

AHERN: I’m Seamus (pronounced shay-mus) Ahern and I grew up in Silvis, Ill.

Q: How old are you and what was it like growing up in Silvis, Ill.? What kind of an area is this?

AHERN: I’m 27 years old. And this area is, I’d say, to sum it up, a hardworking, blue-collar area. We have a lot of manufacturing factories around here. And it’s something that hard work and knowing how to make your earning is taught here.

Q: What did your parents do for a living when you were growing up?

AHERN: My father was a foreman at John Deere and my mother was a nurse.

Q: Did they have military in their background? Or did other members of your family have military in their background?

AHERN: Yes, my father had served in Korea. He was a United States Marine. And I also had three other brothers that had served as well — two in the Marines and one as an Airborne Ranger. So service in our family was taught to me at a very early age.

Q: You went to high school here in town? Where did you go to school?

AHERN: Yes. Alleman (Catholic) High School in Rock Island.

Q: And was there any doubt that you would in some form sign up for the military?

AHERN: Well, I was advised to go to the community college here at Black Hawk by my father. He wanted me to go get my college education. So a year after high school, I went over to Black Hawk and enrolled. I was there about a year. But I just felt a strong desire to serve my country and at least take part in experiences my older brothers had put forward and see what their experiences were like.

Q: What year was that, when did you make the actual decision to sign up?

AHERN: That was in the spring of 2000.

Q: That was before Sept. 11 (2001) and all of that happened.

AHERN: Yes, before Sept. 11. My brothers gave me some insight and said, “You know, why don’t you try the reserves and see how that goes for you.” Because they wanted me to continue my college and, you know. With the importance of an education, they wanted to see that followed through.

Q: What were you studying?

AHERN: At the community college, criminal justice or pre-law.

Q: You ultimately wanted to be? At the time . . .

AHERN: Ultimately, at the time, a lawyer. I was looking at the law very strongly and really liked the aspect of being a lawyer.

Q: So Sept. 11 happened. Do you remember where you were on Sept. 11?

AHERN: Yes, I was in films (for the football team). I was playing football that fall. I remember the coach commenting on something about the World Trade Center. I got back to my room and obviously turned on the TV, and saw with the rest of the world what happened to our world and how different it was going to be after that.

Q: You were watching football films, films of the game the week before . . . What was your initial reaction (to Sept. 11)? How did it change anything about you?

AHERN: I just knew with where I was at with my commitment to my country. I had just begun my contract and I knew at some point I was going to be called upon. And when I was called upon, I was going to answer that call.

Q: Were you ready?

AHERN: I don’t know if you can ever say you’re truly ready, but I was committed and I was able and ready to go.

Q: It was a while before . . . You continued your education, right? When did you first get notification that you were going to serve active duty?

AHERN: I got called up in May of 2004, probably two days before graduation. So I knew right away what I was going to be doing after college . . . That’s just the way it happens. Once you receive a presidential recall from the president, you really have to look at that. That’s what you’re obligated to go do.

Q: This is 2004, by this time the war in Afghanistan has been under way for a few years. The war in Iraq had been under way for a few years. You always had this service hanging over your head. You knew you were going to get the call eventually. So was it shocking? Did it change your life’s plan for being a lawyer and all that?

AHERN: At the time it did. And I guess it really put things in perspective. I can reflect on when I went to Iraq and I remember just how different my life had changed from May, college life and enjoying the aspects of college, and then all of a sudden I’m in a whole different ballgame. And I’m in Iraq and Fallujah to begin with.

Q: But before you got there, before you left for Iraq, had you been political in any way?

AHERN: Yes, I would say in some respects I’ve always followed politics. You know, I come from a very political family. My older brother Dennis has had a great influence on politics, and at least I’m able to ask him questions on issues I don’t understand. He has been a great mentor for that aspect of politics.

Q: So tell me what happened to you later that summer.

AHERN: Later that summer, obviously, I said my goodbyes to my college friends. I came home for a few weeks from Dubuque, Iowa, and I was back here in Silvis. I was just packing up here one day. My brother stopped by and said there was this young, up-and-coming politician coming to town. And I think it’s worth your time to go hear him talk.

Q: Had you ever heard of this guy before? What did they say about him?

AHERN: The first time I ever heard his name was through my brother.

* * *

(NOTE: The interview is interrupted briefly.)

* * *

AHERN: He stopped by and said I want you to come over to the VFW Hall and meet this young, energetic young politician. He referred to him obviously as Barack and said that you need to come here and listen to him talk. It’s going to be worth your time before you deploy to Iraq to listen and understand who this young man is.

Q: So what did you know about Barack Obama before you saw him for the first time?

AHERN: You know what, honestly, I knew nothing. I just knew he was a young guy out of Chicago, he was running for U.S. Senate and that he was down in this area on his campaign stop.

Q: So where did you see him for the first time?

AHERN: Right in this room. Pretty much right over there under the exit sign. He walked into that door to your left. There couldn’t have been more than about 25, 30 people in the room. And just as soon as he opened the door, you could just see the charisma and the energy that he had, and it filled the whole room.

Q: Did he say anything that day in the speech to the group that caught your attention in particular?

AHERN: Well, I remember that when he got through, he came through, I remember he shook everyone’s hands, and he stopped to talk to them for a good minute, two minutes. Obviously it was a small venue, but just really struck me as, this is a guy who’s very personal and people want to meet him. So as he got up to the podium, the first thing he did was, he wanted to recognize an individual in the room. And he said, the importance of this young man and his future endeavors as a Marine. And he made sure I was recognized. Everyone actually stood up and clapped. And it just made an impression on me that I’ll never forget.

Q: For you, he was talking about you. How did he know about you?

AHERN: My older brother, Dennis, had mentioned right before he had come to our spot, he said, “Hey, I’m going to introduce myself, and I’m going to tell him you’re about to head to Iraq.” And I was like, “There’s no need for that. I’m just here to meet this young guy, and that’s about it.” And sure enough, Dennis introduces himself and says, “By the way, Barack, this is my little brother and he’s about to go to Iraq. Got any advice for him?”

Q: Did he?

AHERN: Yes, he said, “If there’s anything you need, you get ahold of me.” And he goes, “I want you to know that when I become elected, if there’s anything I can do, I want to be there to support you.”

Q: Now, from that moment, or throughout that event, did you say, “I support this man?” Or were you unsure? Or at that point were you as committed to his campaign as it sounds like your brother was?

AHERN: I was committed, but in the aspect of I was unsure. Obviously, I had a lot of things on my plate with what I was about to go do. So I just didn’t get distracted with trying to get involved in a Senate race, a political race, at that time when I was about to go to Iraq. So I just remember meeting him. Obviously, I was keeping tabs on him as well. But I didn’t really have, I guess, a concise answer after I left the hall.

Q: Sounds like you had a lot of other stuff on your mind. Did he in that speech say anything about the war you were about to go off to?

AHERN: He commented a little bit, just in the respect that he had been against this conflict or war . . . But he was always in support of the troops who would be going over there to carry out the mission and fight for our freedom.

Q: Is that how you thought?

AHERN: As far as the mission? Obviously, being a Marine you’re instructed and ordered to follow orders, and I’ll carry out those orders. It’s a fine line you have to walk, because if you’re an objective thinker, you know, it’s a tough situation. I know this: that I’m committed to being a Marine. I’m committed to our country.

Q: So he made an impression on you, but you had a lot of other things on your mind. You then had to ship out. Tell me about your life as you’re getting ready up to the point where you actually got into Iraq — not only what you had to go through to get your life ready for that, but to get your mind ready for it, too.

AHERN: Well, obviously the mindset is, you’re going to be leaving your loved ones, and you’ve got to get your mind in the mode of this is a very important time in your life, and this is something that you’ve got to have your mind 100 percent right to be going through something like this. So after this meeting I had with him, or when I first met him, I was shipped to Camp Pendleton in California. And through gas chambers (training) and rifle ranges and going over med-evacs and what-not, you sort of get in the routine of, “OK, you’re about to head into probably the biggest unknown you’ve ever faced before.” So I was relying on my training, and that’s a very big factor of what guys have to do as a Marine. You have to rely on your training. And you have to react. So that’s what I was doing for about two months prior to leaving to Iraq.

Q: So you were at Camp Pendleton during the Democratic National Convention. Were you watching it?

AHERN: Well, I had just got back from the rifle range. You can imagine, Camp Pendleton in July, it’s rather hot. So I was just sitting in the barracks, I was even still in my fatigues. We have a local common area on the third deck. And I remember I received a voice mail, and all it said was, watch the Democratic National Convention. You’re going to be mentioned. I’m going off just that, so I leisurely strolled down there, and I turn on the TV, and a group of Marines and I gather round and sure enough, the senator comes on stage, and I tell a few of my friends, you know, I met that young man up on stage.

* * *

(NOTE: The interview was interrupted briefly by a video lighting issue.)

* * *

Q: So you came in from training and they said go watch it. Tell me where you went and what you heard and what you thought about it.

AHERN: I went to the common area, they call it, on the third deck. And I received a voice mail to watch the Democratic National Convention. Your name’s going to be mentioned. At first, such an out-there message. OK. I didn’t know if this was a joke or if this was something that was very serious. I went into the common area. There were four or five Marines I was good friends with who were watching the DNC. And sure enough, the senator, or Barack walks on stage, and I told ’em, “Hey, I’ve met that young guy up there.” Everyone was sort of paying attention. I think we were having a few cold ones. And, you know, he gets into his speech. The room’s getting quiet, ’cause obviously the speech just speaks for itself. So as he’s going through it, obviously at the point where he gets done talking about John Kerry, he, I think his opening line is, “A while back . . . I met a young man named Seamus.” And everyone looked at me because obviously my name is not the most common name. And you know, he said something along the lines of, something about my height. And he also said I was from East Moline. Everyone was looking at me like, “That’s you, there can’t be one other Marine named Seamus.” And so as he went on it just struck me, wow, I must have made quite an impression on Barack. After he said it I was in shock, I couldn’t believe it. It was something that I wasn’t prepared for. Obviously hearing your name at the Democratic National Convention isn’t a daily occurrence.

* * *

(In the nationally televised keynote address, Obama had said: “You know, a while back, I met a young man named Seamus in a VFW Hall in East Moline, Illinois. He was a good-looking kid, 6-2, 6-3, clear-eyed, with an easy smile. He told me he'd joined the Marines, and was heading to Iraq the following week. And as I listened to him explain why he’d enlisted, the absolute faith he had in our country and its leaders, his devotion to duty and service, I thought this young man was all that any of us might hope for in a child. But then I asked myself: Are we serving Seamus as well as he is serving us? I thought of the 900 men and women — sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, who won't be returning to their own hometowns. I thought of the families I’ve met who were struggling to get by without a loved one’s full income, or whose loved ones had returned with a limb missing or nerves shattered, but who still lacked long-term health benefits because they were reservists. When we send our young men and women into harm’s way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they’re going, to care for their families while they’re gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world.”)

* * *

Q: What did that speech mean to you? I know that section of the speech was the only time in the speech that he mentioned Iraq, which was a huge thing. What did that speech as a whole mean to you?

AHERN: It just meant that, I think, there was a new movement or a new energy. And you could just see it in his delivery of the speech, and see it in his presentation, just that there was something new and energetic and exciting that was, if not upon us, you know, coming close. So I just think it was a new energy I had never felt before.

Q: Now you still had a war to go serve in. And the reason he mentioned you in that speech, as I recall, was he said while we have this war going on we have to be sure we take care of the promise we’ve made to people like Seamus, in terms of taking care of veterans. What happened to you in the war? How soon after did you get to the war? And I want you to tell me, you know, in as much detail as you care to offer, about your best days in Iraq and your worst days in Iraq.

AHERN: Well, once I arrived in country, obviously my mindset was on the mission of what we were there for, our goals, what we were going to do. I was in the part of the country where the city of Fallujah had really become a hornets’ nest of the insurgency. And so during that time, (Operation) Phantom Fury (a U.S.-Iraqi offensive in Fallujah) was just about to happen and I was able to be a part of it. So, you know, with the weather, the unknown when you’re riding out in a convoy in the city what’s going to be happening on the side of the road? Is there going to be an IED (improvised explosive device) on the side of the road? Are you going to come back with the same Marines that were in your truck as when you left? Obviously, you want to be there with the mission of also helping the Iraqi people as well.

Q: What types of things did happen to you? Things happened to me when I was in Iraq. I talk about some of them in general terms. Did you see a lot of bloodshed?

AHERN: Yes. And as far as, personally, I never had a friend or a close Marine of mine pass, but there were a few in our unit who did not make it back. Probably one of the most eerie experiences I had was being on camp, being in a relaxed state, and all of a sudden a rocket is coming over the barbed wire at you. And you don’t see it coming at all and it takes out a Marine or soldier, that really hits home because you’re not expecting it. In some respects you should be. It’s just a feeling that I’ll never forget of just, all of a sudden you’re talking and you know, you’re mounting a berm in case of, you know, an attack.

Q: What was your actual job?

AHERN: My actual job was I was an electrician and also a 7-ton driver, so I was driving a lot of the convoys into the city during operation, which is our biggest truck we have. And also, once the humanitarian missions started, I was involved in that as well.

Q: During that time, were you and your family holding up OK?

AHERN: Yes, amazing with the e-mail, and once we could get to the Internet cafe and the lines were up, we had communication. There were a few months when I wasn’t in contact, just with the operation going on. I always felt that I had a lot of support from back home and that really hits home when you have support. It’s a good feeling to have.

Q: What kind of people supported you? You sent some e-mails back and forth with Barack Obama at one point, didn’t you?

AHERN: Yes, I remember one morning going to the Internet cafe with a friend of mine, and sort of routinely if we could get a break to go check our e-mail to hear from back home. I open the inbox and I see the name Barack Obama. And I start honestly laughing. I’m like, (to his friend): “You’re not going to believe who sent me e-mail.” Sure enough, it was Barack. It was a simple e-mail, but he just wanted to see how I was doing, and if there was anything he could do. And wanted to make sure my morale was up, and just wanted me to know he was still thinking about me.

Q: He was more famous by that time, hadn’t he been?

AHERN: I would say very much so. He was just elected to the U.S. Senate, and obviously he was on everyone’s radar as a very young, energetic politician.

Q: Why was he on the radar? Do you believe like a lot of people do that it was that speech that mentioned you that put him there?

AHERN: I would say yes. That speech really put him on the radar and his delivery, and just looking back at the historic moment it was, what was going on in our country at the time, and how he came on the scene.

Q: Are you surprised he won the nomination?

AHERN: No, I’m not surprised, I will just say because in some respects I know him on a personal level. I’ve seen what type of person he is. I’ve seen what type of person he is. And I see how he interacts with Americans, that he has our best interests. And he’s truly a man of his word.

Q: Do you think that he needs to recapture that same kind of message he had in 2004, or if he needs to do something different when he makes another speech at Denver? To keep going, to win the presidency, what do you think he needs to do with his speech?

AHERN: I think that he needs to continue with his remarks on global terrorism, and looking at the whole picture instead of just Iraq, and looking at other countries that do pose a threat, and really hitting home that he is not going to be backing down from other countries as some critics have said, and that he definitely can lead us in the future.

Q: Are you planning to be in Denver?

AHERN: Yes I am.

Q: Are you hoping to see him?

AHERN: I’m hoping.

Q: Are you expecting to?

AHERN: I’m not expecting. But I hope that I can get into touch with a few of his aides just to say hello.

Q: If you were able to see him in a crowd like the one you were in here, and you were able to do that before his speech, what would you say to him?

AHERN: I’d say, “Senator, obviously you’ve come a long way. Always keep our veterans and our service members in high regard. Always remember why we’re here, why we have freedom” — just to continue that legacy, and to make sure it hits home with him.

Q: Is there any advice you’d give him before he faces all these millions of people out there?

AHERN: I don’t know what advice a Marine can give to a U.S. senator. I would just say, “Stay humble, stay how you’ve been, and you’ve definitely laid down the foundation. You can build on that. And keep surrounding yourself with good people.” And he has.

Q: Are you surprised that now, these four years later, he is where he is, on the brink of making history as a nominee, and it all started from a speech, and that speech had part of its roots in this room right here, and that you’re part of that? Does that surprise you? Or what goes through your mind when you think about that?

AHERN: It does surprise me in some respects, but it also, personally I feel very honored to be part of that speech. Obviously, like you said, it’s part of history . . . On my end I’m surprised that I am in it, but obviously with Barack as the person, I’m not surprised he’s where he’s at. I think that if anyone just meets him, just for a few moments, you can definitely see the charisma, you can see just the energy that he has, you know, and that he’s a very honest person. That’s one thing I think I’ve always respected him for is his honesty.

* * *

Q: You have how many brothers and sisters?

AHERN: Seven brothers and four sisters.

Q: And your family has a connection to the Obama campaign, too, is that right?

AHERN: Obviously, being so close here to Iowa, helping out with the election, and also my older brother Dennis was elected as a delegate. I’m very happy and proud for him to be able to do that.

* * *

Q: I wonder if you could go back to the war now . . . What did you learn in Iraq that you didn’t know before you got there?

AHERN: I would say boots on the ground and just how different a world I was in. Obviously, when we went into Fallujah and had all the civilians out of the city, and riding through downtown seeing the insurgents in their buildings ready to basically do harm upon us. I think that was an impression I will never forget.

I was on the famous green bridge there in Fallujah, which in April of ’03 I think was the ground zero of terrorism when they hung the civilians from the bridge. I remember setting foot on that bridge. A chill went through my body of just, I wasn’t back in America. I wasn’t in a land where it’s free to express your ideas or thoughts. I was in a very different place. And I was there on a very important mission.

Q: Did you come away from Iraq — I don’t know how long you were there. When did you leave Iraq?

AHERN: I left in March of ’05.

Q: When you left in March of ’05, were you more optimistic for a good resolution in Iraq, or less optimistic for a good resolution in Iraq?

AHERN: I would say a combination of both. I saw a lot of good. I saw young Iraqi children coming up to our humanitarian missions. At the sites, we’re providing them with food and water and helping them out, building soccer fields. The next day they wouldn’t come near because their older adults or siblings told them not to. So I would say it was a combination of both.

Q: You came back, you worked for a time. Did you get a job for a time after that?

AHERN: Yes. It was more than a few months after I was back. I remember also I received a phone call from the senator. I was driving on the John Deere expressway out here. I remember exactly where I was at. I remember one of the aides was calling: “Mr. Ahern, would you take a call from Sen. Obama?” So obviously, I pulled over to the side of the road. Barack got on the line with his very distinctive voice. He said: “Seamus, I have a request for you. I want you to run the Moline office there in Quad Cities.” And so it took me a whole two seconds to give an answer. I said, “Yes, sir. I will be doing that for ya.”

Q: Were you shocked?

AHERN: Oh again, shocked. I wasn’t expecting the phone call. Obviously I had put my resume in and was applying for the position, but I wasn’t expecting the position at all. I was very shocked.

Q: Did you ever tell him anything you learned in Iraq that maybe he didn’t know?

AHERN: Maybe a few little things. But overall, I think I remember we talked when I first came home at the college. We talked in the president’s office. And I shared a few of my experiences. It was a short time. I said obviously, you can always support the troops, and you can always make sure they’re funded and that they have the gear and equipment provided to them, and you can still be against the mission.

Q: Is that something, I mean, do you share that with other veterans? You must have some skepticism among veterans.

AHERN: Yes I do, and obviously that’s a very personal and very heartfelt issue to veterans. If you’re against the mission, then how can you support the troops? I believe you can walk that fine line. You can support the troops without supporting the mission.

Q: And currently you’re trying to go to officer training school, is that right?

AHERN: Yes, I’m in, I guess, the process of applying to O.C.S., which is down in Quantico. I’m just seeing if that’s going to be a good career choice for me. I also, who knows, maybe law school at some later point. I just feel a strong desire to still serve my country. I’ve felt like that since obviously day one when I enlisted. But obviously, since I came back, I really think about serving every day. It’s a calling for me and I think it’s something I know I want to do.

Q: Well, is there anything else that the people of Denver need to know about Barack Obama before he becomes the starring attraction at our convention?

AHERN: Just know that he’s a very down-to-earth person who gives his word, and when he gives his word you can take it for 100 percent honesty. He’s truthful. And I think that we’ll see that in the next few months with the campaigning. He definitely has our best interest in his mind and that he’s going to be a great president for us.

Q: No more advice for him?

AHERN: No more advice. I think he’s always going to have his sense of humor . . . He’ll never forget where he came from. He understands that, and that’s why he doesn’t need that advice.

* * *

Q: What’s your job now?

AHERN: I work with the Supreme Court out of Rock Island. I clerk for a justice here. They have different districts but they all convene in Springfield for the Supreme Court.

* * *

(BELOW ARE EXCERPTS OF ADDITIONAL INTERVIEWS AT A VFW POST IN EAST MOLINE, ILL.)

RAYMOND ALONZO, 81, commander of the VFW post: This was really maybe his launching pad, so to speak, to get him really going.

Q: Back then, what did you think?

ALONZO: I thought he was an up-and-coming politician. He’s got the smarts, he’s very articulate and he’s a well-spoken person.

Q: He’s not a veteran but he was warmly received here in the VFW, it sounds like.

ALONZO: Yeah, he had a good reception here. You don’t necessarily have to be a veteran and war hero to stand up for your country like he does. He’ll make a good one. He’ll make a good candidate, I think.

Q: Were you surprised he mentioned Seamus?

ALONZO: He remembers everything. He remembers where he got his start and people along the way that he has met, who helped him along you know, whatever cause. I was very surprised.

Q: You’re commander of the post.

ALONZO: Yes I am. Really this is about my third time around. we’re getting to the point where we’re losing members. There’s only a dedicated handful of us now that you know attend our meetings and keep it going, so rather than see us lose our charter, which would happen if we don’t elect commanders every year, I’d be willing to stay on as long as they want me.

Q: You’d think you’d have a lot more members with the war going on — two of them.

ALONZO: Well, you know, the younger generation, they have their own people to belong with. Like the Korean War veterans, they have their own. I understand the younger ones, too, they’ve got their own, too, their own organizations to belong to. And I can understand it because you get a young person up here to sit around with us old fogies, we really have nothing in common outside of wearing that uniform, you know.

Q: That’s a lot in common, actually. This young man (Seamus) knows his history. He insisted we go to “Hero Street.”

ALONZO: If you get a chance, just go down there and not only see the monument, which is on First Avenue, but go deeper into the park. In fact, I’d suggest you go up one street and down the other because it’s not that long. To have eight people come out of there lose their lives during World War II and the Korean War is really amazing. I forget how many come out of that little street . . .

Q: More than 100 now.

ALONZO: Yeah, there’s quite a few. In fact, one of those soldiers killed in Korea was one of our best buddies, and he was such a good buddy I named my firstborn child, which was a boy, I named him after him so I would never forget him. But that’s the way things went.

Q: Who are you gonna vote for in the fall?

ALONZO: Do I have to answer?

Q: No, you don’t.

ALONZO: I really don’t know. To tell you the truth, we’ve got two good candidates. I’m on the iffy side. I don’t know which one. They’re both good candidates, they’d both make wonderful presidents, I think. And the Republicans aren’t doing too bad either. They’ve got a good man . . . He’s a hero.

Q: What do your members in general think of the current conflict in Iraq in genera?. I’m sure there are various opinions.

ALONZO: Well, some of us, some of our members have sent their kids over there. As always is the case, a veteran doesn’t want wars, you know. We don’t like wars, because we know what happens in wars, you lose a lot of good people, and especially if they’re your own flesh and blood. So really, all I can say is I wish there never was any wars, but I know that’s kind of hard to imagine the way things are sometimes. But I’d much rather have those kids at home than anywhere else, than in harm’s way.

Q: Even in Iraq?

ALONZO: Even in Iraq.

Q: It’s a hard one. It’s a hard one.

ALONZO: Yeah.

* * *

Q: Why did you insist that he come and meet him?

DENNIS AHERN (TALKING OF HIS BROTHER): I’m a political animal, and I follow politics. I had a candidate in that race. As Democrats in the state of Illinois, if you lose you rally around the person who won. And Barack was a family friend of . . .

Q: Oh, you had a different candidate.

DENNIS AHERN: Yes, I actually supported a gentleman by the name of Gary Chico, a Mexican-American from Chicago, was a lawyer and a great young man. And our county here was actually relatively divided. You had Dan Hines who was a very good candidate, you had Barack Obama, you had Gary Chico, and after Barack won the primary, very good friends of ours, the Jacobs, who was a sitting state Senator here for years and years and years was his good friend and introduced me to him. And we talked. And then when he was down here, I told Seamus, I said, “Hey, you need to meet this guy. Come on now.”

Q: You had actually met him face to face.

DENNIS AHERN: I met him, oh yeah. Several times, several times.

Q: How many people? In a tiny little room, table like this?

DENNIS AHERN: Yeah, you know, 25, 30 people. Not a big crowd. Just “Hi,” “Bye,” you know. I doubt he would remember your name or anything like that. So I just . . . Actually, we were going to — actually, it’s a kinda funny local story — we were going to a retirement party for a police chief who was retiring. And actually, there was an incident at that event that night that made the paper the next day. So Barack’s appearance here locally didn’t even make the papers. Yeah, it was funny. So Barack shows up here. There were probably 25, 30 people here at the most. And, you know, I just introduced myself to him as he made the rounds. Just like Seamus said, he stopped and talked to every single person for a minute or two and actually engaged them. You know, you don’t do that as a politician. You say, “Hi, nice to meet you,” move along. Well, Barack stopped and talked to everyone. And after I got done, I just say, “Hey, this is my little brother Seamus and he’s heading off to Iraq in a couple of weeks.” And I don’t know whether I said, “Hey, say a prayer for him” or whatever, but Barack ended up talking to him for 10 minutes, one on one.

Q: How much time with him did you get that day?

DENNIS AHERN: Just a couple seconds, just to say hey. But that doesn’t matter. It was fun. Barack, even at his stump speech here, said, “Hey, I just want to let you know I just met Seamus Ahern. And everyone thinks that I’m important. And everyone thinks that I’m a hero, but the real important people and the real heroes are the people like Seamus, people who are defending us.” And of course he got a round of applause. And even that night, you know, Barack was humble enough to recognize someone that was going to be in service of our country.

Q: Besides just being who he was, a Marine about to ship out to Iraq, did he (Seamus) say anything else that would have caught Barack Obama’s attention? I can see why he would mention him in this crowd . . .

DENNIS AHERN: You know, in that speech, too, Barack also talked about the man he met in Galesburg. If you know anything about Illinois, we are a blue-collar state that has gone through some tough times with NAFTA. And East Moline and this pocket of the state, and Peoria and Galesburg, they are pockets of the state that are struggling. So as a politician, you remember those areas when you go into them. And you remember the people you meet. You remember the stories of the people you meet. I’m sure that’s why he remembered. And I’m sure dropping the name Seamus in Boston didn’t hurt him. (Laughter.)

Q: How long has the family been in the country? Twenty generations?

DENNIS AHERN: Three generations, actually. My dad always says his grandfather was a horse thief, so that’s why we had to leave Ireland. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know.

Q: Is that the family legend?

DENNIS AHERN: Yeah. The blarney. They came through New York, and then where they went to next, I have no idea. The railroad. Because my dad followed the railroad as well. He was a railroad employee for 20 years. And his father was a railroad employee for 40 years.

Q: Which railroad?

DENNIS AHERN: The Rock Island Line here locally, yes.

Q: “It’s a mighty good road. The Rock Island Line, it’s the road to ride.” “I may be right and I may be wrong, but you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.”

DENNIS AHERN: I don’t even know the words that well.

Q: Oh yeah, it’s a great song. Classic of his. All right, so he worked for the railroad. Mom’s a nurse?

DENNIS AHERN says his brother is 27; attended Loras College; Dennis is a salesman for Alcoa; lives in Moline, Ill.; Seamus lives in East Moline; both grew up in Silvis, where “Hero Street” is.

Q: I want you to tell me how you went from a guy supporting a different Senate candidate to becoming a Barack Obama delegate. How did you make that progression? You ran for office yourself, too, right . . .?

DENNIS AHERN: I did, I lost. I ran for state representative, a legislative position here about four years ago, against an incumbent. Thinking you can win with $5,000 against an incumbent is pretty stupid, but oh well. Actually, I think one of the reasons why . . . I think Seamus paved the road. And actually, I think Barack felt a little guilty because in Barack’s book he mentions the fact that he met Seamus Ahern and he was introduced by his father, and it was actually me. I don’t look that old, right? Actually Barack’s office asked Seamus, just consulted him, who would make a good delegate? What about your father? And my father’s in failing health. He has been a precinct committeeman for 40 years, a longtime Democrat. He’s physically not able to go, and Seamus said what about my brother. He’s the reason why I got involved with Barack in the first place. So the campaign called me. I said, sure, I’d be honored. And actually, I even told them if you have a quota to fill, I won’t be offended in any way if I am not chosen. They said no, we want you. So fortunately I had enough votes and I won.

* * *

Q: I asked Seamus if he had any advice for Barack Obama. Do you have any advice?

DENNIS AHERN: Absolutely not. He’s got 17 million people smarter than me giving him advice. I’m not going to give him advice. The only advice I’d have is the old Jim Valvano advice: “Every day make sure you laugh, cry and pray.”

* * *

(NOTES: Seamus Ahern talks about his arrival in Iraq on Aug. 31, 2004 — a couple weeks after the speech, at Camp Fallujah.)

SPRENGELMEYER: Did you get a lot of grief?

SEAMUS AHERN: I had a colonel there call me into his office and wanted to know who I was. And he just was sizing me up. He had a cigar in his mouth and said, “You really like this liberal? I’ll remember your name. We’re gonna have extra duty or something.” I said, “Awright, sir.”

We arrived in Fallujah, the rockets hit, it was not even five minutes that we were there, and I’m not exaggerating at all. It was unbelievable. We had to go into the Jersey bunkers and take cover and wait for the sirens to go off. We were in a different world.

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