Lion's Lair - 26. "We're back live ..."

The Presidential luncheon went well. Everyone was friendly, and I came out thinking they’re all overplaying me. I’m just a Marine who did my job, despite all the really nice shit they all said about me.

I mentioned it to the President between the Luncheon and the awards ceremony. He just smiled and said, “Sargent, it’s been my honor to present this Medal to a few recipients during my term. Every one of them felt exactly the way you do—that they’re nothing special, that they’ve just been doing their jobs. And that much is true—they were just doing their jobs. But, they did so much more, went so far beyond what was expected, and did it without thinking about the consequences to themselves. You fit that profile. So think about it, and just accept our gratitude, will ya? ” A big smile and a slap on my back makes the point that he considers me worth of it. Maybe there is more I need to think through.

I did get to see Clayton and our group for a few minutes between the ceremonies, too. They’d obviously been moved; both Clayton and Bubba looked like they’d been crying, and Joe, Rex, and Barry all had solemn looks on their faces.

“How ya holding up, Ryan?” Bubba’s serious, but smiling.

“I’m ok, just a lot to sink in. Did you see the political firepower in there? Half of Washington was there.”

“Yeah, we had the chair of the Federal Reserve at our table, along with the Secretary of Commerce. It was interesting hearing them talk about the economy,” Bulldog chimed in, his business interests obvious. “It sounds like business will be good for the bar in the next few months ahead.” He’s grinning as he says it, and we all laugh, knowing he’s going to have fun at The Bar, regardless of the economy. “And we even had the FBI there, so we’ll have no more crime while we’re out drinkin’.” Bulldog outright laughs, the nasty night of the robbery behind him.

“Yeah, about that, Clayton, I ….” Bubba starts to speak when security interrupts to take me to the Medal presentation. Guess I’ll learn what he was about to say later.

The actual presentation ceremony was far more formal than the luncheon—should have expected that I guess. The Secretary of the Navy read the formal nomination he’d done for my consideration of the Medal, and then introduced several members of my old platoon who were there on the floor. Got to see ‘em after the presentation and before the insane round of press interviews. Great to catch up with ‘em and we’re gonna get together for drinks, maybe tonight if the press stuff finishes early enough.

The President spoke again, his comments more brief, very formal as Commander in Chief. Still more complimentary than I expect, but at least I’m not blushing like I did earlier during the luncheon. Gotta thank the President for that.

The presentation ceremony was far shorter than I expected—maybe I can get out of this uniform sooner than I thought; at least we’ll get the press stuff done more quickly, maybe.

Maria appears after ceremony. She’s set up a conference room off to one side, got it stocked with snacks, water, soft drinks. “Look, just relax. You’re gonna feel like you’re saying the same thing over and over—and in a lot of ways, you are, because the questions are all going to be alike. Just be honest, answer openly, you’re gonna do fine.”

She was right; the questions were all alike. Basic stuff, like where I’m from, what it was like growing up in Nebraska, how long I’d served in the Corps, that sort of thing. Then there were the expected common questions: “What was it like that day?” (“I don’t remember—it only popped up in occasional dreams.”) “How’s the medical treatment you’ve been getting and the recovery going; are you going to get new legs?” (Guess that’s because of the scandal about how badly many vets were treated in their health care. “My care has been good; guess that’s because of the immediacy of my injuries, and where I got the immediate treatment in Germany and here in the states. I’ve got a couple of medical issues I’m still working through, but I’m moving forward to getting new legs—I hope soon. I’m ready to get out of this damn chair.”)

Probably most frustrating was that virtually all of the media wanted to focus on my being gay. “What was it like serving under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’? (“I’m there to do a job, it’s never been about who I sleep with.”) “How did other gay service members handle all of it?” (“I guess they did ok, they’re either still in service doing their job, or they’re out in society living normal lives.”) “Were you openly gay when you were in service?” (“I never hid who I am, I think everyone knew, it wasn’t an issue, never made it one. Always a few bigots around, they’re gonna find reasons to like or dislike someone, so that’s on them.”)

A couple of the news outlets asked about my relationship with Clayton. (“I’m lucky, I found a great guy, we’re very happy together, and live a low-key quiet life—at least up until now.”) Several of ‘em asked if they could at least meet Clayton, either on-air or as part of the interview, but I turned ‘em down. Clayton had made his feelings clear, and I’m honoring that. Clayton smiled every time I said “no”; he’d been off to one side during most of the interviews, listening as though he’d never heard any of my responses before.

Finally, the last interview of the day came up. It was with NBC, with Willie Geist. Good guy; the friendly jock next door, laid-back, kinda an “everyman” interviewer—I’d seen him on interviews, and he’d ask the kind of questions I wanted to know … down to earth, practical stuff. We were just about to get started when he stopped before the cameras and lights got rolling. “You look like you could use a break, maybe a change in scenery. How about we go outside and do this interview?”

We headed outside the White House, going over toward the mall, with the Washington monument in the distance reflecting the late afternoon’s setting sun. I get out of the wheelchair, sitting on one of the benches by the reflecting pool. It’s nice to get out of the chair; Willie is sitting opposite me, arm casually thrown over the back of the bench; the camera men have set up their cameras to get me in one camera, Willie in the other. Clayton in sitting on a nearby bench, having met Willie on the walk out, and Willie proactively commented that he’d respect our privacy as a couple, but he wouldn’t fight it “if Clayton dives in during part of the interview.”

He’s totally cool, and has us relaxed. No wonder he’s the host of that Sunday morning newsmagazine. It’s not hard-hitting news, but its shit that’s damn interesting. Kinda like a 60 Minutes but focused more on people, art, music, architecture—people and stuff you’d love to know more about but the networks never really give the airtime to inform ya, they just tease ya with the info.

We start talking, and it’s a friendly give-and-take between Willie and me. The conversation is easy, and before I know it, we’ve been chatting for an hour and a half. Willie says that’ll do it, and we chat for another couple of minutes. “So what are your plans while you’re here?”

I tell him I’m meeting buddies from my unit for beers, then dinner with Clayton and my friends. Friday and the remainder of the weekend is clear since I’ve finished up all the press stuff today. “Maybe tour the Smithsonian, do the tourist stuff since I’ve never gotten to explore D.C.”

“Good for you. But, I’ve got a couple of propositions for ya. First, can I join you and your unit guys for beers? If they’re willing, I’d love to get a couple of lines from ‘em about you—but that’s only if they’re willing to do it. Secondly, I’m really enjoying getting to know you, and think our viewers would love to get to know you like this, too—so will you consider coming with me, and being my co-host on the Today show in New York tomorrow morning? I’m covering for Matt Lauer, so it’s going to be hard news for the first half-hour, but I’d like to have you there for the second half-hour or more. Is that something you’d consider?”

Look over at Clayton, he just shrugs his shoulders, indicating it’s my call. “Sure, Willie … you’re welcome to come out tonight with us, whether or not the guys talk with ya is up to them. As for joining ya on the show tomorrow morning, well … yeah, I guess that’ll work, just need to figure out how to get there.” Look at Clayton again and he’s still ok with all of this.

“I’m going back on the train later tonight. You can either go up with me, and we’ll put ya in a hotel, or come up early tomorrow morning. You and Clayton talk about it, and let me know. Right now, I need to make a few phone calls.” Willie breaks away to chat with his camera men, then is on the phone.

“Clayton, are you really ok with all of this? I mean, it is last minute, and I really don’t know what you’d planned for the rest of the trip. And working out more travel accommodations is a pain in the ass …. “

“I’m fine with it if you are. Let’s check with the guys, see what they want to do. One option might be to spend the night here, and either take the train or an early flight up tomorrow morning.”

After talking with them by phone, the guys thought it’d be fun to see how a morning TV show is made and they were all for the trip up. Clayton checked on his iPhone, and found a train with a schedule that would let us get to the studio in time for the show. Found Willie, told him we’d be there and made a deal that he’d provide a vehicle to pick us up and get us to the studio. “Agreed.” Willie was happy.

Joined my buddies from the platoon that night for beers, and got caught up. The guys were initially wary about Willie and his crew, but the guy’s natural charm got ‘em, perhaps along with a couple of rounds of beers he bought, and I found out later they gave him some really nice quotes about me he used in his piece.

Willie left the bar, I finished my visit with my old Marine buddies, and we headed off to dinner and an early evening before tomorrow’s adventure.

Me? On TV? What the fuck was I thinking when I agreed to this?

The next morning arrived far too early, but we all made it up, got to the train station, and headed to New York City. True to his word, Willie had a couple of cars and drivers for us, and we raced to the station, getting there in time for the opening credits of the show. I was herded to makeup; the guys wait for me in the “green room”, which is well-stocked with coffee, sweet rolls, juices, and fruit.

Willie was doing the closing before going to the local news break at the end of the first half hour. “Coming up, in our next half hour, I’m pleased to introduce to you a remarkable man. I met him yesterday when he was award the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest award for bravery in military service. You’ll get to see excerpts from an interview I did with Marine Sargent Ryan Gregory, and he’ll be my guest co-anchor in the next half-hour—so stick around.”

Had just enough time to grab a mug of coffee and roll up to the half-circle anchor desk when the show started back up. “Welcome back to the second half hour of the Today show. I’m Willie Geist, and I’m here with Natalie Morales, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, and our special guest co-anchor, Ryan Gregory, who you’ll meet in a moment. But first, the news. Natalie, catch us up on it all, please.”

Natalie highlights the news leads in her solid professional style, finishes, moves the attention to Al who gives a brief summary of the nation’s weather forecast, then he breaks away for a local weather update. We’re back in 60 seconds, and Willie speaks again. “I was fortunate to meet Marine Sargent Ryan Gregory after the awards ceremony for his receipt of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for military service. You’ll be able to see the full interview on my Sunday morning show, but here are a few excerpts from my interview with him …. “

*    *    *    *

Ryan looks great in his Marine dress uniform, and the interview Willie did with him yesterday afternoon shows him relaxed and confident. Barry, Dave, Rex, Joe, and I are seated on sofas in the “green room”, chugging coffee, still waking up. Ryan’s hair is picking up the reddish background of the sunset, making him look more of a redhead than usual.

Damn, my other half is hot.

Willie covers a little background on Ryan, and his military service, then reviews the actions in Fallujah that earned Ryan his medal. “… And you had no memory of any of that day? It must have been pretty traumatic.”

“No active memory at all, Willie. I’d had some dreams early on after my release from the hospital, made me wonder if I was having some form of PTSD. But I talked with the docs, they assured me that loss of memory after severe injuries was normal, and it’d all come back at some point. I really didn’t start getting more and more of the dreams until I met and started dating my other half—and at that point the dreams picked up. Later, when I learned I’d been nominated for the Medal of Honor, and read about the events of the day, well, that was when all the dreams came together and I knew they were real.”

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have met your ‘other half’ as you call him. A lot of the news outlets have made a big deal out of the fact you’re gay, and I heard your explanation on all of that. Would you mind repeating that for us, and then tell us about your ‘other half’?” Willie smiles as he says it, and there’s the distinct impression that he’s giving Ryan the opportunity to vent about having to deal with all the gay questions from the other reporters.

“Easy enough. Yeah, I’m gay, always have been, always knew ‘where my bread was buttered’, never felt any guilt about it. Sure I hid it through high school like so many non-straight guys do about their sexuality, but figure that was what I needed to learn about me. When I got in the Corps, I was there to do a job. Who I slept with didn’t matter—and it shouldn’t. The bonds of brotherhood I got have been what have kept me going; in fact, my best friend is a Marine brother.” I look at Dave, and he’s swallowing hard at the lump in his throat and has a look that combines both pride in Ryan and a love for the man that is totally heartwarming.

“As far as my other half, he’s a phenomenal man: strong, intelligent, incredibly attractive, a witty sense of humor, very private. It sounds funny to refer to someone as your other half, like maybe you’re missing out on being a whole person. And that’s not the case. It’s more like he brings out the best part of me, the part most of us keep buried in the grind of daily life. It’s kinda like our shorthand to show how much the other brings to the relationship.

“He’s my rock. I really believe he’s the one who made me comfortable enough to dream of that day outside of Fallujah, who got me ready to deal with that reality, if only at a subconscious level. If I can bring even ten percent to him of what he gives to me, well … I’ll be a lucky man.”

Willie is open-mouthed, shaking his head at the intensity of the feeling Ryan’s expressed.

Where was I when he said this yesterday? Damn, could I love this man any more?

“Uh, yeah, I think we’ve got a keeper here.” Rex is being a smartass, but it lightens the situation so that I’m not gonna be a romantic fool in a puddle in the green room.

“Willie, lemme make a point here. You’re straight, married, right? Got kids, right?”

“Yes.” Willie looks a little surprised with the question, unsure of where Ryan’s going with this.

“And does your being straight and married interfere with you doing your job? Of asking the probing questions, researching your stories, getting to the truth of things?”

“Not at all.”

“And does it make you feel like you might be less qualified for your job to even have that question asked? Isn’t it more than a little insulting to your basic character to get hit with that?”

“Well . . . yeah, it is, I guess. Hadn’t really thought about it from that perspective, since you’re the first person to ever ask it …. “

“Well, it’s kinda the same way when other news outlets have made a big deal out of someone being gay and asking how it affects them on the job. There’s a part of me that wonders about that kind of logic—and another part of me that’s insulted you’d even have to ask about it as an issue. I’m here to do a job. In fact, that’s part of what’s kinda throws me about receiving this medal; I was just doing a job, just like the men and women of the Marines and other service arms do day in, day out. There’s really nothing special about me.”

There’s a drumbeat of a pause before Ryan continues, “… and that’s why I’m grateful you didn’t ask about me being gay, so that way I didn’t get insulted before we got started.” Ryan grins, Willie wipes his brow in mock relief.

“I’m glad about that.” They both start laughing after Willie says it, and the video ends and it’s like they’re two buddies chatting over drinks.

"We're back live," Willie says as he turns to look at Ryan.“So tell me about your life today.”

“Guess my life is just like everyone else’s, I get up, go workout at the gym, go to work, do some special therapy to get ready for my new legs ….”

“And I understand you sell cars?”

“Well, yes, I sell Cadillacs, but I also do the customer technology training and support. Cars have gotten so complex, and high-end cars like Cadillac are loaded with thoughtful features and hardware and custom software—but it can all be a little overwhelming to learn and personalize. Unlike most car dealers, we go in and help you make the most out of your new vehicle. I do technology training classes, I provide one-on-one problem resolution, and Cadillac backs it up with 24/7 personalized support by phone and internet. We don’t just throw you in a vehicle and say, “Good luck”. I get to help make customers’ driving better. It’s fun.”

“Sounds like you really enjoy it, and you’re good at it. My producers checked, and you’ve been salesman of the month for the last 4 months.”

“Well, yeah, I do enjoy it. And I’ve been lucky to have some great customers.” Ryan is proud of his accomplishments, but a little embarrassed by this small bit of notoriety.

“And you’re getting ready for new legs?”

“Yup, I do physical therapy a couple of times a week above my gym workouts. I’ve got some medical issues that I’m hoping will get resolved in the next couple or three months—but then after that, I’ll get my new permanent legs. I’ve already gotten to use some demo legs over a weekend, and I can’t wait for the real thing.”

“It sounds like it’s all really come together for you. You’ve got a job you love, a solid relationship, and the future looking good with new legs. Plus the resolution of your dreams and recognition of your war service. Just one more thing before we go to our local affiliates; our driver overheard one of your buddies kidding you about being here, something along the lines of, ‘When you finish your careers as a war hero, car salesman, and crime fighter, maybe there’s a career for you in TV!’ What’s that all about—are you a crime-fighter, too?” Willie’s grinning as he says it, thinking he’s getting on the inside of a joke.

Uh-oh. The cat’s about to be out of the bag.

For the first time, Ryan shifts uncomfortably in his seat. He looks down at the desk for a moment, takes a breath, then looks up, cheeks red, and speaks. “Well, uh … A group of us were all at a bar that one of our good friends owns—he’s here on this trip with me--when a guy tried to rob it. He roughed him up pretty badly, and was about to pull my other half out and force him at gunpoint to drive him away. Another one of our friends, who’s also here on this trip with me, and I worked together, and I hit the robber with my wheelchair and … uh … I … uh … (he looks down at his crotch) incapacitated him and my buddy punched his lights out. At that point, the police arrived, and it was all over. So, no, I don’t know that I’d say I’ve had a crime-fighting career.”

At this point, Willie starts to chuckle; he’s made the connection between the look Ryan gave to his crotch and the word “incapacitated”. “Wait a minute … you hit the robber with your wheelchair in the groin?”

The frat boy humor isn’t lost on Ryan and he’s got a big grin plastered on his face. “Well … yeah. Then my buddy slugged him and he went down, and it was over.”

Willie’s openly laughing now. “Well, that sounds like a pretty good start of a crime-fighting career. Good for you!” Then turning to face the camera, Willie ends the segment by saying, “We’re proud to have a car salesman, a crime fighter, and the latest Medal of Honor winner, Sargent Ryan Gregory, here as a special co-host this half hour. Stick around for our next half hour after your local news and weather—maybe we can convince Ryan to stay with us a little longer. Ryan, thank you for your service to our country. We’ll be back in just a few moments.”