Rumsfeld meets with Galvezes

A Salt Lake couple whose son was killed in Iraq earlier this month "suffered a loss that's terribly unfortunate," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Tuesday.

Rumsfeld met privately with Tony and Amy Galvez, the parents of Marine Cpl. Adam Galvez, shortly after Rumsfeld's remarks to the American Legion national convention. The secretary called it a "privilege and an honor" to meet with the couple, whose 21-year-old son died Aug. 20 when a roadside bomb exploded under his vehicle.

Tony and Amy Galvez declined to discuss the specifics of their 10-minute conversation with Rumsfeld, simply saying they, too, were honored to speak with Rumsfeld.

The meeting came just one day after another set of Utah parents, Timothy and Fay Dolan of Roy, learned their young son had been killed in Iraq. Dan Dolan, a 19-year-old soldier with the Army's 2nd Infantry Division, died Sunday in Iraq.

After meeting with the Galvezes, Rumsfeld toured the west Salt Lake warehouse of Globus Relief, a 10-year-old organization that provides humanitarian aid to Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries in crisis. Globus supports some 200 charities in distributing medical and other supplies throughout the world.

Rumsfeld spent about 10 minutes talking to Globus workers and volunteers of one of those charities, Operation Give, a nonprofit organization founded by Chief Warrant Officer Paul Holton to provide toys, hygiene items and other items to Iraqi children.

Holton, who served in Iraq for 13 months as a member of the Utah National Guard, has had an ongoing relationship with Rumsfeld's office. The secretary's staff contacted him to arrange Tuesday's visit, he said.

"We're privileged and honored that he would select us to come out here," Holton said.

During his brief visit, Rumsfeld shook hands and spoke to volunteers sorting items destined for Iraq. He thanked the Utahns for their work, saying it spoke well about Americans' compassion for others.

"It says a lot about our country," he said. "It is a generous country. It's probably the most generous country on the face of the Earth."

Rumsfeld took no formal questions from the media, but did respond when asked about President Bush's comment last week that the ongoing war in Iraq is straining the psyche of the country.

"Wars are terrible, ugly, difficult things," he said. "I don't think any people can go through a conflict ... and not have it affect them. It's such an unnatural thing."

Kristen Turner of Saratoga Springs, an Operation Give volunteer, shook Rumsfeld's hand and thanked him for his work as defense secretary.

"I just told him I appreciated all he does for our country," she said. "I support him 100 percent."

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com