Dr. Joseph Skelly and the Bronze Star

I want to send out my hearty congratulations to Joseph Skelly, a history professor on leave from his position at Mt. Saint Vincent College in New York and one of my colleagues as a Foundation for the Defense of Democracies fellow in 2003-2004. He has been awarded the Bronze Star for his"exceptionally meritorious service" in Iraq where he has been a U.S. Army reservist working to rebuild Iraqi universities.

Joe was one of the few historians among our group of fellows, and in all honesty there was much about which we did not see eye to eye. But he is intelligent and committed and obviously put his money where his mouth is with his military service, and that I respect profoundly. His work is also indicative of some of the good that is coming out of Iraq, which tends to get buried, however justifiably, by some of the more atrocious things we see and hear every day.