John Kelly Speaks About Fallen Soldiers: Read the Transcript
Bush
Typically  the only phone calls a family receives are the most important phone calls they could imagine  and that is from their buddies. In my case  hours after my son was killed  his friends were calling  us  from Afghanistan  telling  us  what a great guy he was. Those are the only phone calls that really mattered.
He asked me about previous Presidents  and I said  I can tell you that President Obama  who was my Commander-in-Chief when I was on active duty  did not call my family. That was not a criticism. That was just to simply say  I don’t believe President Obama called. That’s not a negative thing. I don’t believe  President Bush  called in all cases. I don’t believe any President  particularly when the casualty rates are very  very high — that Presidents call. But I believe they all write.
So when I gave that explanation to  our President  three days ago   he  elected to make phone calls in the cases of four young men who we lost in Niger at the earlier part of this month. But then  he  said  how do you make these calls? If you’re not in the family  if you’ve never worn the uniform  if you’ve never been in combat  you can’t even imagine how to make that call. I think  he  very bravely does make those calls.
The call in question that  he  made yesterday — or day before yesterday now — were to four family members  the four fallen. And remember  there’s a next-of-kin designated by the individual. If he’s married  that’s typically the spouse. If he’s not married  that’s typically the parents unless the parents are divorced  and then he selects one of them. If he didn’t get along with his parents  he’ll select a sibling. But the point is  the phone call is made to the next-of-kin only if the next-of-kin agrees to take the phone call. Sometimes they don’t.
Typically  the only phone calls a family receives are the most important phone calls they could imagine  and that is from their buddies. In my case  hours after my son was killed  his friends were calling  [TGT]  from Afghanistan  telling  [TGT]  what a great guy he was. Those are the only phone calls that really mattered.
He asked me about previous Presidents  and I said  I can tell you that President Obama  who was my Commander-in-Chief when I was on active duty  did not call my family. That was not a criticism. That was just to simply say  I don’t believe President Obama called. That’s not a negative thing. I don’t believe  [TGT]called in all cases. I [TGT] believe any President  particularly when the casualty rates are very  very high — that Presidents call. But I believe they all write.
So when I gave that explanation to  our President  three days ago   he  elected to make phone calls in the cases of four young men who we lost in Niger at the earlier part of this month. But then  he  said  how do you make these calls? If you’re not in the family  if you’ve never worn the uniform  if you’ve never been in combat  you can’t even imagine how to make that call. I think  he  very bravely does make those calls.
The call in question that  he  made yesterday — or day before yesterday now — were to four family members  the four fallen. And remember  there’s a next-of-kin designated by the individual. If he’s married  that’s typically the spouse. If he’s not married  that’s typically the parents unless the parents are divorced  and then he selects one of them. If he didn’t get along with his parents  he’ll select a sibling. But the point is  the phone call is made to the next-of-kin only if the next-of-kin agrees to take the phone call. Sometimes they don’t.