An excerpt from President Bush's address following the first US attack against Afghanistan:

"I recently received a touching letter that says a lot about the state of America in these difficult times, a letter from a fourth grade girl with a father in the military. 'As much as I don't want my dad to fight,' she wrote, 'I'm willing to give him to you.' This is a precious gift. The greatest she could give. This young girl knows what America is all about."