By By Georgia E. Frye / staff writer
Sept. 10, 2003
Meridian author Craig Ziemba said he plans to thank people for supporting the military when he speaks this week at a political fund-raiser headlined by President George W. Bush.
The $1,000-a-ticket event, set for noon Friday at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, is a fund-raiser for Republican Haley Barbour's gubernatorial campaign.
Ziemba said he is excited about meeting Bush.
Friday won't be the first time Ziemba has spoken in front of one of the country's leaders. Ziemba also spoke earlier this year at a Gulfport fund-raiser for Barbour headlined by Vice President Dick Cheney.
Ziemba said he was invited to speak at the Bush event by Haley Barbour's campaign manager, Henry Barbour.
Ziemba, who served in the Navy during the 1990s, recently published his memoirs, "Boondoggle."
In addition to teaching student Naval aviators, Ziemba writes a regular column for The Meridian Star and offers political commentary on a local radio station.
Besides drawing attention to support for the military, Ziemba said his speech also will mention the boost in military troop morale since President Bush took office in 2001.
He said he is supportive of Bush's plan in Iraq, and people must look at the big picture to understand that Bush is doing the right thing.
Ziemba said he hopes to have an opportunity to have his picture made with the president. He said he had the opportunity to have his picture made with President Clinton, but he declined.