David Bloom

Here's the letter I sent to the email address for condolences for NBC's David Bloom, who died a week and a half ago in Iraq:

Dear Mrs. Bloom,

My wife and I first "discovered" your husband in the 9/11 coverage; we were impressed with his style of journalism, which was serious and very real & sincere... he always seemed to truly mean what he said. I wondered why he wasn't moving higher with NBC, only to learn recently that he loved being in the field.

We were again excited (if that's the right word) to see that he was an "embed," covering the war with the 3rd Infantry Division. Whenever Brokaw or anyone else would go to David, I'd yell to my wife, "David Bloom is on!"

I was sorry to learn only after his death that your husband was from my home state: Minnesota. I knew there was a reason I loved him! :-) Seriously, his personality and demeanor epitomized "Minnesota nice."

I can't imagine what the next few days, weeks, and months will be like for you and your daughters, and for your extended family. Although we will most likely never meet this side of Heaven, I want you to know that David, you, your daughters, and the rest of your family will remain in our daily prayers.

[end of letter]

Today I saw that David's funeral was at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York; Edward Cardinal Egan said that Bloom would attend Sunday Mass at the Cathedral after his Today Show duties.

What a guy.