–submitted by Sharyn Alden
“It was like a chess game,” he said at the May 21st Rotary meeting. “Except this was a game of ‘human chess’ dealing with people. The former Milwaukee mayor of 18 years, and U.S House of Representatives, shared a close-up look at being ambassador to Luxembourg for three years. “I am proud to have represented the people of the U.S.,” he said.
Often asked how he got the job serving this very wealthy country smaller than Dane County with its population of 650,000, he said he asked for it.
In February 2021, in an airplane hangar at Milwaukee’s Mitchell Field, President Biden asked Barrett what he could do to help him, following the Democratic Convention in Milwaukee being pulled due to Covid. “He asked if I’d like to be the ambassador to Luxembourg, and I said yes.”
Among some special remembrances, he said, “The people of Luxembourg love the U.S. They haven’t forgotten we saved them twice in 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. Barrett said he was touched when an 84-year-old woman told him, “We will always be grateful for what the U.S. did for us.”
If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/h25Lg_osrFk.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 