GOV DOUGLAS MISSES MAPLE MOMENT

Gov. Jim Douglas dines with Lt. Col. Lee Flint (Son of Vermont IBM Retiree Lee Flint) in Kuwait. Douglas is visiting Vermont National Guard troops in Kuwait and Iraq. He traveled with the governors of Tennessee, Virginia and Nevada.
Vermont National Guard via AP

Article published Mar 21, 2006 in The Rutland Herald

Douglas misses maple moment while visiting troops in Kuwait

As if there wasn't already enough controversy over the war in Iraq, Gov. James Douglas found himself in a sticky situation with his breakfast one morning while visiting Vermont troops in the field last week.

His only choice was using "fake" syrup with his morning repast.

A photograph of the governor's breakfast, with members of the Vermont National Guard in Kuwait, was one of a series of images sent back during his trip to the Middle East. A bottle of "pancake" syrup stands in the foreground.

Douglas had to make do with the syrup that accompanies military meals, spokesman Jason Gibbs said.

"The syrup was provided by the service that prepares and delivers meals for military personnel in Kuwait," Gibbs said "The governor was disappointed that it was not real Vermont maple syrup."

The state is joining in a second year of "Operation Maple Sweetness," which sends Vermont maple syrup to members of the military serving overseas.

"He is very proud of all of the maple producers who are contributing to the operation that we hope might, one day, eliminate fake syrup all throughout the world," Gibbs said.

Last year the project, a collaboration between the state, Vermont syrup makers, Realtors and other groups, delivered 500 gallons of syrup, said Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, who worked on the project.

This year organizers hope to double that amount, Dubie said — appropriately after a Monday spent working on his family's own syrup operation in Fairfield.

Donations of syrup from sugar makers are being taken until April 30.
"It was really cool to get e-mails from people," Dubie said. Soldiers from Vermont and elsewhere wrote about how the syrup was a bright spot in their day, he said.

This year some syrup will be set aside for Vermonters, but a large portion of it will be sent to mess halls all across the region where U.S. soldiers are serving in the Mideast, Dubie said.

Word of Douglas' breakfast spread around the Statehouse late last week.
"Things must really be bad over there," quipped Senate President Pro Tem Peter Welch, D-Windsor, a candidate for the U.S. House.

Contact Louis Porter at louis.porter@rutlandherald.com.