May 23, 200917 yr DEFENSE BOSS HAILS NO-PANTS HERO By ANDY SOLTIS May 23, 2009 -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates yesterday saluted a 19-year-old solider from Texas who was caught in his pink boxers -- which read, "I Love New York" -- last week during a firefight with the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan. Army Spc. Zachary Boyd of Fort Worth became a reluctant celebrity when an Associated Press photo of him in his undies appeared in newspapers. That prompted a debate in the blogosphere over whether he was dressed for battle. But Gates defended Boyd's lack of pants in a speech at the Intrepid Museum yesterday, explaining that for those defending America "sometimes the public recognition isn't always expected -- or necessarily welcomed." Gates said the soldier was "enjoying a well-deserved sleep" when his post at Firebase Restrepo in Kunar province came under attack. "He immediately grabbed his rifle and rushed into a defensive position clad in his helmet, body armor and pink boxer shorts that said, 'I Love New York,' " Gates said. Boyd had fretted he might be booted from the Army, but Gates said that was not going to happen. "The next time I visit Afghanistan, I want to meet Specialist Boyd and shake his hand," he said. "Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip-flops has a special kind of courage," Gates said. "I can only wonder about the impact on the Taliban. Just imagine seeing that -- a guy in pink boxers and flip-flops has you in his crosshairs."
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