"Roy was just another bureaucrat to me, but I realized very soon that without Roy this thing would have died"

In this quote, the speaker, Ben Shahn, is assessing his initial perception of a male called Roy. Initially, Roy was just another bureaucrat to the speaker, someone who was simply a part of the system. However, as the speaker got to know Roy better, he came to recognize that Roy was actually an essential component in keeping something alive. This realization shows the speaker's growth and understanding that sometimes, the people we might ignore or dismiss as insignificant are actually essential to the success of a job or concept. It also highlights the value of recognizing and valuing the contributions of others, no matter their position or title.