MICHAEL WEISSKOPF [Caught Grenade, Loses Hand]

NRO's The Corner ^ | 12/10/03 | Kathryn Jean-Lopez

[William McKinley]

Deatils are sketchy (or at least the ones I have are), but Michael Weiskopf is In Iraq and was reportedly in a truck with a photographer from Time and (and one other, I believe) when they were hit by a grenade. Brit Hume just said Weisskopf caught the grenade and has lost his hand in the process--but saved the lives of the others in the truck. One wonders--I wonder--would my instinct be to catch the grenade?

[A.A. Cunningham]

grenade

[umgud]

This is HUGH if TRUE.

[Armedanddangerous]

If this is true, then it seems to me like he performed a selfless act, and should be honored.

[shrinkermd]

There should be a medal or some kind of recognition by the Army for this act. Great job! Thanks for saving US lives.

[BenLurkin]

Sometimes people do things instinctively and just react.

Agree with another poster, though, if this is series then it could be hugh.

[jimbo123]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-12-11-journalists-injured_x.htm

Time declined to provide more details. But an entry from a Washington Post staffer on the media Web site Poynter.org said that Weisskopf, a former Post reporter, "was riding in a military vehicle when a grenade was lobbed inside. According to people he works with at Time, he picked up the grenade and tossed it out, losing his right hand in the process while saving four lives.

[Porterville]

One wonders--I wonder--would my instinct be to catch the grenade

One wonders--I wonder-- could a liberal journalist actually perform a selfless task??? I doubt the story.

[BluH2o]

Great instinctive move on the part of Weiskoph ... he'll have a lot of credibility with the media, liberal & otherwise, in the months ahead ... you'll be seeing a lot of him.

[jimbo123]

http://wvgazette.com/section/APNews/News/ap0767n

Time would not offer details on the incident. But a memo sent to Weisskopf's former colleagues at The Washington Post said he picked up the grenade and tossed it out of the Humvee. It exploded, blowing off his hand and wounding him in the chest and arms. The memo said Nachtwey received shrapnel wounds that were not as serious.

[muawiyah]

That's exactly how it's done.

Not everybody has the calm to do it.

The ones who do it usually don't think it was anything worthy of public acclaim or honor.

But it is worthy of the highest of honors.

[I'll be your Huckleberry]

MICHAEL WEISSKOPF Senior Political Correspondent, TIME Michael Weisskopf is a senior correspondent for TIME in the magazine's Washington, D.C. bureau. He covers national politics and investigations. He covered the developments in the Monica Lewinsky story and during the 2000 election, did pieces on George W. Bush's record in Texas. He is the co-author of Truth At Any Cost, a book on the Kenneth Starr probe published in April of 2000 by HarperCollins. In 1998, Weisskopf, along with Washington Bureau Chief Michael Duffy and Correspondent Viveca Novak, was awarded the prestigious Goldsmith Award for Investigative Reporting, sponsored by Harvard University's Joan Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Policy, for their portfolio of investigative stories on campaign finance abuses. (TIME shared that award with the Seattle Times.) In 1999, he and chief political correspondent Eric Pooley were given the Henry R. Luce award for "Outstanding Story" for a piece they wrote on Kenneth Starr called "How Starr Sees It." Weisskopf joined TIME in January 1997 from The Washington Post. In his 20 years with the Post, he covered politics, the environment and the Pentagon. He was the paper's correspondent in China from 1980 to 1985 and covered the hostage crisis in Iran in 1979 and 1980. Prior to joining the Post, Weisskopf covered politics and government for The Baltimore Sun. He began his career in journalism at The Montgomery Advertiser in Montgomery, Alabama. While at the Post, Weisskopf won the George Polk Award for national coverage and The Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress. In 1996 he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. He is the co-author with David Maraniss of Tell Newt to Shut Up, which chronicles the rise and fall of the Gingrich revolution and was published in 1996 by Simon & Schuster's paperback division. Weisskopf received his Master of Arts from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and his Bachelors degree from George Washington University. He is fluent in Chinese. He lives in the District of Columbia with his wife Judith, their two children, Skyler and Olivia, two dogs and three cats. (December 2000)   Back to Senior Editorial Staff

 

[Timmy]

This is the guy who said that Christians were "poor, ignorant and easy to command," or something to that effect when he was at the Washington Post.

[caisson71]

Great if true but I can say a detonating grenade will take more than a hand, if it did explode in his hand.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[BenLurkin]

Wow. That took quick wits and steel nerves. Good for him!

[jackbill]

One wonders--I wonder-- could a liberal journalist actually perform a selfless task??? I doubt the story.

Prepare yourself for an apology - unless you want to shrink into the background.

According to reports (Fox News), a grenade was thrown into the vehicle in which he was riding. He grabbed it and in the process of throwing it out of the vehicle he lost his hand. As a result of his action he most likely saved the life of his cameraman and the two GI's that were in the vehicle.

[BunnySlippers]

If this is true, then it seems to me like he performed a selfless act, and should be honored.

I agree. Honors should be accorded.

[Catspaw]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56660-2003Dec11.html

 

Two Journalists Injured in Baghdad Grenade Attack

By William Branigin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 11, 2003; 2:11 PM

Two veteran Time magazine journalists, senior correspondent Michael Weisskopf and award-winning photographer James Nachtwey, were injured in Baghdad when a grenade was thrown into the military vehicle they were traveling in while accompanying U.S. soldiers on patrol, the magazine confirmed today.

<snip>

Reporters in Baghdad said Weisskopf was seriously injured when he picked up the grenade and tried to throw it out of the Humvee, possibly saving the lives of the other people in the vehicle. He and Nachtwey suffered other serious, but not life-threatening, injuries in the blast, reporters said.

<snip>

[ladyinred]

Okay, it is great if he caught the thing and threw it out and saved lives. I am trying not to get snippy about this! Time, however, is a traitorous publication who has reporters in the field with the enemy.