A smoke break creates icon of the war; now groupies seek out the weary Marine

Seattle Times ^ | Saturday, November 13, 2004 | Patrick J. McDonnell

[ovrtaxt]

This photo of Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller in Fallujah was published in more than 100 newspapers Wednesday.

FALLUJAH, Iraq

[asgardshill]

Red stater:

Blue stater:

[A Jovial Cad]

A wonderful story. It truly moves me as an American to read about such brave, and humble, young men fighting on our behalf to keep my family safe. We owe them a debt that is as timeless as duty, honor, & sacrifice itself; and one that we never will entirely be able to repay to them in this lifetime. That Marine can smoke a Marlboro in my house anytime--and the beer will be on me. God bless this great country--and God bless all the men & women serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.

[azhenfud]

Can you get this young man's address? I'll send him two cartons myself!

God bless him and his fellow grunts while I thank them all from the bottom of my heart...

[Allegra]

Yes, THIS is the kind of role model I'd love to see kids back home emulate. Much better than ratty-looking rock stars and whiny Hollywood liberals.

Oh, and by the way, ladies...forget it. I'm already in Iraq and I'm gonna get to him first. ;-)

[Flyer]

Thank you Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller for making smoking acceptable again!

[sonofatpatcher2]

Well, I always was

ahead of my time...

[lentulusgracchus]

"A picture?" he asked. "What's the fuss?"

The fuss, young man, is that there are a bunch of young women back here who want to, in no particular order:

1. Thank you for your service in a concrete and immemorial way,

2. Remind you what you're fighting for, in a concrete and immemorial way, and

3. Start the next generation of Marine recruits on their long journey to Parris Island.

You are about to be the luckiest b@stard in the United States Marine Corps.

Now keep your head low, mind your sergeants, and keep shooting.

[azhenfud]

"Well, I always was ahead of my time...

LOL!! But isn't that one of those mentholated Salems?

[Renfield]

This fellow looks like he stepped off the pages of an Ernie Pyle dispatch. Marines haven't changed much in all those years.

[Sharpie]

Proud to say that young man's home town is less than an hour from mine.

We hillbillies are all *damn* proud of him!

[SLB]

Will the libs now push for a total ban on smoking in the military? One never knows.

[No Blue States]

[uncbob]

I'll bet a lot of women are looking at this guy's picture and reading his story, and then taking another look at all their metrosexual boyfriends... : )

Exactly
TV can push those phonies all they want but hormones win in the end
Warriors have won the hearts and bodies of the fair sex since time began and it ain't gonna change

[Ben Chad]

ROTFLMAO!

[SLB]

LOL - that pic is a keeper.

[Dick Vomer]

Red State citizen...

Blue Stater..

[foolscap]

If I was him I'd want a smoke too. What ever gets you through. When he makes it home he can think about stopping smoking then. Now is not exactly the least stressful time to take on the problem.

[M Kehoe]

Maybe it's about America striking back at a perceived enemy,...

Excuse me Mr. McDonnell, but those perceived enemy you're talking about are shooting at us. Or flying airplanes into buildings. Or bombing discos and pizzerias. Or cutting off heads.

Mr. McDonnell, methinks your bias is worn on your sleeve. And, you're a dickhead.

5.56mm

[Nathan Zachary]

I can just hear the ribbing he's getting from his platoon mates, LOL!
Then when he gets back home he'll have to constantly look over his shoulder for all the old cougars pursuing him. From the sounds of the article he's going to be getting alot of cougar mail to read.

[SheLion]

Excellent photo! I love it!