Posted on 01/02/2006 12:33:09 PM PST by SmithL
When Cpl. Michael Montemayor dashed into enemy fire to pull a fellow Marine from a stinking canal in the southern Iraq city of Nasiriya in March 2003, he wasn't exactly thinking of becoming the Marine Corps poster boy.
"I was just doing my job," the 30-year-old San Jose native, who was later promoted to sergeant and has since left the Corps, said Friday. "My mission was to get my Marines home."
Nevertheless, posters bearing Montemayor's image -- billboards, actually -- will be going up in about 20 locations around the Bay Area, beginning this week. They will bear his name and a snippet of the citation he received with his Bronze Star medal, with combat distinguishing device.
The billboards are part of the 12th Marine Corps District's "Hometown Heroes" campaign, which started in November in Montana. The unveiling in that state brought a warm reception from the lieutenant governor and dignitaries.
In the Bay Area, some critics say the Marines are using propaganda as a recruiting tool. But that has not dissuaded the Marines.
"We're going to try it here, because I don't think red states necessarily have a corner on heroism," said Maj. Michael Samarov, commanding officer of Recruiting Station San Francisco.
"We have all of these tremendous young people doing all these incredible things, and the story's not getting told," said Samarov, who, like Montemayor, was in Iraq in the first days of the war.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
How's this?
LOL. Gooooo Marines.
Funny - supporters would say the same thing.
Why am I not surprised that statements like this are coming out the SinFreakSicko Toilet Bowl.
Where is the propoganda here? As far as I'm concerned, this is/was reality. Is the truth now too dangerous for the libs? Well, as long as it's their version of truth it's not...
I guess SanFranSicko's will understand the shortage of manpower when they get attacked. If they don't- too bad.
"Critics say recruiting is Marines' motive in billboards recognizing bravery in war"
And that's supposed to be bad??
That's how warped these guys are. The Marine trying to recruit is now a dirty deed to be ashamed of. I hope some highup in the marine corps points this out with the proper level of outrage.
They will roll over and raise their rumps in surrender.
The Marines have every right to recruit. I wish the "critics" would find another country they like better.
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