Posted on 02/12/2006 8:05:41 PM PST by infoguy
Robert C.J. Parry, a first lieutenant in the California Army National Guard's 1st battalion of the 184 Infantry, has published a must-see op-ed in today's Los Angeles Times (Sunday, February 12, 2006), entitled, "The war you didn't see." In the piece, he reports something that is rarely reported but has been known by many all along: The mainstream media has been giving our troops a raw deal by harping on negative news and ignoring positive accomplishments.
"We served with honor. We served with valor. We earned distinction," writes Lt. Parry, as he recounts a number of brave actions in battle from men with whom he served. (Emphasis mine:)
"So far, 14 of our soldiers have been decorated for valor and another 48 have earned the Bronze Star for service. But that cannot be found in print.
"Our unit ... conducted more than 7,000 combat patrols totaling nearly half a million man-hours. We captured more insurgents in one month than did whole brigades. We stand nominated (with the rest of our brigade) for a Valorous Unit Award.
"But instead, people who didn't know the first thing about us trumpeted the misdeeds of a handful of young men who scoffed at the concepts of honor and duty that our commander invoked."
What happened? Unfortunately, "a few of Alpha's young NCOs had abused a group of Iraqi detainees" shortly after Parry's unit arrived in Iraq in 2004. "It was immature, nasty, stupid stuff," but,
(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...
God bless our troops.
Thank you, Lt. Parry!
Also, you can write to Lt. Parry at rparry@ppmgcorp.com
Wow! Great editorial, and great comments at the site!
I didn't think I could get any angrier at the MSM. Grrrrrr!
God bless the men and women of the United States military!
..that GOD The FATHER sahll not allow those who have Dishonored and Lied about You, Your Buddies-in-Boots & Your Fine, Impressive commanding-Officers...
...toevade punishment, loss & shame for their heinous deeds.
Very good read -
This breaks my heart. I never forgave the Democrats what they did to our soldiers in Vietnam, and they're doing it all over again.
Oh, but wait. The MSM keep saying the "support the troops"! Are you telling dme they are nothing but a pack of leftist liars?
...I'm heartbroken!
"...Google us to find the litany of supposed woe. But if you want to know the real story of our battalion, go find Sgt. Thomas Kruger and ask him about April 5, 2005.
On that bright spring morning, with his legs shattered, Kruger dragged himself across 100 feet of debris and shrapnel to reach Cpl. Glenn Watkins, who had been mortally wounded moments earlier by the same ghastly roadside bomb.
You might also ask anyone from our ranks about Staff Sgt. Steve Nunez. Broken and bloodied by an IED, he was ordered home to recuperate after refusing to go voluntarily. He rejoined us to carry the fight forward, refusing the chance to stay home.
There were no front-page headlines for Kruger, Nunez or even Sgt. 1st Class Tom Stone, who covered a wounded subordinate's body with his own to protect that soldier from a secondary attack that could have come at any moment.
Stone, a Los Angeles Police Department officer, and Kruger, a paramedic on movie sets, were awarded Bronze Stars for their valor. Nunez, a Riverside metalworker, received our awe and admiration, and I hope yours too.
Equally deserving of recognition were Sgt. 1st Class Chris Chebatah and 1st Lt. Ky Cheng. One terrible September night, an armored personnel carrier in their patrol was destroyed by a tremendous blast and flipped, pinning a soldier. Even while taking enemy fire and directing the care for casualties around them, they rigged a chain to pull the 10-ton vehicle off him. The effort was successful but ultimately futile.
So far, 14 of our soldiers have been decorated for valor and another 48 have earned the Bronze Star for service. But that cannot be found in print.
Our unit — supposedly just a band of weekend warriors from the National Guard — was selected by the Army's renowned 3rd Infantry Division to take on its primary challenge: taking control of a sector of south Baghdad that was home to leading Baathists and Al Qaeda fanatics. In that capacity, we conducted more than 7,000 combat patrols totaling nearly half a million man-hours. We captured more insurgents in one month than did whole brigades. We stand nominated (with the rest of our brigade) for a Valorous Unit Award.
But instead, people who didn't know the first thing about us trumpeted the misdeeds of a handful of young men who scoffed at the concepts of honor and duty that our commander invoked.
At dawn on the June day that that story broke, we awakened to the deep reverberation of a complex attack — five car bombs and at least three subsequent ambushes designed to hit those who responded — in an adjacent sector. The 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment was in a hot fight. Our Alpha Company — a part of our battalion, based in Fullerton — rallied to 3-7's aid. The company fought through ambushes to find, kill and capture terrorists. For a few hours, the men of Killer Company, as we call Alpha, were heroes..."
God Bless our military, and may He keep our personnel overseas safe.
The LA Times making up for their infantile columnist Joel Stein? It's so funny how cowardly the NYT, et al. are reacting to the "cartoons". Too scared to enrage Muslims world wide but not too scared to enrage Muslims world wide when they can besmirch the US Military at the same time.
BTTT!
If a Democrat were Pres, you'd hear nothing but great stories day in day out about the military's accomplishments.
Pray daily for our soldiers and their commander-in-chief!
GOD Bless our TROOPS
True! You're right ...
I say it at least weekly on here. The media distorts and outright lies about Iraq and has been doing so for a long time. And it dishonors the fantastic job our troops are doing here.
Thank you, Lt. Parry and all of you for a job well done and just ignore the media scum and their leftist agenda.
It won't be long before the progress in Iraq is so obvious that the media scum won't be able to cover it up anymore.
P. S. - The media never did much or any coverage on how they themselves got kicked out of the Green Zone, did they? No, because then they'd have to divulge the reason.
And the reason is clear to most of us.
We are too few, I know, but we are out here and we do everything in our power to spread the word. The media has failed miserably. They have shown themselves to be weak people, not up to the task of what their fellow journalists accomplished in prior wars. They are a pitiful lot lacking courage and honor.
If a Democrat were Pres, you'd hear nothing but great stories day in day out about the military's accomplishments.
.....Umm, I think you'd hear about dithering, waiting for the polls to decide action and wailing about how our soldiers weren't willing to go. The dems would not have sent troops unless the UN said it was OK.
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