How many Americans can name one American hero from the war on terror?Posted on 04/19/2007 8:22:06 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
How many Americans can name one American hero from the war on terror?
During WWII and for years thereafter, I daresay virtually every American from school-age up knew of Audie Murphy and other war heroes. But while the MSM has spent incalculable resources informing Americans and the world about Abu Ghraib and Haditha, how often has the MSM told us about the new generation of heroes among our people serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere?
I'd invite people to view Heroes in the War on Terror, assembled by the Defense Department, that tells the stories of a number of our heroes. Take that of SGT Micheaux M. Sanders [pictured here] of Goldsboro, NC:
Sanders deployed to Iraq in 2003 in the early stages of the conflict--but it was not until April 4, 2004, that he faced his greatest challenge on the battlefield. A platoon of 20 men was trapped deep within Sadr City, which was in the midst of an uprising. Sgt. Sanders’s tank crew and two others from his unit were called to aid the rescue. The first two attempts failed, and during the second, Sgt. Sanders took a bullet through his left shoulder. Sanders waved the medics away, and instead hopped on another tank for a third rescue attempt, one which pushed through numerous firefights and impromptu roadblocks, such as burning tires and washing machines, to reach the stranded men. Sanders told the Chicago Tribune later, “All I needed was a Band-Aid.” Because Sanders’s unit had previously been scheduled for transport, the tanks were carrying a minimum load of ammunition. At one point Sanders ran out of ammo and resorted to throwing rocks and anything else he could find at the enemy. Sanders was awarded the Silver Star in October 2004.
How much MSM coverage of SGT Sanders or the other heroes depicted on the site have you seen? When will the MSM provide some balance to its coverage -- or will the focus remain those relatively very rare instances in which our troops break the rules?
Mark was in Iraq in November. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net
[but they really, really, really do support the troops!]
[As the B.S. detector blows a gasket]
Thank you for this thread. These heroes deserve our gratitude and honor!
I bet they can all name Jessica Lynch, the msm's girl 'hero' who was a cook and got captured and was rescued by Army Rangers and Marines who remain anonymous. In other words, forget any real heros in this war; the msm are in charge of making heros and villains and they don't only want villains in our armed forces. In fact, as we saw with Pat Tillman, the MSM will destroy the legacy of true heros just to satiate their filthy political agenda.
"and they don't only want villains in our armed forces."
I bookmarked “Heroes in the War on Terror”
If the entire MSM glorified and covered “HEROES” the way they do “Terrorists/Killers/Rapists”, there would be MORE of the former and LESS of the latter.
To cover acts of heroism is to admit that heroism, therefore heroes, exist.
It is a rational exercise to differentiate, and thereby discriminate, between heroes and the rest of us.
All leftist thought grinds down to the abolishment of discrimination in thought, word and deed. There is no right or wrong. There is no black or white. There is no good or bad.
We can’t have heroes because then we have to admit that there are innate differences amoung any group of individuals and the entire world view of the left ravels at the seams and falls apart.
Afterall, the term “hero” is a normative epithet charged with emotion. It harkins back to a eurocentric, patriarchial, colonialist world view that oppressed and continues to oppress women and people of color. Those who use the term “hero” in a positive fashion seek only divide, disparage and cow the rest of us who do not share their war-mongering world view.
See how this thing works?
Marine 1st Sergeant Brad Kasal
Marine 1st Sergeant Brad Kasal (in the middle). This photo is from the most recent major offensive in Fallujah. 1stSgt. Kasal sacrificed his own safety to save a room full of fellow Marines. He ended up taking several AK rounds in the leg. Most of his lower leg was blown away but you can't tell it from this pic. He took rounds in the back which his armor saved him from. He took one round through his butt which passed through both cheeks leaving 4 holes in him. And he also took the brunt of a grenade blast. He jumped on top of a younger Marine to cover him from the fire. He killed the terrorist who did most of the damage to him and his men, and despite a massive loss of blood he never stopped fighting. Notice that he's still holding his pistol. He has been put in for the Medal of Honor for his actions on that day. He already has several Purple Hearts for previous battles throughout his career and he has turned some down so that he could stay with his unit. While in the hospital he has met President Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and several other celebrities. He said that Bush came in by himself and had a very long, sincere, and friendly visit with him.
Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith United States Army
Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq on 4 April 2003. On that day, Sergeant First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force. Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 fellow soldiers, Sergeant First Class Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers, one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith’s extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Third Infantry Division “Rock of the Marne,” and the United States Army.
Marine volunteered for 3 tours in Iraq until he was killed Joseph J. Ellis Sergeant Major, United States Marine Corps
A Marine killed by a suicide bomber last week had planned to retire in North Carolina this summer after volunteering for three tours in Iraq, his daughter said.
Sergeant Major Joseph J. Ellis, 40, of Ashland, Ohio, died February 7, 2007, in Iraq's Anbar province west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp Pendleton, California.
"I always thought he wouldn't be one of those people who wouldn't come home," said Rachael Ellis, 20, on Monday. "In my eyes, he was Superman."
Joseph Ellis enlisted in the Marines at age 17 after graduating from Ashland High School, devoting himself to advancement in the military.
He was set to return to the United States this month and planned to retire in May and move to North Carolina, said his daughter, a nursing student who lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
He also is survived by his wife, Deborah, and her three children, of Camp Pendleton; his former wife of 17 years, Traci, of Perrysville; his parents and five siblings. Ellis will be buried February 21, 2007, at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. No services in Ohio are planned.
Ellis served with the Marines in Ohio, Hawaii, California and North Carolina. He was deployed to Saudia Arabia in 1990 in the first Gulf War.
The military told Traci and Rachael Ellis that he was doing a routine checkpoint search when he approached a suspicious man who detonated a suicide bomb, killing him and injuring another Marine. A message seeking comment was sent to Camp Pendleton.
"He just wanted to make a difference," Rachael Ellis said. "Anytime he was asked to go somewhere, even times when he didn't have to, he would. He wanted to be there for his troops."
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