Free Republic

NEW YORK Dennis O'Brien, a military reporter with The Virginian-Pilot and a former Iraq war embed who died over the weekend, apparently committed suicide, according to sources in and outside the paper -- sparking speculation that his war experience might have contributed to his death. The Virginian-Pilot reported Sunday that O'Brien, 35, had died Saturday, without revealing a cause. [snip]...Several sources, however, said the reporter had taken his life, and suggested his time in Iraq may have played a role. "I think it was a contributing factor," said one colleague, who requested anonymity. "He saw some awful things while he...

AMARAH, Iraq -- The Marines of Charlie Company did not sleep well Monday night. The next day's mission was their most serious yet -- a probable tank battle with an Iraqi armored division in this city on the Tigris River. That night and the next morning, many Marines talked openly about the possibility of dying. At dawn Tuesday, the company rolled out, a vanguard of a task force planning to attack the Iraqi tanks. But not much goes according to plan these days, and that's not always such a bad thing. When the convoy approached this alleged enemy stronghold, the...

Road trip to Babylon boosts troops' morale By DENNIS O'BRIEN, The Virginian-Pilot © April 23, 2003 Last updated: 3:30 AM Near the reconstructed arch of Ishtar, Navy chaplains and their escorts begin exploring ancient Babylon to gain perspective for their sermons. Photo by Dennis O'Brien / The Virginian-Pilot. More dispatches from Dennis O'Brien in Iraq BABYLON -- It wasn't the order Charlie Company had hoped for -- which would be ``You're going home'' -- but it beat spending another day camped outside Kut. The Marines were sent on a one-day road trip Tuesday, and what better place to visit...

NEAR KUT -- An idle mind being the devil's playground, Charlie Company's demons have had ample room to roam of late. After five days parked outside Kut awaiting orders, these men are going stir-crazy. Marines do not suffer inactivity well. At first, the downtime was welcome. Knowing their light-armored vehicles weren't rolling right away meant Marines could string rope between them to use as clothesline, and they did laundry. They took showers. They cleaned weapons. They built fires at night in the windswept desert. And despite orders to stay away from the roadside cigarette dealers, because those hawking smokes could...