Mike Walker, USMC Colonel (retired) is correct. Who is celebrating the achievements of our service members? Almost a decade has passed with only a few non anti-military-Michael Mooreish films being made. Iraq military accomplishments are sent to page 17(if the paper still has a pg17) and Abu Graib still makes it to page 1.....Marines,
Was watching the HBO series “The Pacific.” This is a follow-up to the “Band of Brothers” series. Clearly the best presentation of life in the infantry ever conceived.
These are stories that all who served in the infantry can relate to, but more importantly, view with the deepest of respect for the soldiers and Marines who served in combat in that war.
For anyone who has served in the infantry, the series vignettes are timeless and always strike close to home. The life of “grunt” has not really changed all that much over the years.
There is, however, a special aura of those who served in the rifle companies in time of war. We who were young, like myself, when the battle siren did not call are only the faint connecting files, the keepers of the flame, for those who were tested in the sting of battle. To them the laurels must go and rightfully so.
That is why, for a Marine, “The Pacific” is so important.
There is one scene that deserves special attention, the closing scene of episode two.
In the scene a sailor tells four Marine ‘grunts’ that:
“You guys are on the front page of every newspaper in America. You are heroes back home.”
Those are words no Marine Korean or Vietnam War veteran ever heard and those are words no Marine veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan will ever hear.
And that belies the truth that they deserve those words ever equally as much. We are no different.
Yet, no matter how courageous, no matter what the sacrifice, in complete indifference to those who gave the last full measure of devotion to our country, today's Marines will never hear the seventeen words uttered in “The Pacific” series.
That is a national disgrace and disservice to those who serve.
We will never hears those words because the 21st century American media is lost and adrift in a misconceived ideal of 'constitutional-internationalist' elitism, faux intellectualism, and plain and simple ignorance when confronted with the best and brightest of America, our men and women in the Armed Forces.
They cannot relate the truth about the actions of our combat heroes in uniform to the American people today because they are too conflicted by their prejudices and bias.
Where is our Ernie Pyle? Missing in action and will remain so.
Our American media: SNAFU.
Semper Fi,
Mike
