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Home Front: Politix
NYP to NYT: Is Heroism 'Unfit To Print'?
2006-11-14
The nation's highest honor for combat valor was awarded posthumously to a U.S. Marine from upstate New York on Friday - and The New York Times didn't notice.

It was a shameful act of neglect, though not surprising in the least.

"As long as we have Marines like Cpl. [Jason] Dunham, America will never fear for her liberty," a clearly moved President Bush said at the dedication of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va.

It was only the second MOH awarded in the Iraq war, and it was major news everywhere - especially in New York.

But . . . not a word in the Times.

In April 2004, Dunham saved the lives of several fellow Marines - at the cost of his own - when he threw first his helmet, and then his body, over a live hand grenade tossed by a terrorist.

Dunham died of his wounds eight days later, at age 22.

This was Dunham's second tour in Iraq. After the first hitch, he could have left the corps and returned to Scio, some 80 miles from Buffalo. Instead, he chose to re-up, saying he wanted to "make sure everyone comes home alive."

The Times wasn't completely unaware of Dunham's self-sacrifice. In August 2005, it ran a brief review of "The Gift of Valor," by Wall Street Journal reporter Michael M. Phillips, which chronicled the heroism of Dunham and his battalion; the article called his sacrifice "extraordinary."

So why not acknowledge that heroism when the entire nation - led by its commander-in-chief - paid tribute to Dunham and the Marine Corps?

The Times wasn't talking yesterday, so let us hazard a guess.

Perhaps, to the Times, Jason Dunham was just another dead Marine - a victim, a statistic, another young life "wasted" in the battle for Iraq.

Or perhaps a heroic Marine doesn't fit in with the paper's notion of U.S. soldiers in Iraq? Selfless sacrifice is ennobling, and taking notice of it might lend nobility to the larger enterprise - and that certainly wouldn't be fit to print.

From the beginning, in fact, virtually nothing positive about the Iraq war has found its way into the Times - but, again, why take it out on the troops?

Ignoring the nation's tribute to Jason Dunham was a profound insult to those gallant men and women who daily risk their lives in America's service.

Cpl. Dunham deserved better.

The Marine Corps deserves better.

America deserves better.

For shame.
Indeed. And, indeed, not surprising...
Posted by:.com

#7  The NYT is kept in business by loony libs, crossword puzzle fans, owners of untrained puppies and birds, and fisherman.
Posted by: DMFD   2006-11-14 21:12  

#6  Next time don't bite your tongue. Those sound like perfectly legit questions to me!
Posted by: Dar   2006-11-14 12:26  

#5  It should be considered the paper of record for the other side.

NYT is not the only one. We were driving across country and heard on the radio that there was a big home town parade for returning soldiers. We wanted to obtain a photograph so we contacted the newspaper about a week later. He said he didn't have a photograph - they didn't have any pictures of the parade.

You really have to bite the ol' tounge not to ask, "What type of loser editor doesn't get a photograph of a big hometown parade?" "Are you the editor of the local paper?" "Are you like a Penny Saver?" "How is it that you don't have a photograph of this parade?" "Are you like, a total LOOOSER?"

If we don't get a handle on this information war, it's going to get much worse before it gets better.
Posted by: anon   2006-11-14 12:07  

#4  Scio is a small town about 30 miles north of the Pennsylvania border. It is very much "heartland". The people are proud of their school, their churches and the fire department.

It's the kind of place where, when there's a fire, they call the big Dresser-Rand plant in Wellsville and the bosses get on the PA to announce that firefighters are released to go fight the fire. And dozens of folks will go.

I've been writing about Jason Dunham since May of 2004. The thing is, is that he's not much different than a bunch of young men and women from that area. They get raised to run to the sound of the guns, to steal a phrase. You're expected to do your part, to risk yourself if necessary for the safety of a neighbor or a stranger.

I've followed Scio firefighters into infernos, and they've done the same with me. Jason knew, it's just what you do in real America.
Posted by: Chuck Simmins   2006-11-14 11:56  

#3  The book of the story, written by a friend of a friend. The Gift of Valor: a war story (ISBN 0-7679-2037-6), written by Michael Phillips, who was a Wall Street Journal reported embedded with the unit when they invaded Iraq. I found a bit too detail-choked to make for easy reading, but it was a cri de cour, the outcry of a man who'd learnt to love the Marines with whom he went in under fire. Mr. Phillips returned to the WSJ after finishing the book, continuing to do local reports from spots of interest around the world. If you can access the WSJ archive, his reports from the front were very, very good.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-11-14 11:22  

#2  Normally when the NYT's uses the military for political gain or slanders us I can wash the bile taste down with some J&K. Nothing will wash this one away. God bless this Marine and his family. I hope his family understands America respects and cherishes them for their sacrifice.
Posted by: 49 Pan   2006-11-14 09:34  

#1  Teh NYT has becoem so partisan politically, and rabidly and reflexivly anti-military, that it should NEVER be regarded as the Paper of Record anymore.

After all, how can it be the Paper of Record and not put a CMoH winner from NY on its front page (or any other page apparently)?

Bastards. They are letting the public down - they are supposed to provide us with the information an INFORMED populace needs to function as a democracy. Instead they are filtering and only givign half truths - which will lead to the downfall of the republic. Its the same thigns the Mullahs in Teheran do: only print the news they want, and ignore and suppress the rest.

The NYT has become a dictatorial tool, not a NEWS paper anymore.

If we the people end up paying a price for the war on terror, and I'm still functional, the NYT editorial board and its reporters will be going down hard. Like the vermin they are.
Posted by: OldSpook   2006-11-14 09:09  

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