Michael Yon's Gates of Fire was the finest article I have ever posted here. The reaction here was a yawn. Not a comment. Fortunately, the rest of the internet agreed with me.
Message 21637930
lindybill@godknowsItry.com
Michael Yon and the Duties of Civilians
Hugh Hewitt - August 25, 2005 07:49 PM PST
Blackfive has the latest.
The reaction to Michael Yon's reporting is itself a message. Here are some of the posts on his report from the front lines in Mosul:
Cockalorum
CaptainsQuarters
Instapundit
DeltaMikeCharlie
667
LGF
Media Lies
Mein BlogVault
DailyPundit
Turning 30 and a half
FroggyRuminations (scroll down)
The Ox Rant
The End Zone
Legacy Matters
BrutallyHonest
The links could go on and on.
Why such interest?
Because courage is the most hypnotic of virtues, and Yon is a courageous man reporting on the deeds of other courageous men. I quote Thucydides in my review of The Great Raid, but it serves here as well:
"The secret to happiness is freedom and the secret to freedom is courage."
We know that. Everyone knows that. But it is only rare occasions on which we acknowledge it.
Earlier today I posted the e-mail I received from another civilian: "One can only ask himself, "What can I as an American do, today, tomorrow and everyday thereafter, to deserve the service of these fine men on my behalf?"
I think the answer to that question is first to publicly recognize and thank the men and women who have fought and continue to fight this war for their service and their sacrifice, and, second, to privately and genuinely support the troops at the front and the wounded, via organizations like SoldiersAngels, and to support the survivors of warriors who died in the GWOT via organizations like United Warrior Survivors Foundation.
One more thing.
A father of a soldier with the Deuce Four unit that Michael Yon is embedded with called this afternoon to talk about how Yon has been their lifeline.
This dad, who has had his son's great friend, Sgt. Lama, under his roof, wanted to make sure that my audience knew how much easier Michael Yon's work had made it for them.
Which convicted me of the need to support Michael Yon.
You can help keep Micahel Yon in the field by contributing via his PayPal link (scroll down to the end of the post) or by sending a check to "Michael Yon P O Box 416 Westport Pt MA 02791."
Earlier tonight I called a MSM reporter for a major daily to urge him to urge his boss to buy and run the Yon dispatch and the photos. There is clearly a huge demand for such reporting. Sucj writing increases circulation and earns respect for a paper. He wasn't an optimist that it would happen. Neither am I. Too much going on in Aruba and Crawford, I guess.
But you can help keep Yon in the field, and you can help the troops and their families.
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