thedrifter
11-16-05, 09:36 AM
A Question of Reflection
By Matthew Dodd
I recently read about the life and death of a young Marine in Iraq in The Gift of Valor, by Michael M. Phillips. As a career Marine officer the book struck a powerful chord with me. Perhaps it was the timing as well as the quality of the story that moved me. On November 10, I, along with all current and past Marines, celebrated the 230th anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps. On November 11 it was Veterans Day, a time for reflecting on the service and sacrifices of all those men and women who have gone before me in supporting and defending the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I am proud to claim the title of United States Marine, and I am equally proud of all those veterans who have made it possible for me to be here today serving this great country of ours.
With our country deeply divided today over whether we should be deploying our troops to fight and possibly die in Iraq, we all need to understand and appreciate the heroics and sacrifices of those brave warriors who have gone and who continue to go in harm's way in Iraq. Michael Phillips has written a not-to-be-missed intimate account of one of our bravest and most special warriors from Iraq, the late Corporal Jason L. Dunham, United States Marine Corps.
Phillips' book The Gift of Valor details the story of Corporal Dunham, who died leading his Marines on a patrol near the Syrian border on April 14, 2004 when he was attacked by an insurgent armed with a hidden hand grenade. While fighting hand-to-hand, the insurgent dropped the grenade. Dunham instantly recognized the danger, and he unhesitatingly covered the grenade with his helmet in the hope of protecting his closest Marines from the blast. Dunham's heroic actions saved the lives of his Marines, but eventually cost him his own life a few days later when he succumbed to his massive injuries. Dunham was posthumously nominated for the Medal of Honor.
Phillips' meticulously researched and non-exaggerated descriptions of the hostile and unpredictable Iraqi battlefield; Dunham's actions leading up to his selfless sacrifice; the wartime medical reporting and processing system; Dunham's reunion with his family at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD; and his family's faith and strength in the days leading up to his death on April 22, made this book one of the most powerful and holistic war stories I have ever read.
I was moved by how Phillips was able to put into words how Marines think, act, speak, and react, and how he captured the cult-like love and respect shown for one of our fallen comrades. However, I was most deeply touched by how special and courageous Corporal Dunham, who was born on the 206th birthday of the United States Marine Corps (November 10, 1981), was to all who knew him. I wish that I had had the honor of serving with him.
While celebrating the 230th birthday of the Marine Corps this year, I recommend every citizen of our great country read this book to honor the life and death of a true American hero, Corporal Jason L. Dunham."
I have written ten articles about our Nation's newest Navy Cross heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan. I wrote in my May 24, 2005 article about Navy SEAL Senior Chief Petty Officer Britt Slabinski's Navy Cross heroics, "How the mainstream news media ignores our nation's heroes in a time of war in favor of negative, sensationalized stories of atypical criminal activities and cowardly disloyalty of a small few in uniform, is unconscionable." Phillips, a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and who has done four tours in Iraq with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, is a rare exception. To Phillips, I say "Bravo Zulu!" (a traditional naval term meaning "Well done.")
As I have reflected on what these two important days and this special book mean to me, I was reminded of a quote from former (28th) Commandant of the Marine Corps, General P.X. Kelley. As the story goes, he was at U.S. Air Force Base, Dover, Delaware, to personally greet and honor the first planeload of Marines who suddenly died at the hands of terrorists who blew up the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 23, 1983. At Dover, he addressed grieving families, and spoke of the Marines' virtues and character. Looking down the long line of flag-draped caskets, he asked the same question that I have found myself asking when I think about our battlefield heroes and our humble, faithful veterans to whom we owe so much:
"Lord, where do we get such men?"
Ellie
By Matthew Dodd
I recently read about the life and death of a young Marine in Iraq in The Gift of Valor, by Michael M. Phillips. As a career Marine officer the book struck a powerful chord with me. Perhaps it was the timing as well as the quality of the story that moved me. On November 10, I, along with all current and past Marines, celebrated the 230th anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps. On November 11 it was Veterans Day, a time for reflecting on the service and sacrifices of all those men and women who have gone before me in supporting and defending the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I am proud to claim the title of United States Marine, and I am equally proud of all those veterans who have made it possible for me to be here today serving this great country of ours.
With our country deeply divided today over whether we should be deploying our troops to fight and possibly die in Iraq, we all need to understand and appreciate the heroics and sacrifices of those brave warriors who have gone and who continue to go in harm's way in Iraq. Michael Phillips has written a not-to-be-missed intimate account of one of our bravest and most special warriors from Iraq, the late Corporal Jason L. Dunham, United States Marine Corps.
Phillips' book The Gift of Valor details the story of Corporal Dunham, who died leading his Marines on a patrol near the Syrian border on April 14, 2004 when he was attacked by an insurgent armed with a hidden hand grenade. While fighting hand-to-hand, the insurgent dropped the grenade. Dunham instantly recognized the danger, and he unhesitatingly covered the grenade with his helmet in the hope of protecting his closest Marines from the blast. Dunham's heroic actions saved the lives of his Marines, but eventually cost him his own life a few days later when he succumbed to his massive injuries. Dunham was posthumously nominated for the Medal of Honor.
Phillips' meticulously researched and non-exaggerated descriptions of the hostile and unpredictable Iraqi battlefield; Dunham's actions leading up to his selfless sacrifice; the wartime medical reporting and processing system; Dunham's reunion with his family at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD; and his family's faith and strength in the days leading up to his death on April 22, made this book one of the most powerful and holistic war stories I have ever read.
I was moved by how Phillips was able to put into words how Marines think, act, speak, and react, and how he captured the cult-like love and respect shown for one of our fallen comrades. However, I was most deeply touched by how special and courageous Corporal Dunham, who was born on the 206th birthday of the United States Marine Corps (November 10, 1981), was to all who knew him. I wish that I had had the honor of serving with him.
While celebrating the 230th birthday of the Marine Corps this year, I recommend every citizen of our great country read this book to honor the life and death of a true American hero, Corporal Jason L. Dunham."
I have written ten articles about our Nation's newest Navy Cross heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan. I wrote in my May 24, 2005 article about Navy SEAL Senior Chief Petty Officer Britt Slabinski's Navy Cross heroics, "How the mainstream news media ignores our nation's heroes in a time of war in favor of negative, sensationalized stories of atypical criminal activities and cowardly disloyalty of a small few in uniform, is unconscionable." Phillips, a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and who has done four tours in Iraq with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, is a rare exception. To Phillips, I say "Bravo Zulu!" (a traditional naval term meaning "Well done.")
As I have reflected on what these two important days and this special book mean to me, I was reminded of a quote from former (28th) Commandant of the Marine Corps, General P.X. Kelley. As the story goes, he was at U.S. Air Force Base, Dover, Delaware, to personally greet and honor the first planeload of Marines who suddenly died at the hands of terrorists who blew up the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 23, 1983. At Dover, he addressed grieving families, and spoke of the Marines' virtues and character. Looking down the long line of flag-draped caskets, he asked the same question that I have found myself asking when I think about our battlefield heroes and our humble, faithful veterans to whom we owe so much:
"Lord, where do we get such men?"
Ellie