The New York Times Disgusts Me

Damien Cave writing in the New York Times asks the question “Where are the war heroes?” Then in the lead paragraphs provides the answer.

ONE soldier fought off scores of elite Iraqi troops in a fierce defense of his outnumbered Army unit, saving dozens of American lives before he himself was killed. Another soldier helped lead a team that killed 27 insurgents who had ambushed her convoy. And then there was the marine who, after being shot, managed to tuck an enemy grenade under his stomach to save the men in his unit, dying in the process.

Their names are Sgt. First Class Paul R. Smith, Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester and Sgt. Rafael Peralta. If you have never heard of them, even in a week when more than 20 marines were killed in Iraq by insurgents, that might be because the military, the White House and the culture at large have not publicized their actions with the zeal that was lavished on the heroes of World War I and World War II.

The rest of the piece goes on to lament that the military has not done enough to put its heroes into the spotlight. Conveniently ignoring how critical the press and the rest of left would be if they did so.

Here is the sort of thing Cave seems to wish were happening.

Richard I. Bong, for example, an Army Air Corps pilot who came to be known as the Ace of Aces, was sent home in December 1944 after shooting down his 40th Japanese plane. He was dispatched immediately on a nationwide tour to help sell war bonds.

Audie Murphy, perhaps the best-known World War II hero, took part in similar tours. He went on to act in 44 Hollywood films, including his own autobiography, “To Hell and Back.” Dozens of other combat heroes played roles in the war's promotion.

News flash for Mr. Cave. This is not 1943 and we are not fighting World War II. It's a different war in a different world. Cave and his editors at the Times don't seem to grasp this simple fact. Their caption under one photo reads:

Audie Murphy in “To Hell and Back,” the 1955 movie in which he plays himself, the war hero. The Iraq war is not producing such stars.

What Cave carefully never addresses is the role of the media in the lack of publically recognized heroes. Remember Sgt First Class Paul R Smith? He was mentioned in the opening of Cave's piece. the headline on the Times article about Smith reads

Medal of Honor to Be Awarded to Soldier Killed in Iraq, a First

The full article is in the archive but according to the information provided with the abstract, the article appeared on March 30, 2005 and was printed in the “Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 13 , Column 1.” The Times prints a story about the first Medal of Honor given in the War on Terror on page 13 and one of their writers has the gall to ask why there are no public heroes.

There are no public heroes because the media do not want there to be heroes. Heroes rally support for the military and and the war. Neither of which the Times wants supported.

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Posted by: Stephen Macklin at 03:28 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment