Sunday, April 20, 2008

Sunday Reading

Running for office should be as much about listening as it is talking. I'm also using my time on the road to catch up on some important reading. Greyhawk at the Mudville Gazette has convinced me to finally pick up a copy of Michael Yon's new book, Moment of Truth in Iraq, thanks to his review just published in the New York Post.
Early on you'll find yourself charging down an alley in Mosul on the heels of Lieutenant Colonel Erik Kurilla, a leader in every sense of the word: "LTC Kurilla began running in the direction of the shooting. He passed by me, and I chased, Kurilla leading the way. There was a quick and heavy volume of fire. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. Kurilla was running when he was hit - in three places, including his femur, which was shattered.

"The commander didn't seem to miss a stride. He did a crazy judo roll and came up shooting from a sitting position," Yon reports.

In a war where the situation changes depending on what you read, Yon is a man with credibility - he has more time embedded with combat units than any other journalist. Early in 2005, when I'd completed my first tour of duty in Iraq, I was searching the Internet for news when I found Yon's page. I was hooked. Yon was simultaneously one of us - the guys in the war - and not one of us. While we knew of Iraq in our corner of the battlespace, he could move throughout the country - and did so. That freedom of movement afforded him opportunities that few would take, and that he initially took reluctantly.

I've found Yon's updates from Iraq powerful and informative, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he brings those dispatches together in the book.
Hattip: Powerline

1 comment:

Steve Smith said...

My perspective might be a little different, since I'm a history buff, but where is the patriotism these days?! Three of my favorite movies are Sahara (Humphrey Bogart), This is the Army (Ronald Reagan) and Yankee Doodle Dandy (James Cagney). In those days, it was cool to be patriotic. people paid money to watch these movies about our love of country, and our heroes. Now, Hollywood makes war protest movies. I would be okay with that if there was some balance. There are so many great stories of our heroes in Iraq. Those stories should be told, and folks should be willing to spend a few bucks to see them. We have, sadly, come a long way from the days where our stars supported our country by joining the service. How many people know that Jimmy Stewart fought much resistance to get combat duty during the war. For more information about a humble patriot, Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart, look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart_(actor)#Military_service
I'm sure we still have heroes like this. More people need to tell their stories.