WHY ARE YOUR READING THIS PAGE when you should be reading one of the greatest pieces of front-line war reporting in the last 60 years: Michael Yon's "Gates of Fire"is, without exaggeration, the single greatest dispatch to come out of the Iraq War to date.
I saw Prosser's M4 on the ground, Where did that come from?by Michael Yon, Author Accompanying: 1-24th Infantry RegimentI picked up Prosser's M4. It was empty. I saw only Prosser's bloody leg lying still, just inside the darkened doorway, because most of his body was hidden behind a stack of sheet metal.
"Give me some ammo! Give me a magazine!" I yelled, and the young 2nd lieutenant handed over a full 30-round magazine. I jacked it in, released the bolt and hit the forward assist. I had only one magazine, so checked that the selector was on semi-automatic.
I ran back to the corner of the shop and looked at LTC Kurilla who was bleeding, and saw CSM Prosser's extremely bloody leg inside the shop, the rest of him was still obscured from view. I was going to run into the shop and shoot every man with a gun. And I was scared to death.
What I didn't realize was at that same moment four soldiers from Alpha Company 2nd Platoon were arriving on scene, just in time to see me about to go into the store. SSG Gregory Konkol, SGT Jim Lewis, and specialists Nicholas Devereaux and Christopher Muse where right there, behind me, but I didn't see them.
Reaching around the corner, I fired three shots into the shop. The third bullet pierced a propane canister, which jumped up in the air and began spinning violently. It came straight at my head but somehow missed, flying out of the shop as a high-pressure jet of propane hit me in the face. The goggles saved my eyes. I gulped in deeply....
Yon's work is beyond the level of the Pulitzer Prize. Far, far beyond. He shames all "traditional" journalists "working" in Iraq. And he does this on his own. While at his site it is your duty to contribute to his work.
Posted by Vanderleun at May 25, 2005 11:13 AM | TrackBackMake that 60 years.
Posted by: Dave Schuler at August 25, 2005 12:28 PMDone.
Posted by: Gerard Van Der Leun at August 25, 2005 12:40 PMThanks so much for pointing to this amazing piece. Even though he's by far the best writer and reporter in Iraq, I forget sometimes to read him, and I need that extra push.
Pulitzer Prize? They would honor themselves as well as him if they were to recognize his extraordinary work.
Posted by: Jille at August 25, 2005 2:02 PMPulitzer? As if. You think they'd honor some guy who doesn't work for a print publication? Why, he's nothing but a ... "blogger."
Ah, screw the Pulitzer people.
I do hope he gets a book deal out of this someday, though. He's on par with Ernie Pyle. God keep him.
Posted by: growler at August 25, 2005 2:09 PMI think of Yon every evening when I watch Richard Engel of NBC news -- reporting from inside the Green Zone. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Posted by: Salt Lick at August 26, 2005 5:28 AMDamn that's good stuff. What a stud. Mike Wallace wouldn't approve, but I guess Michael Yon has a different concept of duty. Good for him.
Posted by: Uncle Mikey at August 26, 2005 9:40 AMtoo bad all we get here is that garbage-shit "Over There".
Posted by: Kirk at August 26, 2005 4:12 PMAs of about 2101 UTC 28 August, "Gates of Fire" is no longer on the blogspot site. Perhaps the pictures were deemed too graphic. Let's hope it reappears, pictures or no.
Cortland
Posted by: Cortland at August 28, 2005 2:20 PM"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated to combat spam and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.