Getting their stories out

Fallujah. Picture it in your mind. What do you think of?

Fallujah.

One of the hardest fought battles in the Iraq campaign.
One that should be added to the Marine Corps Hymn.

We are still there. It is a success story. Where is the press?

“There are no reporters in all of Fallujah, except Mike,” Captain Eastin said to his men when I first arrived. “So if he talks to you, talk to him. It's the only way to get our story out.”

Michael Totten is there on his OWN DIME. Getting the story of Lima company out.
Go and read. And if you can, send him a little money. He has PayPal on the site.

This is just as important as sending supplies to the troops. This is the ONLY way their stories get told. No one else is doing it.

“What’s he [Sec. of the Navy, Donald Winter] doing this for, exactly?” I said. I doubted it was for a photo op. I was the only reporter in all of Fallujah. He crossed paths with me by sheer chance. It was obvious that he wasn’t there for any attention from me.

“He wants to thank the troops,” she said. “He does this every year. He’s on his way to Afghanistan now.”

“Well,” I said, “this is a good time for him to come to Fallujah. It’s not dangerous anymore.” I thought he might be on the dog and pony show happy tour circuit. I was wrong.

“Oh,” she said. “He’s been here before. And he was in Haditha last year.”

“Last year,” I said. “When Haditha was still hot.”

“He risked getting blown up just like everyone else,” she said.

She introduced me to him, and he was startled to see me.

“Get their stories out,” he said as he shook my hand.

“I will,” I said. “That’s why I came.”