Marcus Luttrell Speaks to the NRA

For the folks that don't know Marcus Luttrell, he is the recipient of the Navy Cross and a member of the Navy SEAL team that got attacked by the Taliban, which resulted in the highest loss of life in a single engagement to SEALS, and author of the book "Lone Survivor," which I finally got around to reading, and this book should be required reading for every high school student in America.

For the folks that never get to hear about today's generation of heroes, here is one, even if he doesn't thinks so. The other members of that team might be familiar to some of you. They included Michael Murphy, awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, Danny Dietz, awarded the Navy Cross and who was the subject of some controversy when his hometown in Colorado wanted to erect a statue in his honor and people objected because the statue would include him with a weapon. He got his statue and he kept his gun. The other member was Matt Axelson who was also awarded the Navy Cross.

Remember Michael, Danny and Matt this Memorial Day and all the service members who have paid the ultimate price in the service to their country.

But in the meantime listen to Marcus tell you why we are winning in spite of ourselves and why we will continue to win.



And, oh yeah, if you can help him out with that lawyer thing.....

H/T American Infidel.

Thanks to Jules Crittenden for the link.

Petty Officer Second Class Michael Monsoor Awarded the Medal of Honor

Or rather his family will be tomorrow. I wonder if anybody will notice? Will the esteemed members of Congress pause in their grilling of Gen Petraeus to at least mention the actions of this man or will they just keep beating the drum of American casualties with no names and no faces?

Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously in a ceremony at the White House April 8, 2008. He will receive the award for his actions in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on Sept. 29, 2006. On that day, Monsoor was part of a sniper overwatch security position with three other SEALs and eight Iraqi Army (IA) soldiers. An insurgent closed in and threw a fragmentation grenade into the overwatch position. The grenade hit Monsoor in the chest before falling to the ground. Positioned next to the single exit, Monsoor was the only one who could have escaped harm. Instead, he dropped onto the grenade to shield the others from the blast. Monsoor died approximately 30 minutes later from wounds sustained from the blast. Because of Petty Officer Monsoor’s actions, he saved the lives of his 3 teammates and the IA soldiers.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address

And as always Jim Hanson "Uncle Jimbo" from Blackfive brings us his own thoughts on Michael Monsoor. Jim is with the National Heroes Tour recording it for posterity. They will be in Washington DC tomorrow to show their support for Gen Petraeus.
Here is Jimbo interviewing Marcus Luttrell about Michael.

Previous MOH recipients from the GWOT (Global War on Terrorism) here and here.
So far no living service member has been awarded the MOH during the GWOT, although David Bellavia, who is on tour with the Vets for Freedom is nominated.

Shocka! NY Times Mentions Michael Murphy; (UPDATE) Video Added

Finally, after a couple of weeks of derision from the blogosphere, the New York Times has managed to find space to honor Lt. Michael Murphy.

A Protector as a Child, Honored as a Hero

Today, President Bush will award Lieutenant Murphy, a team leader from Patchogue, the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award. Mr. Bush will present it to Lieutenant Murphy’s father and mother, Daniel and Maureen, in a ceremony scheduled to take place in the East Room.

Thanks for noticing, folks.

In another shocker, even the AP now notices the story. Looks like this item was culled completely from last week's New York Post story.

Previous items on this American hero here, here, and here.

H/T Lawhawk.

More from Michelle Malkin, American Thinker.

***UPDATE*** Video via Hot Air.

Heros The New York Times Won't Tell You About

We noted Lt. Michael Murphy here recently and also mentioned the complete disregard for a local hero by the New York Times, to their eternal disgrace.

Today, the New York Post details the harrowing account of Murphy's final battle, as told by the only surviving member of his unit, Petty Officer 1st Class Marcus Luttrell.

This Monday, President Bush will present the Medal of Honor to Lt. Murphy's parent, Daniel and Maureen.

Don't expect the Times to cover the event.

"They were armed to the teeth," Marcus Luttrell said of the 100 Taliban fighters who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "They were looking for a fight. And they found one."

With that, Petty Officer 1st Class Luttrell and his buddy, Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue, L.I., began the final battle of their Navy SEAL careers in a shootout that would cost Murphy his life. It also earned him the Medal of Honor.

With rocket-propelled grenades exploding all over the grassy Afghan terrain in Asadabad, in Hindu Kush province along the Pakistani border, the four Americans - also including Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class Matthew Axelson - took on the Taliban that day and wiped out about half of them.

But the Taliban whittled down the Americans, too, and that June 28, 2005, would become a tragic day for the Navy's Special Warfare Command.

Read the whole thing.

NY Times Ignores Hero

We figure if Lt. Michael Murphy was alleged by John Murtha to have gunned down innocent civilians, the New York Times would have noted the story; in all likelihood, on page one.

But the fact a local hero was bestowed with the Medal of Honor doesn't even merit a mention in the alleged paper of record is disgraceful.

Yet all too predictable.

The posthumous award of the nation's highest battlefield honor to a Long Island war hero has become an other black mark for the Gray Lady.

The New York Times carried not a whisper of news yesterday about the bestowal of the Medal of Honor to Navy Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue - the first time the honor has been given for action in Afghanistan.

Area veterans, as well as Murphy's neighbors, were outraged - but not all that surprised - that the paper carried nothing about Murphy in Friday's editions, unlike The Post, The Daily News and Newsday, which all carried prominent reports and photos.

"If he had killed 15 people, he'd be on the front page of their newspaper," fumed James Casey of Malverne, a Vietnam vet and past commander of the state American Le gion organization.

"It's amazing that a Long Islander and a New Yorker can receive the highest commendation this country can bestow and the Times doesn't see fit to mention it - especially on the heels of the Gen. Petraeus MoveOn.org ad," said Casey - referring to the paper's decision to run a full-page ad from a liberal group con taining the headline words "General Betray Us."

The Times seemed alone in ignoring Thursday's White House announce ment of Murphy's honor.

In addition to the local coverage, some out-of-town papers, including The Denver Post and The Los Angeles Times, covered the news with their own reporters.

One Medal of Honor recipient, Col. Jack Jacobs of Morris County, N.J., who fought in Vietnam, said, "You'd think it would be fairly substantial news that ought to get reported. It's kind of troubling that it's not."

A Times spokeswoman said yesterday afternoon that the paper does plan to run something about the award - though she didn't say exactly what.

President Bush will present the medal to Murphy's parents at a White House ceremony Oct. 22.

It wasn't the first time the Times gave short shrift to such a story. The paper ran just one paragraph about the posthumous awarding of the Medal of Honor to Cpl. Jason Dunham, a U.S. Marine from upstate killed in Iraq in 2004. That paragraph ran in January in the middle of a story about congressional opposition to Bush's Iraq war plans.

Don't expect any of the Times' stable of America-hating columnists to mention this either.

The Post editorial nails it.

By now, most folks know exactly how much The New York Times despises the U.S. military.

How it detests any mission that involves U.S. troops - whether to protect Americans by killing terrorists or to help stave off a bloodbath in the Middle East.

How the paper works tirelessly to promote its anti-war, anti-military agenda - even in its supposedly objective news pages.

So while Bush's announcement merited stories and appreciative editorials in The Post, The New York Sun, the Daily News and even the front page of liberal Newsday, it shouldn't be all that surprising that the Times didn't publish a single word about Murphy's well-deserved honor.

What did the paper of record focus on yesterday? No fewer than three stories reported on how Americans had killed innocent Iraqi civilians.

Regarding the war, of course, the Times' "coverage" was pernicious long before the fighting began.

Since then, it has focused obsessively on the mistakes and sins of American GIs (Abu Ghraib, anyone?) - and rarely has it played up U.S. victories.

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin weighs in.