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View Full Version : "WHERE DO THEY GET YOUNG MEN LIKE THIS?"


Nick
04-03-03, 12:06 PM
Martin Savidge of CNN, embedded with the 1st Marine battalion, was talking with 4 young Marines near his foxhole this morning live on CNN. He had been telling the story of how well the Marines had been looking out for and taking care of him since the war started. He went on to tell about the many hardships the Marines had endured since the war began and how they all look after one another.

He turned to the four and said he had cleared it with their commander and they could use his video phone to call home.

The 19 year old Marine next to him asked Martin if he would allow his platoon sergeant to use his call to call his pregnant wife back home whom he had not been able to talk to in three months. A stunned Savidge who was visibly moved by the request shook his head and the young Marine ran off to get the sergeant.

Savidge recovered after a few seconds and turned back to the three young Marines still sitting with him and asked which one of them would like to call home first, the Marine closest to him responded without a moments hesitation "Sir, if is all the same to you we would like to call the parents of a buddy of ours, Lance Cpl Brian Buesing of Cedar Key, Florida who was killed on 3-23-03 near Nasiriya to see how they are doing."

At that Martin Savidge totally broke down and was unable to speak. All he could get out before signing off was "Where do they get young men like this?"

cooper
04-03-03, 12:19 PM
That's why they call them "The Few, The Proud, The Marines" :flag:

mainedish
04-03-03, 01:03 PM
They are the best of the best. The ones who have been hurt feel bad because they can't go back to help in the fight. This speaks volumes. I have one as a neighbor and they have a character that is so strong and tough. This is why we win.

Richard King
04-03-03, 02:01 PM
I am beginning to think that having the reporters "embedded" with the troops like this is a good thing. The normally elitist reporters are meeting people who they would never meet in their normal circle of acquaintances. This may just have more of a lasting effect on the media in the future than anyone ever thought. Now, if they could just embed Peter Jennings, Tom Browkow, etc. there just might be some hope.

Punkitup
04-03-03, 02:06 PM
That's why I like this embedded reporter thing, you cannot script things like this, the human face of things will ultimate win out.


Some of the embedded reports are a hoot as well. Like Bob Arnot who is a journalist, medical doctor, Arab speaker and apparently fearless (or foolish). I saw him on MSNBC a few minutes ago ducking in an out from behind an Amtrac (my old MOS 1833) looking goofy with an Iraqi helmet on his head and reporting frenetically on the ongoing firefight. It is apparent he has really bonded with “his” Marines and is in awe of them. By the same token though I heard him last night crouched in a fighting hole comforting a refugee family in Arabic it showed a greater grace, he is quite the fellow.


By the way that is one of my silly pet-peeves with the coverage, Marines do not have Fox Holes they have Fighting Holes!


Pray for Peace
James – USMC 1980-84

"Armed and Curious" (http://www.radiofreerecording.com/armed.jpg) - The George Bush story