How I feel about the war today, I can sum up in one question; the same question that can be asked for Vietnam: What have we gained as a country? What have we actually accomplished – other than the loss of some damn fine people? People willing to give their life for the country that we have, for this nation, for the freedom that we have.
-Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller,
a.k.a. The Marlboro Marine
I just finished reading two stories from the LA Times about Miller, the famed “Marlboro Marine” whose face has been plastered on magazine covers and front page on newspapers everywhere. He was let go from the Marines and later diagnosed with PTSD. Accompanying the stories are two videos and an epilogue. The story is amazing. The photographs equally compelling. The video added the depth of Miller’s twangy, searching voice.
LA Times photographer Luis Sinco was embedded with Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment as it entered Falloujah in November of 2004. He was the one who took the now [in]famous photo. He’s bound to Miller in this story and feels at least partially responsible for what has happened to/in Miller’s life since. Sinco got involved, more involved than journalists normally get. I really can’t do this piece of fine journalism justice in attempting to describe it further. Sinco must’ve gotten a lot of support from the LAT to stick with this story and I applaud them for that. The LAT is one of the few papers around which are taking on such endeavors. Their five-part series Altered Oceans special last year was amazing; check that out too.
The whole ‘Marlboro Marine’ project by the LAT lives here.
Photo: Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times, April 21, 2006