Richard Tomkins, UPI White House correspondent, was embedded with Bravo 1/5 - Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines - in Iraq. He's written his farewell report just prior to leaving for home; it's insightful and even emotional. In fact, he may have forfeited his credibility in the eyes of the journalists who did not get to observe American heroes close up and still believe their own deluded stereotypes. Some say the experiences of 500+ embedded correspondents may eventually change the anti-military and anti-American perspective of mainstream journalism - only time will tell, but maybe Tomkins has made a down payment.
It's difficult to convey the rich texture of the men who make up Bravo 1/5 and the special camaraderie among them. Words just aren't adequate enough. But they are truly a band of brothers. Even the company oddball, the Marine who somehow never seemed to fit in or pull his own weight, was looked out for and protected with the concern like that of a big brother looking out for an awkward sibling. Bravo 1/5, in a sense, proves two truisms this correspondent has discovered in 30 years of reporting, much of it in war zones: Sharing a foxhole is the ultimate bonding experience, and the word "cliche" needs a new definition.
According to the American Heritage College dictionary, "cliche" is "a trite or overused expression or idea" or stereotype. All too often it is used with a negative cast. Yet cliched characters and generalizations are based on truths. Take the characters in any war move you've ever seen. There is the jokester, the screw-up, the smart mouth, the lothario, the kindhearted sergeant with a tough-as-nails exterior, the good-natured medic and the caring-but-firm commander.
It's no wonder these characters exist on paper and celluloid. They exist in real life, just as the scenes of GIs passing out candy to civilians, sharing their last smoke or holding up a magazine pin-up to troops in a passing convoy. Cliched in the context of Bravo 1/5 should be a label of honor, because it mirrors America and is replicated throughout our society and military services.
Posted by Alan at April 21, 2003 08:44 PM