To: Friends and Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families
Date: Friday, May 25, 2007
Remember Our Heroes
This weekend marks Memorial Day, a national observance first known as
Decoration Day. It was meant to be a time to remember and honor our Civil
War dead through the simple task of decorating their graves. Over time,
the holiday’s significance extended to all those who paid the ultimate
price for our nation.
But when America is at war, Memorial Day also provides an opportunity for
us to reflect on and give thanks for the sacrifices of our soldiers still
in harm’s way. Today, my weekly column appears on Human Events Online. I
have excerpted the piece below, which tells the stories – rarely presented
in the media -- of some of our heroes in Iraq.
I’d like you to meet U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Jeremiah Workman. In 2004,
Workman was serving as a squad leader at Camp Pendleton, California when he
was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq. One day, while out on patrol, his team was
ambushed, trapping many of his men in a building overrun by insurgents.
Battling heavy enemy fire, Workman bravely laid down enough cover fire to
allow many of the isolated Marines to escape.
Workman then lead another group to provide cover fire for an attack into
the building to rescue other trapped Marines, continuing to fire even after
receiving several shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs and after a grenade
exploded in front of him. After this second rescue attack, Workman again
rallied his team for a final blitz in to clear the building of insurgents
and rescue the remaining Marines.
In all, Workman’s leadership helped save 17 of the 20 Marines trapped
inside the building, while eliminating 24 insurgents. For his
extraordinary heroism, Jeremiah Workman received the Navy Cross (the Armed
Forces’ second highest medal) and a Purple Heart.
It has become axiomatic that the media tend to filter out the good news,
preferring the boosts in ratings and readership that accompany catastrophe
and scandal. This is especially true with the war in Iraq, where
criticisms of military misconduct at places like Abu Ghraib, Haditha and at
Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. are presented almost daily. But
Iraq offers positive stories too – authentic acts of military heroism that
go unreported by the media and, thus, unnoticed by most Americans.
You can read the full piece at Conservative News, Views & Books - HUMAN EVENTS
From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families
Date: Friday, May 25, 2007
Remember Our Heroes
This weekend marks Memorial Day, a national observance first known as
Decoration Day. It was meant to be a time to remember and honor our Civil
War dead through the simple task of decorating their graves. Over time,
the holiday’s significance extended to all those who paid the ultimate
price for our nation.
But when America is at war, Memorial Day also provides an opportunity for
us to reflect on and give thanks for the sacrifices of our soldiers still
in harm’s way. Today, my weekly column appears on Human Events Online. I
have excerpted the piece below, which tells the stories – rarely presented
in the media -- of some of our heroes in Iraq.
I’d like you to meet U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Jeremiah Workman. In 2004,
Workman was serving as a squad leader at Camp Pendleton, California when he
was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq. One day, while out on patrol, his team was
ambushed, trapping many of his men in a building overrun by insurgents.
Battling heavy enemy fire, Workman bravely laid down enough cover fire to
allow many of the isolated Marines to escape.
Workman then lead another group to provide cover fire for an attack into
the building to rescue other trapped Marines, continuing to fire even after
receiving several shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs and after a grenade
exploded in front of him. After this second rescue attack, Workman again
rallied his team for a final blitz in to clear the building of insurgents
and rescue the remaining Marines.
In all, Workman’s leadership helped save 17 of the 20 Marines trapped
inside the building, while eliminating 24 insurgents. For his
extraordinary heroism, Jeremiah Workman received the Navy Cross (the Armed
Forces’ second highest medal) and a Purple Heart.
It has become axiomatic that the media tend to filter out the good news,
preferring the boosts in ratings and readership that accompany catastrophe
and scandal. This is especially true with the war in Iraq, where
criticisms of military misconduct at places like Abu Ghraib, Haditha and at
Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. are presented almost daily. But
Iraq offers positive stories too – authentic acts of military heroism that
go unreported by the media and, thus, unnoticed by most Americans.
You can read the full piece at Conservative News, Views & Books - HUMAN EVENTS
