The most plugged-in nation in the world is receiving virtually no
true information about what its warriors are doing. Accounts of American valor are
dismissed by the press as propaganda, yet accounts of American difficulties are heralded
as objectivity.
Brian Chontosh cleared 200 yards of entrenched Iraqis and killed more
than 20. He was presented with the Navy Cross
The odd fact about the American media in this war is that it's not covering the American
military. The most plugged-in nation in the world is receiving virtually no true
information about what its warriors are doing.
Oh, sure, there's a body count. We know how many Americans have fallen. And we see those
same casket pictures day in and day out. And we're almost on a first-name basis with the
jerks who abused the Iraqi prisoners. And we know all about improvised explosive devices
and how we lost Fallujah and what Arab public-opinion polls say about us and how the world
hates us.
We get a non-stop feed of gloom and doom. But we don't hear about
the heroes.
The incredibly brave GIs who honorably do their duty. The ones our grandparents would have
carried on their shoulders down Fifth Avenue.
Accounts of American valor are dismissed by the press as propaganda, yet accounts of
American difficulties are heralded as objectivity. It makes you wonder if the role of the
media is not to inform but to depress -not to report orbut to deride. Not to tell the
whole truth from all sides, but to feed us lies
Maybe you'd like to hear about a real American, somebody who honored the uniform he wears
Meet Brian Chontosh- Churchville-Chili Central School Class of 1991. Proud graduate of the
Rochester Institute of Technology.
Husband and about-to-be father. First lieutenant (now Captain) in the United States Marine
Corps. And a genuine hero, the secretary of the Navy said so. Brian was presented with the
Navy Cross, the second highest award for combat bravery the United States can bestow.
That's a big deal. But you won't see it on the network news tonight. And all you'll read
in Brian's hometown newspaper is two paragraphs of nothing. The odd fact about the
American media in this war is that it's not covering the American military. The most
plugged-in nation in the world is receiving virtually no true information about what its
warriors are doing.
Oh, sure, there's a body count. We know how many Americans have fallen. And we see those
same casket pictures day in and day out.
And we're almost on a first-name basis with the jerks who abused the Iraqi prisoners. And
we know all about improvised explosive devices and how we lost Fallujah and what Arab
public-opinion polls say about us and how the world hates us.
We get a non-stop feed of gloom and doom. But we don't hear about the heroes.
The incredibly brave GIs who honorably do their duty. The ones our grandparents would have
carried on their shoulders down Fifth Avenue.
The ones they completely ignore, like Brian Chontosh.
It was a year ago on the march into Baghdad. Brian Chontosh was a platoon leader rolling
up Highway 1 in a humvee. When all hell broke loose. Ambush city. The young Marines were
being cut to ribbons. Mortars, machine guns, rocket propelled grenades. And the kid out of
Churchville was in charge. It was do or die and it was up to him.
So he moved to the side of his column, looking for a way to lead his men to safety. As he
tried to poke a hole through the Iraqi line his humvee came under direct enemy mahine gun
fire. It was fish in a barrel and the Marines were the fish. And Brian Chontosh gave the
order to attack.
He told his driver to floor the humvee directly at the machine gun emplacement that was
firing at them. And he had the guy on top with the 50 cal unload on them.
Within moments there were Iraqis slumped across the machine gun and Chontosh was still
advancing, ordering his driver now to take the humvee directly into the Iraqi trench that
was attacking his Marines.
Over into the battlement the humvee went and out the door Brian Chontosh bailed, carrying
an M16 and a Beretta and 228 years of Marine Corps pride. And he ran along the trench,
with its mortars and riflemen, machineguns and grenadiers. And he killed them all.
He fought with the M16 until it was out of ammo. Then he fought with the Beretta until it
was out of ammo. Then he picked up a dead man's AK4 and fought with that until it was out
of ammo. Then he picked up another dead man's AK47 and fought with that until it was out
of ammo. At one point he even fired a discarded Iraqi RPG into an enemy cluster, sending
attackers flying with its grenade explosion.
When he was done Brian Chontosh had cleared 200 yards of entrenched Iraqis from his
platoon's flank. He had killed more than 20 and wounded at least as many more. But that's
probably not how he would tell it. He would probably merely say that his Marines were in
trouble, and he got them out of trouble. Ooh-rah, and drive on.
"By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of
heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, 1st Lt. Chontosh reflected great credit
upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States
Naval Service."
That's what the citation says. And that's what nobody will hear. That's what doesn't seem
to be making the evening news.
Accounts of American valor are dismissed by the press as propaganda, yet accounts of
American difficulties are heralded as objectivity. It makes you wonder if the role of the
media is to inform or to depress - to report or to deride. To tell the truth, or to feed
us lies.
But I guess it doesn't matter. We're going to turn out all right As long as men like Brian
Chontosh wear our uniform. If you are as proud of this Marine, then tell EVERYONE YOU KNOW
Written By journalist and broadcaster Bob Lonsberry
Photos and more here http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/THISWILLMAKEYOUPROUD.HTML
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