A tribute for service members and families

I lifted this post from the blog: Michael Yon: Online Magazine for

several reasons.

Michael Yon is a War Correspondent. I mean a real war correspon-

dent. Not, some guy who who is embedded with the troops for the

sole reason of embarrasing the soldiers that he is 'reporting' on, in an

effort to undermine the war effort. And, he can write. That, in itself,

sets him apart from a great many of his colleagues.

He is an independent, receiving no support from some editor or pub-

lisher, who might expect him to write a certain way if he expects to

continue his employment. Mr. Yon has come to rely on his readers

to fund his efforts. His post below explains that and offers the out-

standing photograph of a soldier carrying a wounded Iraqi child, as

a gift, that would be entirely suitable as a Christmas gift.

Mr. Yon supports the troops in a most admirable way. I highly sug-

gest that you read his work and especially look at the photographs

that follow his post that I am featuring here. He is a friend of Bruce

Willis, who also is an outstanding supporter of the U.S. Military. I

would appreciate any support that we can give those who support

America's sons and daughters.

Finally, it doesn't matter who took this photograph. It is an outstand-

ing example of how compassionate and caring our troops are. May

God bless them and Michael Yon.

Many people say this is the most important photograph of the Iraq war.

Some have called it "a national treasure." The image most completely

embodies my experience throughout Iraq.

Countless people have asked for reprints, but I wanted to give the

matter some thought. I did not want to diminish the symbolism of this

photograph, and the American soldiers who risked their lives to save

this little girl.

I more than espoused this belief, I lived it: I have not accepted

advertisements on this site, and my first 7 months of work in Iraq

were completely without compensation. When I reached the point

where my equipment was ruined and my resources exhausted, I

had to choose between stopping the work altogether or rethinking

my independence. I solved both problems by accepting reader support.

When these soldiers finally returned to the United States after a year

of hard fighting they asked my permission to present a copy of the

photograph to Bruce Willis at “The Punishers’ Ball.” Of course, I

agreed. I respect these men beyond simple description, and when I

saw the photo so tastefully framed, I realized that it made a beautiful gift.

It occurred to me that even national treasures have practical costs

associated with them. No one protests the admission fees or government

supports that maintain and preserve their legacy. Museums don't diminish

the value of art when they sell prints in a gift shop. I'm not claiming to be

Picasso, and this blog is hardly the Louvre, but my readers have convinced

me that this image inspires them and I've learned to listen to my readers.

I’ve decided to offer a limited number of signed photographs, available in

two formats.

All will be signed and numbered by me. If you have difficulty with PayPal,

or just prefer to send a check, please use the address provided with my

profile section.