Faces of Valor

I honestly don't go around to news sites and the like looking for things to bitch about. In fact I really wish there wasn't anything to complain about with these places...but it leaps out at you without trying.

Case in point...today, I was going through the Military Times site looking for stories I hadn't heard or just general news. I found a story about the Safety Nazis at Fort Rucker winning a unit award and the article I posted about below. I also saw a link for "faces of valor". Now I don't know about you, but I would expect "faces of valor" to be about people who have done valorous things, things that you get awarded things like Silver Stars and stuff for...well, not so much.

It appears that "Faces of Valor" is something else. According to the website...

Faces of Valor was created in 2003 as a photographic tribute to the men and women of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Included in this site are a collection of the best images from our daily Frontline Photos galleries, our Frontline Voices and our Honor the fallen memorial to those who died in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Contact us with any questions or comments at onlineeditors@atpco.com.

Fair enough.

Look over on the right side of this page and we have the running casualty counter. And we see this photo in the middle top.





Along with this photo credit...

Scott Olson / Getty Images A picture of a fallen soldier rests against a wall as names of fallen servicemen are read at a memorial service honoring the 3,000 who have been killed since the start of the Iraq War on Jan. 1 in Chicago. The grim milestone was reached following the deaths of at least 112 servicemen in December, the deadliest month in Iraq for Americans in more than two years.

I guess photos submitted by readers aren't striking enough, or show enough sorrow for the "Faces of Valor" page. At least they are straight up about it and say what this page is about, so I guess my complaint is about disappointment about what I expected to find versus what is actually there. I've got no complaint about honoring the fallen...more people should. I guess I just expected more.

How can you win a war without heroes? There have been many many soldiers sailors airmen and Marines who have done great things for this country during this war. Some have made the ultimate sacrifice. How many can you name? How many stories come to mind about the incredible sacrifice and courage that is displayed on an almost minute by minute basis around the globe? Yes there are MILBLOGS that chronicle these stories...but actually how many people read them?

A newspaper chain that calls themselves "Military Times" owes the people they make a dime off the backs of at least a little more than what they are doing. Mixed in with all the "National Enquirer" type stories about drill sergeants beating up trainees or the latest scandal, they could try to have a roll-up of awards presented to soldiers during this war and a selection of people and events that caused them to be presented their citation. But that might detract from the maudlin, depressing tone of their "Faces of Valor" section.

Hell, I don't know...of course I'm not the editor of the "Army Times" and as I have told other folks, If you don't like it don't buy it. SO maybe I should take my own advise.

Unfortunately this problem is much greater than the "Military Times" it stretches across all of the traditional media, who for whatever reason concentrate on the negative and rarely if ever report the positive or heroic. I'm not even going to get into ideologies or the why they do it...but I do know that they are not telling the whole story and the country is worse off for not knowing these stories or hearing about their bravest of citizens.

God bless all those valiant young men and women who have given their lives in service to this nation. But this cause is so much more than that...and people need to be reminded of that as well.