The War You Didn't See.

Read this excellent article that really goes to the heart of why I blog on the good news from Iraq. The press goes with a story that sells, one that sounds the worst that it can, but doesn't tell the whole story.

Remember the first national guard unit out of California to go to Iraq in 2004? The gentleman who wrote the article linked here was in that unit, the 1st of the 184th Infantry Regiment. This may jog your memory:

"From the first weeks of our mobilization in August 2004, we were in the spotlight. We were the battalion "mired in scandal." We were, according to the disgruntled, poor in training and morale. Once in Iraq, we were the battalion that suffered casualties seemingly faster than anyone could count: 17 killed in action and nearly 100 wounded in 12 months. We were the battalion whose commander, Col. William W. Wood, became the highest-ranking soldier to die in action. Our previous commander was relieved of duty after a scandal involving the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. Even as we rolled out each day to confront terrorists, we were known at home primarily for things that had nothing to do with the job we did or how we did it."

And they did their job well. He goes on: (emphasis mine)

"Google us to find the litany of supposed woe. But if you want to know the real story of our battalion, go find Sgt. Thomas Kruger and ask him about April 5, 2005.

On that bright spring morning, with his legs shattered, Kruger dragged himself across 100 feet of debris and shrapnel to reach Cpl. Glenn Watkins, who had been mortally wounded moments earlier by the same ghastly roadside bomb.

You might also ask anyone from our ranks about Staff Sgt. Steve Nunez. Broken and bloodied by an IED, he was ordered home to recuperate after refusing to go voluntarily. He rejoined us to carry the fight forward, refusing the chance to stay home.

There were no front-page headlines for Kruger, Nunez or even Sgt. 1st Class Tom Stone, who covered a wounded subordinate's body with his own to protect that soldier from a secondary attack that could have come at any moment.

Stone, a Los Angeles Police Department officer, and Kruger, a paramedic on movie sets, were awarded Bronze Stars for their valor. Nunez, a Riverside metalworker, received our awe and admiration, and I hope yours too.

Equally deserving of recognition were Sgt. 1st Class Chris Chebatah and 1st Lt. Ky Cheng. One terrible September night, an armored personnel carrier in their patrol was destroyed by a tremendous blast and flipped, pinning a soldier. Even while taking enemy fire and directing the care for casualties around them, they rigged a chain to pull the 10-ton vehicle off him. The effort was successful but ultimately futile.

So far, 14 of our soldiers have been decorated for valor and another 48 have earned the Bronze Star for service. But that cannot be found in print."

Regarding the investigation of abuse of detainees:

"What was not said was that it was one of the soldiers in our own battalion who had found the video of the abuse and turned it in to our commander."

He ends with this:

"When it comes to Iraq, in my experience, that constituency is poorly served."

So true.

In other words, the story of the abuse of detainees was so juicy that it colored everything about the Regiment, even though these soldiers themselves turned in evidence as soon as they discovered it. Only 3 soldiers were sent to prison for the abuse. A disgrace that, as usual, was taken care of by our military. The heroic deeds of the rest of the Regiment ignored by the media. As the author points out, "The facts did not live up to the hype, but the hype was what we, and you, were left with."

In this wonderful age of the internet, we don't have to be left with just the hype. Now we can spread the truth with the "big picture" without it being censored by reporters with political agendas or those more interested in a dark juicy story than the whole truth.

Our soldiers deserve more than the press is giving them. If their stories are going to be told, then they deserve they be told with honesty.

It is the least we can do.