Today the SF Chronicle began a series by their embed, a former Marine, in Iraq. We shall see where it goes, so far there's minimal liberal slant, apart from the baby harp seal pull-quote. It 's worth a read.
Chapter 1: Welcome to the Marines . . . A seat on war's 50-yard line . . . Men in uniform will be killing people . . . A patch of paradise, here's Kuwait . . . Keeping up with Kilo Company . . . The time has come . . . Darkside's pep talk, clubbing baby seals . . . Staring into the face of death.
MCCOY'S MARINES: DARKSIDE TOWARD BAGHDAD
DARKSIDE
They called me Paperboy. Even as a newspaper reporter, I'd seen little death. And I'd never seen anyone die. But I wanted to see a war. So when I had the chance for a seat on the 50-yard line in Iraq, I took it. I was what they called an "embedded reporter." I rode along with the Third Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment, as it loaded up in Kuwait and crossed into Iraq.
The Marines fought, killed, and some died; and they were the ones who pulled down the statue of Saddam Hussein. The unit was led by Lt. Col. Bryan P.
McCoy. Radio call sign: Darkside.
It's a joking reference to the movie "Star Wars." As in Darth Vader's "Come over to the dark side." But deep down, "Darkside" is a state of mind. That part of the brain that goes back to the caveman, to life and death and protecting what's yours.
It's the boy who picks up a stick and pretends it's a machine gun. It's playing war or cowboys and Indians. It's the love of movies with guns and bombs and car chases. It's the tingle at the start of a football game, or a fight.
Darkside understands it. As a Marine battalion commander, he has studied it,
trained for it and applied it to a thousand men in his command. And then he put it to use in Iraq.