Combat Photo – AP Steps into Something Smelly

There is a lot of discussion ongoing regarding the AP's decision to publish photo's of a US Marine that was very badly injured and who would eventually die. The Photo's were taken by an AP reporter and his photographer is embedded with the Golf Company of the 2^nd Battalion of the 3ard Marine Regiment which is currently assigned to the Now Zad area of Helmand Province. The photographer Julie Jacobson, took the pictures from some distance which shows the desperate struggle of the fallen Marine and several other Marines as the fight to save his life. He was struck with a grenade and his legs were severely mangled (to the point of them both being nearly completely severed).

The AP did consider broad ramifications of releasing the photo's in fact it sounds like to me they deliberated very long and hard prior to making the decision to release them. The photographer in the field showed the many pictures of the efforts to save this Marine to his squad and platoon members after he had been evacuated and after everyone knew he had died. The reporter states that no one in the field expressed concern with the photos however they were not told they would be released. The AP waited to release the Photo's until the Marine had been laid to rest as well and the AP called the family and gave them advanced notice on the release. The Father is on record as opposing the release. There being no value to seeing his Son in the last minutes of his life in extreme duress.

I have the same opinion. There can be no good to come from photo's of this nature.

Many have weighed in on this; the Defense Secretary has critized in very strong language before and after the release. Reportedly he called the AP personally to press beg them not to release the photo's that accompanied a long story about the action where the Marine was killed. It fell on deaf ears. The Photo's were released and about 20 papers around the country ran the story and carried at least one picture although printed inside the papers not on the front page.

Not so at the Huffington Post however, they ran the photo on their front page and allowed a debate to wage in their comments section about the war in general and the Marines in particular that was absolutely ugly. No attempt was made to moderate the long stream of filth that spewed from the depraved soul of the extreme left of this country. This photo was used by the Huffington Post only fan the flame of ridicule and to besmirch the good character of Marines. A shameful display.

Free Speech, taken for granted by those at the Huffington Post and paid for by the Brave Men and Women of our Armed Forces, like Lance Cpl. Joshua "Bernie" Bernard. May he rest in Peace.

UPDATE: Bernie's father speaks volumes here: http://www.captainsjournal.com/ look for the article titled "Concerning Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard". Well worth the read by a former Marine and now a Gold Star parent. JvT2

BT: Jimmy T sends.