Watt A Hero?
 

Former Pfc. Justin Watt

Does the name of Army Pfc Justin Watt ring a bell?   I doubt it.  But even if your bells start ringing I bet the word “hero” doesn't come to mind. Lets try this drill with a brave woman:

Nancy Lindborg.  No bells ringing yet?

How about one more much better known: Jan Egelund?

If he rings a bell, check your mental web site for any links to “hero.”

So what’s the point? Watt is the point. 

It seems you only earn true war hero status if you're killed in a war born of lies, on a mission to kill your enemy. If you shoot him first you may be a good soldier, even win some medals, but Mom and Pop won't see your name on ABC This Week’s “Fallen Hero” segment. You only make their honor scroll if the guy you’re aiming at shoots you. No matter how brave or dead you are, if you’re not an American soldier forget it.
 
Even if one of Iraq’s U-S backed security forces took a bullet for you he wouldn’t rate CNN’s dead hero list either. They don’t even rate the virtual funerals on the PBS News Hour.
It ends each night with a solemn, silent tribute to Americans who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Fallen Hero Syndrome (FHS) has hijacked hearts, clouded minds and blinded us to war's first casualty: Truth.

FHS rained on and reigns over the land of the brave; Blue states, red states, black, brown, and white states, gay states, straight states, divided or united states-

Even the harshest critics who told Rummy to hit the road, called Bush a war criminal and cursed Cheney as “The Vice President of Torture,” still salute smartly and charge up the hill to support troops duped down the highway to hell.

No reasonable American doubts the courage of putting your life on the line for your country. But a sacred taboo has taken root in the volatile soil of unpopular wars.

Politicians, pundits, patriots and protesters can take their beef  to the Commander in Chief, but like  gung-ho old men who send young ones to die, these anti-war voices sing unrequited love songs for our troops.

In Vietnam's sorry saga, protesters held soldiers accountable and argued the best support was to work your butt off to get them home. Anti-war vets could still be patriots, and even emerge as Senators, nominated for President.

Which leads back to our drill; Remember the names you didn’t remember?

Nancy Lindborg. What has she done that is so memorable anyway? For openers, as Vice President of Mercy Corp she led her unarmed under protected humanitarian troops through killing fields on a mission of mercy and medicine. And dodging the same improvised explosive devices soldiers do. Worse – targeted by hungry militias intent on stealing or stopping food for famished families.

She is far from alone. Dozens of humanitarian groups have repeatedly complained about urgent need for security. One screaming headline dating back to the October 07 “Independent” echoes the plea from their frontline: “Medics Beg For Help As Iraqis Die Needlessly.”

One of the most vocal and visible begging medics was former U.N. Relief Chief Jan Egelund.  Whether or not his name rings bells, he has rattled the cages of what he calls “stingy nations” –wealthy Western and European states who don’t put their money where hungry mouths are. He did not single out any nation but some U.S. officials took it personal, calling him “misguided and ill-informed.”

There has been some solid reporting on the humanitarian crisis, usually after  “hard news” of bloody battles, rising casualties, and of course Americans killed in the line of duty.

It is a cruel irony that the convoy coverage is fueled by the deadly danger and security lapses relief workers complain about. It’s a much hotter story when aid workers are targets than if everything goes smoothly.

Many admire their courage or praise their faith.  But they still won't be showered with the patriotic fervor and honor reserved for Americas’ dead heroes.

Remember the top name of our reality checklist? Justin Watt. You will not find many members of his own platoon who call Watt any kind of hero. He’s been vilified, threatened, and insulted from all branches of the military. No streaming yellow ribbons ‘round Watt’s old oak tree. He’s more likely to find a white rope around his neck.

Pfc. Watt may not ring many bells but he sure blew whistles on his own platoon. It was a wrenching decision. He told Army investigators some of his own buddies or “brothers” as older vets would say, raped a 14- year old Iraqi girl, then killed her and her family in a revenge attack in Mahmoudiya.

Since then, four soldiers were convicted of murder and rape. A fifth-discharged after the atrocity-was convicted in a federal court. Another was charged with not reporting  what he witnessed. That charge would have applied to Watt, but he was driven by conscience not consequences.

This kind of sick, sneak attack from Haditha to Abu Grabe to Gitmo and our docile media response, must make the world wonder.

How can a war on terror be waged or won by terrorizing civilians and torturing prisoners?

By standing up for human rights in Iraq, Watt stood firmly on deep foundations of his homeland. The bill of rights protects not only free speech, but baseless search and seizure, no less rape and murder.

Even if you confine war hero tributes to those who made "the ultimate sacrifice," why not include the most sacrificed soldiers? The hastily trained, out-numbered, out-gunned Iraqi security forces for whom the casualty bell tolls three times more than the superpower soldiers who invaded and still occupy their land.

They never asked for bombs bursting in their air. But as any G.I. Joe from Buffalo would figure, if you can’t beat ''em join 'em." Kill or be killed in the name of Democracy.

Iraq and Afghani fallen heroes bleed red blood too - even if it isn’t red, white, and blue.

About the Author

Reporter Swims Upstream to Mainstream

Sapir chose roads untraveled on an unlikely climb toward the top. From exploring and writing in Central and South America, to radio News Director and newspaper reporter on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, Mass, Then a stint as Alaska Public Radio News Director before returning to the Lower 48 and national mainstream journalism at UPI headquarters in Washington D.C.  After a couple of years he leapfrogged over staff with more years at UPI when promoted Broadcast Bureau Chief in Chicago. Sapir was a frequent NPR Contributor, syndicated UPI radio talk host (With UPI's Helen Thomas and the late legend Jack Anderson) Pentagon Media Pool member and UPI's "DDD" - Designated Disaster Dude - The go to guy for wars, quakes, crashes, riots, hurricanes, mass murders, and most  frightening: Presidential Campaigns. He gained national notoriety for his reporting of civilian death tolls in the Panama invasion. As a member of the original Pentagon Media Pool, he was dispatched to Honduras during the Reagan administration. Editor and Publisher covered his "escape" from U. S. military minders to interview Honduran troops.  He wrote a series of columns on media methods and madness for  the RTNDA (RadioTV News Directors Assn.) ''The Communicator," as well as dozens of local and national magazines and newspapers.

Sapir's daily "Consumer Focus" reports were broadcast nationwide on NPR and world-wide on UPI Radio Network affiliates for 12 years.

When UPI was eclipsed by The Rev. Moon's Media Meteor he seized the chance to do commentary, humor, fiction, teaching "educational rap lyrics"  play jazz and R&B, and be a full-time dad. Free from the confining news cage, he is finishing two books, one fiction, one political satire.   These days Sapir also indulges his passion for cutting edge commentary, audio documentary, poetry and satire. He tries to "give back" as a volunteer teaching kids how to turn their life stories into news reports.

Contact Jay Sapir 847-946-6492
875 Westmoreland Dr. Vernon Hills, IL 60061