Tracy;

I have seen enough of real life to make me immune to anything I have seen or heard in the last 37 years. That is cold but it is a defense mechanism.

I truly dislike the media thinking about the ‘scoop” being more important that facts and feelings of others.

The following is how one human reacted to a notification of a loved one killed in action.

After the Battle of Okinawa had concluded, my dad’s company commander was listed as “Killed in Action” when in fact he was not. A uniformed Marine who walked up the path to the kitchen door of their home notified his wife. He knocked, she answered and received the bad news, “We regret to inform you…”.

A few days later she was in the kitchen washing dishes and she saw a uniformed marine walking up the path towards the kitchen door, this time she saw her husband. She screamed and her husband had to comfort her.

We were very close friends to this family (I will withhold the name), and would visit them through the years. They had two sons about the same age as my brother and I. I remember the swing in the backyard so well, and the people. Within a few years the wife was institutionalized, as she could not accept what had happened. To go from attempting to accept the death of your husband to his being alive was too much for this lady.

I can understand why the husband did not tell his wife he was returning home. He did not know he was listed as KIA. My dad would appear without notice during WWII. The only time we knew he was coming home was when he was discharged. When I was in the Air Force I rarely told anyone I was coming home. Our son did the same thing.

The media and the military can do a great disservice to military personal and their families by “saying too much or saying the wrong thing”.

Tom


>During Just Cause and Desert Storm different branches worked together for some missions and it was successful. It looks like they are improving on 'joint operations.'
>
>I never saw the news item regarding SPC Johnson as the POW that was rescued. I only saw three different broadcasts: FOX News, CNN, and MSNBC starting at around 5:45pm EST. I was surfing through all three broadcasts and it was interesting to say the least. MSNBC released the name as PFC Lynch but CNN and FOX gave no name at that time. Later on, when the CentCom rep came on to speak about it (long after the Centcom 2:30am brief statement where no name was mentioned and no questions were taken), he thanked FOX News specifically for holding off on the name of the rescued soldier until the familiy could be notified so as not to cause needless worry or excitement by family members of the 'other POWS and MIAs.' That is a first as far as FOX is concerned that I know of (holding off on info). However, prior to that while the military was still trying to confirm that the family members of PFC Lynch were notified, MSNBC broadcasted who the rescued service member was (PFC Lynch). I was
>really dissapointed in them for not holding off. They should have taken their cue from the 2:30am Centcom briefing that mentioned no names and took no questions.
>
>A good example of responsible and irresponsible journalism regarding the same information. It appears that Pentagon officials let the cat out of the bag and the journalists went with it. Obviously not all officials had the correct information.
>
>What REALLY concerns me is the fact that notes were passed to our military by Iraqi civilians during the past 3 days regarding where she was located (good job of keeping that quiet so the military could act on it before the media gave the information out and prompted a relocation of her) and stated that she was being tortured. Actually the note stated a female prisoner was held and being tortured--no more information on who the female was. It could have been either female. Now, given that we were told that PFC Lynch was NOT tortured (I know she may have been actually but we were not told and if she was, for her sake, I hope they never make it public) which is possible because the Iraqis are known for holding off torture if the prisoner is critical until medical attention is given and the prisoner has enough strength to survive torture (crazy I know), it is possible that there was another female prisoner there that was moved when many of the paramilitary forces withdrew just before
>the hospital was taken. The other 11 bodies found either buried or in the morgue that require forensics to identify the remains concern me also. I guess I imagine the worst of all scenarios given my previous experience. I hope all POWs and MIAs are still alive and will be found soon.
>
>This morning I watched an Al Jazeera broadcast on it (I know I am a glutten for punishment) and they focused solely on the fact that the U.S. took over a civilian hospital and many Iraqis were killed during the event. No mention that the Iraqi military had headquarters in the basement of the hospital and was organizing military operations out of that location or that the Iraqi soldiers fought vehemently before fleeing during the coalition's attempt to rescue PFC Lynch. I hear so many statements from people about the 'propaganda' that American media spews out regarding this war and while information may be withheld, at least more information (on both sides) is given. I have watched on American media the pros and the cons the fors and the against and seen the media broadcast the bombing of the markets in Baghdad and the hospitals, the Iraqi civilians injured, etc. They have also presented the military's explanation of how it was a military target. I do not feel we will ever get the
>whole picture until the war is over (if even then) but at least we are seeing many sides of it.
>
>
>>Yesterday at 1600 PST it was announced that a female soldier had been rescued. The name given along with the picture was that of Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson, 30, of Fort Bliss, Texas. It was stated she was a cook and had a 2 year old child at home. This information was given once and only once! This lady is African American and her picture has been on the media since she was captured.
>>
>>A few minutes later a “Special News Bulletin” was given announcing:
>>
>>
>>Pfc. Jessica Lynch, rescued!
>>
>>The broadcast I heard and watched stated, “It was not known that she was a POW. She was listed as missing”.
>>
>>Now I would like to know if the news made a mistake announcing that Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson had been rescued? If that is the case talk about screwing up!
>>
>>Concerning the rescue of Pfc. Jessica Lynch:
>>
>>Imagine – this is the first time I have heard that the different branches of the military helped each other! My experience is that one or sometimes (rarely) two branches would assist in such an action. Outstanding and interesting! This would seem to indicate that the United States Military has the ability to act together as one unit. This is such an improvement since I was in the Air Force.
>>
>>
>> “The commando raid included Air Force pilots, Marines, Navy SEALS, Army Rangers — “loyal to the creed they know that they never leave a fallen comrade,” Brooks said”.
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>>My experience has been that the Marines will not leave a fallen comrade. Enough of that...
>>
>>
>>Tom