PSX5Central
Non Gaming Discussions => Off-Topic => Topic started by: SirMystiq on November 15, 2004, 04:16:41 PM
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http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/15/marine.photo.ap/index.html
PIKEVILLE, Kentucky (AP) -- An eastern Kentucky Marine whose battle-grimed face has quickly become a symbol of the fighting in the Iraqi city of Falluja says he doesn\'t understand what all the fuss is about.
But his mother is thrilled. Maxie Webber, of Robinson Creek in eastern Kentucky, said the close-up of Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller let her know that her son was OK.
Webber said she first saw it Wednesday on CBS.
"I just sat here and I thought, that\'s my son," Webber said. "I couldn\'t believe it."
The photograph, taken by a Los Angeles Times photographer and transmitted by The Associated Press, has been printed in more than 100 newspapers and shown on network television.
Miller, 20, is shown with smudged camouflage paint and a bloody scratch on his nose, a cigarette drooping from the side of his mouth. He was exhausted and grimy after more than 12 hours of nonstop fighting.
Miller, a graduate of Shelby Valley High School, is serving with Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment in the Iraqi city of Falluja, scene of fierce battles over the past week.
He didn\'t know about the photo and his spreading fame until two Los Angeles Times staffers traveling with his unit told him about it.
"I was just smokin\' a cigarette and someone takes my picture and it all blows up," Miller told them Friday.
The picture, which appeared in the Times on Wednesday, was taken on the afternoon after Charlie Company entered Falluja under intense hostile fire.
Miller and his fellow platoon members had spent the day engaged in practically nonstop firefights, fending off snipers and attackers, and hadn\'t slept in more than 24 hours.
"It was kind of crazy out here at first," Miller says. "No one really knew what to expect. They told us about it all the time, but no one knows for sure until you get here."
Waiting for a call
He grew up in rural Jonancy, named after his great-great-great grandparents Joe and Nancy Miller, the first settlers in the area.
His father, James Miller, is a mechanic and farmer, and the young Miller grew up working crops of potatoes, corn and green beans. His mother is a nurse.
His mother said she stays home as much as possible in case he calls.
"I don\'t want to miss his call because you never know if that call will be the last one," Webber said.
She said she bought an answering machine in case Miller, the oldest of her three sons, calls while she\'s out. She has one message on the machine from August 1.
"And when I get lonely, and it\'s been a few days, I play that tape," Webber said.
Webber said her son\'s decision to join the Marines has changed the way she thinks about America.
"Until my son went into the Marines, I never really realized what that flag stood for -- but now I do," she said.
I thought it was a GREAT pictures. You see so much by this picture of the hard work and how tired the soldier is.
But down here in the Dirty conservative south is another story. In the Dallas morning news there were a dozen complaints from parents claiming that the picture makes kids want to smoke. That so many parents are worried that the pictures might tell kids "ima soldier and I smoke"
Honestly people down here are pretty narrow minded.
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I didn\'t want to start a new thread for this but here is some raw footage of US soldiers in Fallujah. Those insurgents are so outgunned its ridiculous.
US Firepower (http://members.cox.net/macallan_the/falluja.asf)
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That\'s a pretty cool pic...like one of those things you see on the cover of Time or National Geographic...
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Originally posted by Black Samurai
I didn\'t want to start a new thread for this but here is some raw footage of US soldiers in Fallujah. Those insurgents are so outgunned its ridiculous.
US Firepower (http://members.cox.net/macallan_the/falluja.asf)
Uh...holy crap...:eek:
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He has ashtray breath.
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Originally posted by SirMystiq
But down here in the Dirty conservative south is another story.
Honestly people down here are pretty narrow minded.
You are kidding right? This is tobacco country - the South has the highest percentage of smokers in the country not to mention tobacco is a southern crop. You really are out of touch Mystiq.
Most likely it was some politically correct nutjob that complained... the same type of people that put those truth ads on MTV.
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I couldnt see anybody they were shooting at......
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Originally posted by GigaShadow
You are kidding right? This is tobacco country - the South has the highest percentage of smokers in the country not to mention tobacco is a southern crop. You really are out of touch Mystiq.
Most likely it was some politically correct nutjob that complained... the same type of people that put those truth ads on MTV.
I wasn\'t talking about how the south is tobacco country. I was talking about the narrow mindeness of alot of people here. Smokers don\'t have a problem with smoking for themselves but do have a problem with their kids smoking.
No it wasn\'t some nutjob. They were actual letters from parents and such fearing that their kids might smoke b/c of the pic.
One of the letters said:
"I wanna be just like him but without the cigarette" Then the mom said that she was very proud. It is something to be proud of but it\'s stupid how much they paid attention to something so insignificant and refused to see the for more than it is.
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Originally posted by Halberto
I couldnt see anybody they were shooting at......
i thought the same thing...:confused:...maybe they were inside those buildings they were shooting at...but just lookin at it in general it seems they were shooting at nothing...especially the one spot were they were shooting at the rooftops of the one bldg...in any case it seems they have control of fallugah (spel) so i guess that\'s a good thing...
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Funny how "the" picture of the war for Iraqi freedom is an American huh?
Shouldn\'t it be the face of an Iraqi civilian? Oh wait...they are all dead.
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An eastern Kentucky Marine whose battle-grimed face has quickly become a symbol of the fighting in the Iraqi city of Falluja
/\\ /\\ /\\ Does Not equal \\/ \\/ \\/
Originally posted by Ghettomath
"the" picture of the war for Iraqi freedom
Still, if you want to volunteer to go get some close up pictures of insurgents or iraqi civs in a combat zone then be my guest.
I\'m Serious. Go.
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Originally posted by Ghettomath
Shouldn\'t it be the face of an Iraqi civilian? Oh wait...they are all dead.
:rolleyes:
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Originally posted by Ghettomath
Funny how "the" picture of the war for Iraqi freedom is an American huh?
Shouldn\'t it be the face of an Iraqi civilian? Oh wait...they are all dead.
ALL???? DEAD???? Like extinct?
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Originally posted by Ghettomath
Shouldn\'t it be the face of an Iraqi civilian? Oh wait...they are all dead.
That would probably be true if we left Saddam in power.
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Originally posted by Black Samurai
/\\ /\\ /\\ Does Not equal \\/ \\/ \\/
Still, if you want to volunteer to go get some close up pictures of insurgents or iraqi civs in a combat zone then be my guest.
I\'m Serious. Go.
Has hell frozen over? I actually agree with BS! ;)
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Is that what that is? I thought I left a window open.