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A Fallen Marine's Letter

When The New York Times ran a story in October on the United States reaching the "grim mark" of 2,000 soldiers killed in Iraq, the newspaper printed a few seemingly prophetic words from a fallen Marine who wrote before his death that he was "pushing my chances" with a third deployment in Iraq.

When President Bush cited that same letter this week upon releasing his strategy for victory in Iraq, he told the rest of the story behind the farewell message of Cpl. Jeffrey Starr.

"After he died, a letter was found on his laptop computer," Bush said of Starr. "... He said: '[I]f you're reading this, then I've died in Iraq. I don't regret going. Everybody dies, but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq; it's not to me. I'm here helping these people so they can live the way we live. Not [to] have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. Others have died for my freedom; now this is my mark.'

"There is only one way to honor the sacrifice of Corporal Starr and his fallen comrades," Bush added, "and that is to take up their mantle, carry on their fight and complete their mission."

To hear blogger Charmaine Yoest tell it, Bush cited the part of the letter ignored by the Times for one reason: "the power of the blogosphere." Specifically, Yoest gives the credit to fellow conservative blogger Michelle Malkin, who covered the controversy surrounding Starr's letter.

Malkin, too, made reference to Bush giving honor to Starr. "Good for the White House for fighting back against [mainstream media] bias," she wrote.

Posted by | 09:49 PM

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