Alive Day Memories - Stories Missed By The Press

the tank posts on James Gandolfini's Home from Iraq.

This HBO documentary should be seen.

But the interview (and Gandolfini) make a good point. We're at war.

Yet, not only do we hardly ever hear from Iraq war veterans (except for self-aggrandizing blowhards like Jon Soltz), but neither are many tales of bravery and courage told by the media. The Battle of Donkey Island is but one example, but there are many others. What of the Iraqi martyr who grasped a suicide bomber in a bear hug, to avoid the killer's bomb murdering his friends and family? Michael Yon also wrote of one Marine who valiantly crawled into a pipe beneath a road to check for explosives.

And for every IED that goes off, how many have been defused by our military's engineers working under unbelievable stress?

The press hardly recounts stories of soldierly camaraderie and brotherly affection. Rather, they elicit sound bites and platitudes from politicians and pundits who side-step the selfless efforts by our service members in favor of their own agendas.

Update: More from the Kansas City Star:

When one veteran falls silent for several seconds, he asks her matter-of-factly, “What were you just thinking about?” She tells him, and it’s one of the most poignant moments in the hour, prompted by Gandolfini’s curiosity.