Posted on 06/16/2006 6:46:53 AM PDT by ND-Mystery
ILARIO PANTANO'S MISSION By Michelle Malkin · June 12, 2006 10:01 AM ***update: Ilario on the Today Show***
I couldn't put down 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano's new book, Warlord. Put it at the top of your summer reading list. Send a copy to your local troops-bashing columnist or cartoonist. The writing is riveting. The timing fortuitous. The message timeless. Pantano has give us more than just a war story. This is an American story.
Blog readers will be familiar with the basic true-life military and courtroom drama that Pantano endured last year. Last spring, Pantano was fighting for his life—charged by the U.S. military with premeditated murder in the deaths of two Iraqi insurgents. The Marine sniper who enlisted at 17, served in Desert Storm, and rejoined the military after 9/11 at 31 faced the death penalty for defending himself and his men in the heat of battle. He was accused then, as Marines are being accused now, of wantonly executing Iraqis to send a message.
Lt. Pantano and his family fought back. He was exonerated. But not, however, without deep personal costs. After going through hell, he resigned from the Marines. He and his family faced jihadi death threats—including some posted on a website traced to Pakistan showing Lt. Pantano beheaded. Retired Marines set up a security watch to stand guard around his home.
In a passage that reminds me of the Times of London/Chicago Sun-Times Haditha photo debacle, Pantano recounted how Al-Jazeera ran his story "with a bogus picture of two blindfolded detainees and a caption suggesting that I had shot two bound and blindfolded men."
Because the press and propagandists spread his photos and smeared his name far and wide, he is forced to this day to take extraordinary precautions to protect his lovely wife and two children.
Milbloggers countered the rush to judgment about Pantano. Euphoric Reality helped expose Pantano's chief accuser--an unhinged, disgruntled sergeant who trolled on milblogs badmouthing Pantano and posting information that conflicted with his acccounts to naval investigators. The revelations helped sink the prosecution's case. Euphoric Reality has an audio interview with Pantano up today here.
I was honored to meet Pantano (and his wife, Jill) last week. Our segment with him is now available for viewing at Hot Air.
In a striking twist of fate, Pantano's book comes at a time when his experience, his perspective, and his abiding faith in the Marines and our country are all needed now more than ever.
His mission: Defend the Defenders who volunteer to put themselves in harm's way for their countrymen.
Your mission: Make this book a best-seller.
Spread the word.
Never again allow the Liberals like John Kerry to snatch defeat from the jaws of Victory like they did in Vietnam... Expose them now.... It is the lame vietnam playbook stunt all over again...
People need to get educated about 21st Century warfighting techniques. This is by far the smartest fought war of any that the U.S. has been involved in ever. Thank You Mr. Rumsfeld.
I'll be going to my local book store today to get this book. It's supposed to rain all weekend and I get the joy of yanking the libs who sell books by buying a conservative author. Hot diggity!
I'll definitely keep my eyes open for this one...
I am reminded of Lee Marvin's comment about shooting a deseter, in the cell to Charles Bronson in "The Dirty Dozen";
"You only made one mistake: You let somebody see you do it..."
I'm buying a couple of copies. I'd sure like to get some of the autographed also.
I'll be picking up a copy this weekend, thanks for the article.
Let's all buy the book, read it, and find out!
Excellent pic. Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta go take a cold shower...
Military prosecutors are traitors.
Not fair. They're just doing their jobs. The prosecutors don't decide whom to charge, the brass must do that.
My knowledge of the military court system is pretty thin, but it doesn't take a degree from the local Holiday Inn Express to know that these cases are ginned up in the press, and the mil almost HAS to investigate. I love our systems....there are checks and balances. Sometimes the checks fall your way, sometimes they don't. The important thing is that there IS a system (Hey, Iraq, you listening to me?)
I think that her picture on her blog is awful. She looks like an aging lounge singer instead of a fresh and lovely gal.
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