"Combat Diary" on A&E Thursday 9-11

[cincymarsdad]

I drove up to Columbus yesterday for a previewing of this special about Lima Company 3/25 to be shown Thursday 25 May, 2006 on A&E network from 9-11 PM. The special is compiled using video shot by the Marines of Lima. It was obviously hard for me to watch in places, but I did learn some things about the "incident" on 3 August, and I saw some video of my son Chris I had never seen before. He's in one scene playing the guitar and singing very badly.

A theater in downtown Columbus closed for the showing on the large screen.

All the guys who came back have scars; they are not the same people. Travis Williams, the only surviving member of 1st squad, is shown at some length and looks "OK", but he isn't.

The video and depictions are pretty graphic, and parents were breaking down during the viewing, as you may imagine.

[USMCRET6391]

Combat Diary" visits Lima Company in Iraq and afterward, seeing their best and worst.

By Tony Perry, Times Staff Writer

Marine Sgt. Phillip Jolly, in the masterful documentary "Combat Diary: The Marines of Lima Company," set for Thursday on A&E, explains the exhilaration of combat — and the horror that soon follows.

"In the beginning," he says, "it's the best thing ever, it's awesome, you want it every day. But once the bad stuff starts happening, you'll have some of the worst days of your life."

Lima Company, reservists based in Columbus, Ohio, had both experiences during the unit's deployment to Iraq last year. Of 184 Marines in the company, 23 died in combat and 36 others were wounded badly enough to receive Purple Hearts.

As part of the 3rd battalion, 25th regiment, the Marines patrolled insurgent strongholds along the Euphrates River Valley and the Syrian border, a region that gets scant news coverage but is referred to by Marines as the "wild west."

Veteran filmmaker Michael Epstein, in researching the story of Lima Company, found a journalistic mother lode: amateur video shot by the Marines of their training, their off-hours horseplay, their firefights and even the flames that engulfed one of their vehicles after it hit a hidden roadside bomb, killing 11 Marines.

From those videos, and their own long, thoughtful interviews with the returning troops, Epstein and co-producer Jonathan Yellen have created a two-hour documentary of young men and war that tells not just how Marines fight but, in large measure, why. Yellen, a former Marine, is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.

Attention to detail is an Epstein trademark. His "Antietam" was the first and best of the recent 10-part series on the History Channel, "10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America."

"Diary" is right in its details about combat in Iraq and, more challengingly, pitch perfect in its nuance in what makes the Marine Corps, active-duty or reserve, unique as a military service.

The Marines of Lima Company enlisted to fight. And were disappointed when they figured deployment to Iraq would be boring sentry duty. "We were going to be stuck on the wire," one says.

It didn't work out that way. "Diary" catches the rhythm of a frontline deployment, heart-pounding firefights followed by pizza-eating contests back at base, in this case the Soviet-built Haditha Dam.

"Brotherhood" is a paltry word to describe the bonds that form between the troops. Gunnery Sgt. Shawn Delgado remembered the day Navy corpsman Travis Youngblood was hit:

"His last words to me were, 'Tell the guys I will be back. Don't get another corpsman, I'll be back.' " Youngblood died within minutes.

In the videos shot in Iraq, the Marines are high-spirited and youthfully profane. In the interviews done by Epstein and crew, they've had time to reflect on the meaning of war.

Slowly, painfully, Sgt. Guy Zierk tells of kicking in the door of an insurgent house and, filled with rage over the death of his buddies, coming close to killing two women and a teenage boy. At the last moment, he pulls back.

"It would make me no better than the people we're trying to fight," he says.

"Diary" is free of politics. Epstein knows that foreign policy has little to do with why men keep fighting.

Lance Cpl. Travis Williams, interviewed while fishing in Montana, explains why he wants to return to Iraq.

"I want revenge, and I want to be there for my friends when they go back," he says.

"If something happens to my friends and I'm sitting back here — I don't think I could live with that."

[cincymarsdad]

Other showings:

Thursday, May 25 @ 9pm/8C
Friday, May 26 @ 1am/12C
Saturday, May 27 @ 8pm/7C
Sunday, May 28 @ 12am/11C
Sunday, May 28 @ 1pm/12C
Monday, May 29 @ 8am/7C
Monday, May 29 @ 2pm/1C
Saturday, June 03 @ 11am/10C

Bob, really good friend of mine - and Chris' - emailed Joe, another really good friend of mine - and Chris' - asking whether Bob should see this. Joe accompanied me and my daughter to Columbus to see the film. This was Joe's response, which I thought was more articulate than anything I could come up with:

Bob,

Well, to tell you the truth, last night I had mixed emotions. During all of the time since the news of Chris' passing I have been fairly conflicted emotionally. You see, I view all of this from what I consider a privileged position. It has taken a while for me to be able to admit that this is a privilege and not a disgust.

I only knew Chris since 1998. We sort of hit it off fairly well. For my part, our friendship grew quite close. As you know, later on he joined the United States Marine Corp. I saw him only a few times after basic training, once on a trip to London and the last time in Columbus, OH. I was offered a small time to see him in Las Vegas before he shipped for deployment. However, circumstances did not allow this, what I would know now as my, final meeting.

So, since his passing, I have not exactly known how to act, what to say, or even at times what to do. I often found myself questioning, is this too much or too little, what changes should I make if any, and how should I feel today, tomorrow, and so forth.

However, on the way to Columbus yesterday, I felt rather chipper. I knew we were going to see the Ohio State campus with Laura. I knew we were going to see this documentary. I knew it was my birthday!

The day went off without a hitch. We were treated honorably, which again for my part was not deserved as I had done nothing, by the Marines that were present at the showing. It was close one might say to a Gala. There was food, a few words, and then the film started. Once complete, we departed after some time with very few words even amongst ourselves.

I went to bed last night fairly numb. Still not really sure what I was supposed to feel or understand. The last thing I remember, oddly enough, was Mardelle calling me asking if I was going to play Diablo over the internet tonight. I was terse and told her, "No". I then went to bed.

This morning is a different story. I don't know if it was dreams or just a good night sleep but I finally think I understand. I have felt deep remorse for my loss today. While I have managed to keep my composure for the most part, I understand now not only the sadness of his loss, but the pride and joy of our time together. I don't think I ever properly said my "good-byes" at either of Chris' services, nor did he to me. I now know this was a major source of my confusion.

Last night, while watching the film I came to reality with two truths.

1) Chris and I were not the only people affected. There is a war going in Iraq. Many peoples lives have been lost. Many families have been and are being exposed. The film demonstrates this concept quite well.

2) Chris never said good-bye, he said, "see you later." While this one is a bit more personally interpreted by me, it hit me like a brick. You see, in the film there are sections that shows Chris. In one part, he looks at a glance into the camera and does a wink of an eye and head nod that he always did when he said, "See you later". While I would not have ever admitted to is last night, I felt as if we did this directly to me. Maybe he did and maybe he didn't, but I found great comfort in that one moment. This single gesture was his way of saying to me, "All is well and I'll see you later". While others may not take comfort in this, I have found great comfort.

I am not sure how long it would have taken me to come to these two truths without seeing this film. Today, I am proud of my sadness. This means he was indeed a person of close meaning to me. I am proud of Chris. I supported his decision to join the Marines and I stand by it.

So today and from now on if I shed a tear; I will feel no shame in it. If I feel remorse; I will embrace it. If I feel jollity, I will celebrate it. It took a person to teach me this and a film to understand it.

So, to answer your question sir, I would recommend that you, as a person that knew Chris, watch this film. Take from this film what is given. It may not be easy to see. You may feel disgust, fear, rage, hate, or even love. However, you may just learn something about yourself and those important to you as well.

Sincerely
Joe

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...WS01/605250381