I, Victim

Bob Newman

Pity me, for I am a victim.

While pitying me, know that, because of my victimhood, which is manifested in my broken neck, mangled back, Patella Femoral Syndrome and Gulf War Syndrome (all caused by serving for 20 years in the Marine Corps as an infantry unit leader), you must never challenge or disagree with anything I say. Know, too, that my word is gospel, for I have saved lives while putting my own at risk.

You must revere me and accept that I have a free pass to say and do anything I wish for the rest of my life regardless of the consequences to others, for I have served in ground combat, leading wild-eyed, bloodthirsty Marines at that. And anyone who dares counter my point of view is unpatriotic and a liar because, again, I served in combat, and service in combat makes me, and those who agree with me, beyond reproach.

What a crock.

Behind me, propped up on a shelf in my library, are my medals and ribbons. There are 16 of them, including the most coveted by Marines: the Combat Action Ribbon. (Yes, the most important one is a ribbon, not a medal.) In a box somewhere in the garage is a thick stack of citations and commendations for various things I did in the Corps, along with many photos of me and my men, some of which show us conducting Marine Corps business in harm’s way.

Do you know what it means to have more medals and ribbons than most other Marines? Not a damn thing, that’s what it means. What has always been most important to Marines is not their decorations, but (1) whether they were respected by their fellow Marines; (2) whether, if serving in a leadership position, they led well, and (3) whether, when courage was called for, they did what had to be done. You see, in the Corps, demonstrating both moral and physical courage is mandatory and routine.

Real heroes never brag about their bravery or use a citation for bravery for personal gain. Minor nicks, scrapes, bruises and cuts are never recognized by a Purple Heart, regardless of how they were caused in a combat zone.

And real heroes never insinuate that a good deed performed decades earlier means you are a great man who must be trusted and who is supremely capable regardless of the task at hand. This is precisely what John Kerry is doing, of course, and he continues to do it, even though it obviously isn’t working. Most heroes are disgusted by Kerry’s incessant boasting.

But most of all, a real hero never uses his wounds—accidentally self-inflicted via sheer stupidity 15 miles from the nearest combat zone in the case of Max Cleland—to gain a purchase on the tree of pity. And that’s what Mad Max did last week during his transparent publicity stunt at the Bush ranch.

Heroism and military service do not give one a free pass for the rest of their life. What you do after military service—in words and in deeds—is usually just as important as what you did during that service. This is a maxim any forthright military man will tell you is undeniable.

The keyword being forthright.

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Bob Newman, a decorated, retired US Marine, is co-host of "Redmond & Newman http://www.khow.com/hosts/redmond_newman.html on 630 KHOW in Denver. His “Global Positioning Statement,” a daily insider’s update on the war on terror, is carried by various Clear Channel radio stations from coast to coast. A ground-combat veteran, “Gunny Bob” is the director of international security & counterterrorism services for The GeoScope Group and is the military & terrorism columnist for The Denver Daily News.

bobnewman@clearchannel.com