Michael Yon is getting what he deserves this week. Respect and admiration from Capitol Hill to Hollywood and beyond.
Earlier this week, he met Bruce Willis who was visting the men from Deuce Four, the unit Michael was embedded with in Mosul. Willis read about the Deuce Four just like you and I did, through Michael’s incredibly gripping, first hand reporting. He showed up at their annual ball and gave an incredible speech according to Michael. It is great to hear of a leading man in Hollywood who appreciates those who serve and sacrifice so much.
Michael left Washington state for a speaking appearence in Boston where I had the distinct honor of spending a few hours with him. Having only spoken to Michael from Iraq via Pundit Review Radio, it was a real pleasure to meet him in person.
He left Boston and headed to Washington DC where his vivid writing and photography of our heroes in action were being discussed in a Senate committee.
Senators will be reading my dispatches and showing some photographs I took in Iraq. I am honored that my work will be used to demonstrate the progress our soldiers are making in helping Iraq secure and maintain its freedom.
And his incredible reporting is being praised around the world. I found this excellent profile of Michael written by a South African journalist.
Ideology and US political styling do not play a role in Yon’s work; the point is a first person account of what’s happening, echoing the ideals of New Journalists like Hunter S. Thompson and Marc Jacobson and perhaps hails a new form of New Journalism.
Above and beyond what Yon’s doing, it’s how he’s doing it. His is an example of how one man can harness the web to tell a story and get the world far closer to the truth than a dozen mainstream media outlets combined.
One other thing he deserves is our support. If you can afford to, please consider supporting him via the Support The Next Dispatch button on his blog.