If war is madness, then sometimes the best way to get through it is temporary insanity. Corporal Marco Martinez proved this one day on the edge of an Iraqi town where he was sure he was going to die.
What came next won him the Navy Cross. (You can find the rest of Martinez's story in the Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero.)
"I started sprinting back to a different palm tree some 25 yards away. My back was a bull's-eye. On the way back, I noticed an enemy RPG launcher on the ground. To this day, I can't fully explain what I did next: I snatched up the weapon, even though the motion slowed me down and gave the enemy more time to shoot me."
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Thursday 13 December
By Daniel J Ryan
Way to go Crpl. Martinez. We need to let our soldiers do more of that kind of fighting. Maybe the enemy might start taking them more seriously instead of using them for target practice.
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Wednesday 19 December
By Stormer
They need to include familiarization with using common enemy weapons, such as the RPG and the AK-47, in basic training.
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Sunday 23 December
By Wakeup Imperialists!
Just why is it that a group of young men who are half trained and scared shitless fighting a massive invasion force of (american) foreign imperialists are considered 'terrorists'??? Weren't young american men half trained and scared shitless fighting the british imperialists called 'patriots' in the 18th century??? You yanks need to wise up and put down your sheriff badges, you are NOT the world's police force, you are just a bunch of dumbasses fighting for a corrupt government which is trying to secure the worlds remaining oil resources for itself. Oh well, I guess it beats being in a wetback gang in LA even if the pay sucks...
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Monday 31 December
By Mike DG
holy shit. pure halo skills right there.
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Monday 31 December
By Ed
You guys are hard workers wish you good luck
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Friday 04 January
By kathryn d
wow im amazed at what you marines can do. I will most likely never understand or will ever have the experiance to go though and did what you did you truley are a marine, and truly do shine though when you are needed. You are the type of person that makes our country great and what it is today. You, and the others that have accomplisihed such tasks makes everyone proud to call them selves AMERICANS.So stand up proud because you are a hero figure for the american people and many more.This shows that when you think your about to die you can do things that you never thought you whould have been able to do.So i give my respects to you Corpral marco martinez for being a wonderful soilder in a city of coruptivity.
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Monday 07 January
By All of you need a life... and a brain.
Look. It was a stupid idea for us Americans to go in there originally, yes. I hate Bush for it. But, now that we've gone as far as we have, if America just pops and leaves, the Iraqi economy and government will collapse entirely. So I say, yes, America needs to wake up. I also say that the world should support us so we can get out of there faster.
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Monday 07 January
By jim
to Wakeup Imperialists;
Yes, we were a young nation fighting for our own independance from a tyrannical European gov't that still thinks it is the world's police force. My suggestion to you is bring your limey ass over here and I'll kick it out of the country again. Plus, I'll do it for free. You Brits suck.
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Sunday 13 January
By Robert
To Wakeup Imperialists,
I heard the Germans were coming?
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Tuesday 22 January
By Banton
To Wakeup Imperalists, have you ever been to Iraq you British arrogant prick? And those patriots you are referring to sent the Brits back to where they came from.
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Thursday 24 January
By Lancer4321
Interesting article, and I applaud Cpl Martinez's courage. But you have to wonder about the competence of the editor who posted this story about a US Marine with the photograph of two British soldiers. Maybe the editor should try doing just a little bit of research before putting their ignorance on display?
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Friday 25 January
By Becky
WOW! That was something else.
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Sunday 27 January
By Bill Arnold
To : Wakeup Imperialist , American soldiers do not go to other countries to die because they are selfish, but because they are selfless. They sacrifice their lives not to gain territory for an imperialistic country,but to protect the freedom of Americans and to bring freedom to millions of others around the world.
We never take their land or resourses. Instead we help them to have a free nation and throw tons of money at them in the process.
Thank you Cprl.Martinez for your service. And also thanks to all the American and British soldiers.
If you can't stand the truth, you probably don't speak it very often.
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Monday 28 January
By Alfred
Uurah! Semper Fidelis!
To "wake up imperialists":
You have no idea about what real "imperialism" is until you have experienced first hand the imperialism of radical Islam. I would invite you to visit the current centers of that imperialism to speak out against it as "courageously" as you speak out against your misguided notions of American military operations against those radical Islamic imperialists. Before visiting the middle east you might try a few trips to Southern Thailand, Somalia, Kenya, Southern Sudan, and a hundred other killing fields all over the globe where there is no American policy just radical Islamists killing anyone who doesn't agree with them or anyone who stands in their way of establishing a world wide Caliphate peopled only with folks that believe exactly like they do.
BTW Great Britain and the rest of the EU is well on the way to being included into that Caliphate so you had better break out your prayer rug chump or get fitted for a new collarless suit.
Otherwise you had better wake up to another sort of age old religious imperialism that is raising its very brutal and universal head once more.
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Monday 28 January
By psycho
Just try not to crap on yourself kid
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Wednesday 30 January
By BHD
to: "wake up imperialists"
listen you British dumb ass, were not trying to be a police force were just trying to make the world a better place for EVERYONE, and if u cant take that go back to your island or ill kick your ass out!
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Thursday 31 January
By Karl, NZL
to (wind up) Wakeup Imperialists!, just how else are we supposed to get oil from under their desert anyway!!??!!
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Thursday 31 January
By devynn
this is for the british idiot: you're just mad that GB isn't running the world anymore. the british are the ones who led the charge of imperialism in the west. but UNLIKE the british, we're not trying to colonize every single piece of land we step on. we just want freedom for the oppressed. it's easier for us and the world economy if we have more political freedom the world over. and we're the only ones still answering the call of the oppressed. we get in, we get the job done, we got and get on with our lives and the world is better for it. you might want to tell your Queen and Parliment to try it sometime!
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Saturday 02 February
By Wakeup Imperialists!
Just why is it that a group of young men who are half trained and scared shitless fighting a massive invasion force of (american) foreign imperialists are considered 'terrorists'??? Weren't young american men half trained and scared shitless fighting the british imperialists called 'patriots' in the 18th century??? You yanks need to wise up and put down your sheriff badges, you are NOT the world's police force, you are just a bunch of dumbasses fighting for a corrupt government which is trying to secure the worlds remaining oil resources for itself. Oh well, I guess it beats being in a wetback gang in LA even if the pay sucks...
Reply
Wednesday 06 February
By ROD
LISTEN YOU DAM SOB SISTERS WHO DON`T GIVE A DAM ABOUT THEIR COUNTRY, ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS COMPLAIN, SIMPLY
BECAUSE YOU DON`T HAVE ANY GUTS. AMERICA HELPED FRANCE TWICE AND SO DID THE BRITS,AND ALSO RUSS.
YOU CHICKEN SHIT PUNKS IF IT HADN`T BEEN US VETS FROM WW2 YOU WOULDN`T EVER HAVE BEEN BORN. IF YOU DON`T LIKE OUR COUNTRY GET THE HELL OUT CAUSE MAYBE THE GOVERMENT MIGHT PICK YOU ALL UP AND LOAD YOU ON BOATS
AND CALL YOU PEOPLE WITHOUT A COUNTRY AND NEVER LET YOU SET FOOT ON LAND. SCREW YOU AND ALL WHO THINK LIKE YOU.
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