Scott Thomas Beauchamp is at the center of one of those phony, anti-American military stories which have emerged in the MSM since the war began. For anyone unfamiliar, Beauchamp wrote for The New Republic's blog and posted some lurid stories of war crimes committed by members of his unit - the sort of stories the MSM and the left just eats up, no questions asked. As it turned out, Beauchamp's stories were bogus - once again, someone was willing to feed the MSM what it wanted to hear, and the MSM didn't even bother to check the veracity of the story because it fit the MSM template for American military actions. There are two wrongs here - Beauchamp making up stories, but also an MSM which (and a political left) which uncritically broadcasts atrocity stories about US troops.
The New Republic will weather the storm and essentially try to go forward as if nothing happened - much the same way that The New York Times and Dan Rather have tried to brazen out their bald faced lies. But what of Beauchamp? Well, some were calling for him to be severely punished - and they had a strong case: what Beauchamp wrote was grist for the enemy propaganda mill and by encouraging the enemy to fight, it is almost certain that some people will die in part because of what Beauchamp wrote. But to err is all too human, to forgive is divine - especially when one is forgiving someone who is making amends, as Michael Yon points out:
I was at a reconciliation meeting between Sunni and Shia in the West Rashid district of Baghdad on 24 October, and it happened by complete coincidence that I was with Beauchamp’s battalion. In fact, I was with his old company commander for much of the day, although I had no idea for most of it that I was with Beauchamp’s old company commander.At the reconciliation meeting, Beauchamp’s battalion commander, LTC George Glaze, politely introduced himself and asked who I wrote for. When I replied that I just have a little blog, the word caught his ears and he mentioned Beauchamp, who I acknowledged having heard something about. LTC Glaze seemed protective of Beauchamp, despite how the young soldier had maligned his fellow soldiers. In fact, the commander said Beauchamp, having learned his lesson, was given the chance to leave or stay.
It can be pretty tough over here. The soldiers in Beauchamp’s unit have seen a lot of combat. Often times soldiers are working in long stretches of urban guerrilla combat dogged by fatigue and sleep deprivation. This is likely one of the most stressful jobs in the world, especially when millions of people are screaming at you for failures that happened three years or more ago, and for decisions to invade Iraq that were made when you were still a teenager. Just as bad is the silence from the untold millions who have already written off your effort as hopeless. Add that to the fact that buddies are getting killed in front of you. (More than 70 killed in Beauchamp’s brigade.) I see what these young men and women go through, and the extraordinary professionalism they nearly always manage to exude awes me on a daily basis.
Lapses of judgment are bound to happen, and accountability is critical, but that’s not the same thing as pulling out the hanging rope every time a soldier makes a mistake.
Beauchamp is young; under pressure he made a dumb mistake. In fact, he has not always been an ideal soldier. But to his credit, the young soldier decided to stay, and he is serving tonight in a dangerous part of Baghdad. He might well be seriously injured or killed here, and he knows it. He could have quit, but he did not. He faced his peers. I can only imagine the cold shoulders, and worse, he must have gotten. He could have left the unit, but LTC Glaze told me that Beauchamp wanted to stay and make it right. Whatever price he has to pay, he is paying it.
For my part, Beauchamp is ok - God bless him and his fellow soldiers, and I hope they all come home soon and safe.
And as for Michael Yon - you know, he's out there on his own, getting the truth for us. Perhaps you could help him out?
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