Rest in Peace, 1LT Travis Manion

These men - and there are thousands of them like Travis Manion - are truly the best of the very best.

"When we first arrived in Iraq, one of the other Military Transition Teams in the city had a member killed. Our team was obviously affected, and we conducted a team meeting after his memorial service," wrote Kubicki. "Travis spoke at length, easing the minds of many team members. He was very proud of being a warrior, and the warrior spirit. I remember him saying that it would dishonor a man as a warrior if you did not continue the fight, despite the pain and loss. We have turned back to his words to help us through this time."

Despite the dangerous, difficult work, Manion later made plans to join his old Recon unit and continue working in Fallujah past his MiTT rotation. He believed in his Marines and mission. I wish he could have lived to see Fallujah now - a newly hopeful city, pacified to no small extent by the efforts of the Iraqi Army and their American advisors.

We had a brief acquaintance, but I was specifically inspired by Travis Manion when we met that chilly evening in January. Here was a young man - ridiculously athletic, smart and good-looking - who could have enjoyed a life of ease with the world at his feet, yet instead chose one of the most difficult paths imaginable. His subsequent actions and ultimate passing have inspired me even more, and continue to inspire others.

"Let all know too, we shall fight on, insh'allah (as God wills), as Mulazam Manion would want, and would do," said Col. Garza.

I pray to God that we honor their sacrifice and their memory with all of the perseverance, discipline and courage that it takes to ultimately succeed against the Islamic Extremists... wherever they may be.

Also, welcome home from Afghanistan Sgt. Sam DelGrande! I hope you thoroughly enjoy your leave, and that the rest of your deployment is safe, successful and rewarding. Thank you, and your men, for your service. God bless, and God speed.

And here's some positive news that the MSM won't be sharing any time soon. Michael Totten is doing an outstanding job covering the war in Iraq. Here's one of his recent postings called Anbar Awakens Part II: Hell is Over:

Ramadi has changed so drastically from the terrorist-infested pit that it was as recently as April 2007 that I could hardly believe what I saw was real. The sheer joy on the faces of these Iraqis was unmistakable. They weren’t sullen in the least, and it was pretty obvious that they were not just pretending to be friendly or going through the hospitality motions.

You'll find more military journalists in the sidebar on the left. Real reporting that you won't find on CNN or any of the major networks. Check it out.