Major Douglas A. Zembiec

A tribute to a fallen warrior.

Now there’s something you just don’t see every day — much to the shame of the American lamestream media. Kudos to the writer (Dan Morse) and his employer (the Washingon Post).

The lead:

The turnout seemed entirely fitting for a Marine who was described — with little apparent hyperbole — as the toughest guy in the house. More than 1,000 mourners, from generals to civilians, packed the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis yesterday to honor Maj. Douglas A. Zembiec, who was killed last week outside Baghdad.

Five hours later, after the sound of taps had faded over his coffin at Arlington National Cemetery, came what Zembiec, 34, might have considered the finest tribute of all.

About 40 enlisted men gathered under a tree, telling stories about their former commander. Some had flown in from as far away as California, prompting one officer to observe: Your men have to follow your orders; they don’t have to go to your funeral.

The men knew firsthand how Zembiec, who lived outside Annapolis, had come to be known as the Lion of Fallujah.

This story, read aloud by a close friend (Eric L. Kapitulik), says it all:

While Zembiec was stationed at Camp Pendleton after the Fallujah campaign, his parents visited. Zembiec and his father, Don, drove onto the base to shoot skeet and were stopped at the gate by a young Marine. Are you Captain Zembiec’s father? the Marine asked. Yes, his father said.

"I was with your son in Fallujah,” the Marine said. “He was my company commander. If we had to go back in there, I would follow him with a spoon."

"I would follow him with a spoon."

Sounds like a great epitaph for an American hero.

Don’t you wish we saw more of this in our lamestream media? Wouldn’t it be more interesting to read more stories like this, and read less mindless adoration of Reid, Pelosi, Kennedy, Byrd, etc. — and less equally mindless bashing of Bush?