Patterico's Pontifications

12/10/2006

Maj. McClung’s Father Writes

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 9:48 am



After publishing my post about the death of Ramadi press officer Maj. Megan McClung, I learned to my dismay that I had inadvertently violated a military rule in releasing the information as early as I did. (I discuss how this happened in an update to that earlier post.)

To my great relief, I have since learned from Maj. McClung’s father that no harm was done. He gave me permission to reprint his e-mail:

Patterico,

While you did violate the 24 hour rule, no harm was done as the Marines had already been here. Meg thought you did good work and had forwarded some of your articles to me. God bless you.

I am relieved to know this, and I thank him very much for writing.

I especially appreciate his sharing his daughter’s statements about my work on the Ramadi airstrike story. I was touched to learn that she had enjoyed my posts enough to forward them to her dad.

I told him that, if the family agrees, at some point in the future I’d like to do a post that tells readers a little more about her. He said he was going to discuss matters like that with HQMC PAO, and would let me know what comes out of those discussions.

Deepest condolences to the family.

71 Responses to “Maj. McClung’s Father Writes”

  1. Not surprising that such a daughter should come of such a father, taking time in his grief to write you, Pat.

    There are some testimonials to the young lady from her colleagues over at PW.

    Dan Collins (57d0a9)

  2. What a quality guy to think of how you might feel so soon after losing his daughter Meg. May God bless Megan McClung and her family. They are special people.

    DRJ (a41dd4)

  3. May GOD bless Maj. McClung and comfort her family.

    It’s a relief to know that her family already had the tragic news. Thank you.

    Randy (b505d9)

  4. It is an unmitigated tragedy, that good people are sacrificed for our bureaucrat’s political interests. Once the ruins of the Iraq civil war stop smoldering, and the history books tally up the loss of life and economic ruin the invasion/occupation caused, I hope people will remember that while the soldier’s died for nothing, they themselves were noble and much more worthy than the slime that sacrificed them like pawns.

    Never Forget (38ff57)

  5. Based upon her father’s graciousness it is easy to see why Maj. McClung was so good at what she did and such a great asset to our military. A clear case where the apple did not fall far from the tree.

    JVW (255a81)

  6. . . .soldier’s died for nothing. . .

    Thansk for crapping all over the moment, Never Forget. Bitter tools like you bring nothing to the debate.

    JVW (255a81)

  7. I’m so sorry she is gone. NF, although I agree with you, please leave the point-making to another thread.

    TCO (343f4f)

  8. There’s a lot of information to share once the official announcement of her death is made. Which will likely be Monday morning.

    steve (c4ca68)

  9. #3

    You unconscionable varlet. This is not the time nor place for you to grind your mendacious, political axe.

    feh.

    Darleen (543cb7)

  10. steve,

    There’s a lot of information to share once the official announcement of her death is made. Which will likely be Monday morning.

    What does that mean, exactly?

    Patterico (de0616)

  11. It means circumstances of December 6th events can and should be held until then.

    There’s a blog suggesting she was doing your bidding.

    http://newsbusters.org/node/9516

    steve (96798b)

  12. Without any basis. I have a feeling they misread my post, and saw the “our story” quote from Badger 6 as having been my quote.

    Patterico (de0616)

  13. In other words, Newsbusters had no source for the information other than my blog, and my blog didn’t say that.

    Patterico (de0616)

  14. Steve,

    Each military man and woman in Iraq, Afghanistan, and anywhere in the world (including those here at home in the US) put their lives on the line to protect us. Whatever Maj. McClung was doing when she died, she was doing it for all of us.

    DRJ (a41dd4)

  15. Do you *want* to believe this was somehow my fault, steve?

    Patterico (de0616)

  16. Oh, please. This is a tragedy. This Marine was doing a tremendous service and her sacrifice was the point of your post. Full stop.

    That well-known blogs like Newsbusters and Proteinwisdom took the inadvertant KIA release and made incorrect assumptions about the circumstances should be ample proof that the DoD protocols are well-grounded.

    steve (96798b)

  17. Our loss of Maj. McClung is tragic. I mourn her and thank her for her freely-given service.

    Her life should not be accounted as the cost of the war, but rather as illuminating the sacred pricelessness of our liberty.

    refugee (38e64a)

  18. @darleen:
    i’m an unconscionable varlet too!

    assistant devil's advocate (f2b209)

  19. Hey Steve, the Major had been talking to P regarding some bad info about several different people in Iraq. He was giving respect to the Major for her service, so don’t read more into the words than are there.

    gypsy (dbc1c6)

  20. Maj. McClung’s father is an honorable and noble man. Enormous sympathy to him and his family.

    So long, Major, and God speed.

    With our humble thanks.

    rightisright (2cbc9b)

  21. Semper Paratus, Major…..from a Coastie…..

    With your background and heritage you will travel well the fields of the next life…and, you provide the picture of courage, dedication and enlightenment in the face of an enemy who knows no such things!

    Duke DeLand, BC-MSN, Ret.

    Duke DeLand (a222aa)

  22. Maj. McClung worked with — and died with — another top soldier (used in the generic sense, as she was a Marine) named Capt. Travis Patriquin. I worked with both and mourn them both. My blog on them is here:

    http://www.fumento.com/weblog/archives/2006/12/maj_megan_mcclu.html

    Semper Fi, Megan!
    Airborne all the way, Travis!

    Michael Fumento (2a4c66)

  23. Mr. Fumento, I read your fitting and lovely tribute to Maj. McClung and Capt. Patriquin, and have recommended it to others for their reading.

    I want to add my sincere condolences to those that have already been expressed — both to the McClung family and the Patriquin family as well.

    Ann (b8ea7e)

  24. “neverforget” post …”died for nothing”

    Aside from the obvious callousness of the remark,leaders who are faced with an issue of Grand Canyon proportions, must first answer the question – “do we deal with this sooner or later?”

    That errors have been made in both Iraq and Afghanistan is not in dispute. However, in the larger picture, this must be viewed as an acceptable price when freedom is at stake. When we, as the planet’s leading and most powerful democracy, no longer have the willingness to risk and accept sacrifices both in human and material terms, that which we hold dear will ultimately be lost.

    This war is not about Iraq, Afghanistan, or Israel/Palestine. It is about Islamic fascism and its goal of achieving dominion over the world. If the West fails to nip this movement in-the-bud, the jihadists will pick-up right where they left-off on Sepptember 11, 1683.

    In our time, the last leader to face the “sooner or later” conundrum was FDR. Despite numerous prescient warnings from Winston Churchill in the early 1930’s about the mortal threat posed by Herr Hitler and his fascist thugs, Roosevelt’s answer was “later”.

    How many of the more than 50 million lives lost during WWII would have been saved if FDR had summoned the political courage to say “sooner?”

    This should be one of history’s “never forget” lessons.

    OHara

    John Geheran (01aaa6)

  25. P2:

    Have you found out what it was that she was doing when she was killed?

    Any insinuation that YOU or Badger 6 are somehow responsible for her death – even in the slim chance that she was investigating on your behalf – is total bullshit. Don’t let anyone lay that trip on you.

    She was an adult and a Marine and she was doing her job. The people DIRECTLY responsible are her asassins in Ramadi.

    In a larger sense George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and their right-wing supporters are responsible.

    Her life was wasted in the course of performing a pointless task in a pointless war that has been lost for a long time.

    The Liberal Avenger (c93dac)

  26. I’d really appreciate it if you folks would save such sentiments for another time and place.

    Patterico (de0616)

  27. Well – strike the second half of my comment, then.

    It angers me that anyone is suggesting that you played a role in this, however.

    Crass, mean-spirited, inappropriate and frankly wrong.

    The Liberal Avenger (c93dac)

  28. I understand the OC Register and Fox News are preparing profiles of Maj. McClung to run shortly. She was the public affairs officer for the Army’s 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division operating in Ramadi. The Marine Corps Public Affairs office says she was killed when her HMMWV struck an improvised explosive device after escorting a FOX News crew to the Governance Center, and a Newsweek reporter to a Coalition outpost in the city, December 6, 2006.

    CNN today ran her story and her picture, today:

    “The Marines today announced the death of the first woman officer in their ranks to be killed in Iraq. She’s public affairs officer, Major Megan McClung of California.

    Major McClung was the go-to contact for all the media, stationed in the hot zone of Ramadi, west of Baghdad.. always considered tough but fair. She was due to leave Iraq and come back to the U-S next month.

    Maj. McClung was a 1995 Naval Academy graduate and avid runner who organized the Marine Marathon in Iraq, where she finished second just eight weeks ago.

    She died last Wednesday while escorting members of the media through the heart of Ramadi– when an improvised explosive device detonated as her Humvee was passing by.

    Our deepest sympathies to Megan McClung’s family and to her Marine family.”

    Arrangements are still being made for Maj. McClung’s funeral but they believe it will be at Arlington. There will be a Memorial Service for her in Iraq in the coming days.

    I appreciate Patterico may choose to delete the above for lack of a link. It was a tragic and deeply felt loss for her friends in the Marathon, the USNA, the media and especially, the Corps.

    steve (e55890)

  29. In a larger sense George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and their right-wing supporters are responsible

    I wish I had a peach tree, because think there’d be a nice flexible branch with your name on it and I’d be happy to introduce you to it behind the woodshed.

    Darleen (543cb7)

  30. Thanks, Darleen. I’m sure that would help stem the pointless violence in Iraq and keep other brave men and women like Megan McClung safe in the days ahead.

    The Liberal Avenger (c93dac)

  31. Liberal Avenger,

    There is a chance – however remote you may view it – that Maj. McClung believed in what she was doing in Iraq and the government that sent her there. Unless you are sure that Maj. McClung did not support President Bush and the War in Iraq, I think you should refrain from blaming her death on anyone other than the people who planted the IED that killed her.

    DRJ (6dbcaa)

  32. LA

    You gave up any credibility that you give two hoots about Maj McClung when you decided to attempt to score political points off her body.

    Cindy Sheehan would be proud of you.

    I find you contemptible.

    Darleen (543cb7)

  33. To the family of Major Megan McClung, USMC, we offer our sincere condolences on the loss of their daughter. We are so grateful for her service and her sacrifice, and wish them peace in the difficult days ahead. In the spirit of all that she represented as a Marine, Semper Fi Major McClung, Semper Fi!

    Steve Stronge (76184d)

  34. I don’t claim to speak for her – nor am I trying to score political points.

    Is her death not a waste?

    Are we any closer to victory in Iraq as a result of her death? Has her death made a difference in the Global War on Terror?

    For all intents and purposes we can refer to her as “wasted life #3000” in Iraq. There’s nothing political about feeling anger and grief over the continued pointless losses of life.

    Every compassionate person should look at McClung’s death and feel anger that it happened and wonder what can and should be done to prevent this from happening to the next American in the crosshairs.

    Our men and women in uniform shouldn’t be treated like fodder. In the context of the abject disaster that Iraq has become, every one of them puts themselves at risk every moment to what avail? As we approach Year 4 of this misadventure the answer should be abundantly clear to all but the most deluded. Let’s not pretend that the situation is any different than it is.

    The Liberal Avenger (c93dac)

  35. I appreciate Patterico may choose to delete the above for lack of a link.

    Not at all. Thanks for the info.

    Patterico (de0616)

  36. Liberal Avenger, it’s not the time or the place. This is the last time I’ll say it.

    Patterico (de0616)

  37. To the rest of you, I’ll add that LA can hold such views sincerely and not necessarily mean it as a cheap political statement.

    I continue to maintain that it’s just not the right time or place for such sentiments, however sincerely held they might be.

    Patterico (de0616)

  38. Our troops are fighting and dying for us.

    To say they are fighting and dying for nothing means that you view yourself as worthless.

    Me, I’m not worthless, but I’ll take your word that you are. You know yourself better than I do.

    Tom W. (cc8e83)

  39. Any more comments along the lines of what Liberal Avenger posted will be unceremoniously deleted.

    Patterico (de0616)

  40. Liberal Avenger–

    OK, you think Megan McClung was nothing more than cannon fodder in service to Bushitler’s war machine.

    Hey friend, what do you think of that draft-dodging coward Willy Jefferson Clinton spying on Princess Di? I guess Princess Di was a higher security risk than Osama bin Ladin back in the 1990’s before Americans experienced their second Pearl Harbor, thanks to draft-dodger Willie’s screwed up priorities!

    Mescalero (6b3828)

  41. And you know what? Saying this:

    Her life was wasted in the course of performing a pointless task in a pointless war that has been lost for a long time.

    Is just crass and utterly tasteless in this context, no matter what you believe.

    The Internet is a nice place for people to pop off with crap that would get them punched in the mouth if they said it in person. I watched with dismay on Hot Air as a thread about a man who died trying to get help for his family in Oregon turned into a thread about how stupid he was to try. I watched as a thread in which a blogger threatened suicide turned into a series of taunts — taunts that continued even after he carried out the threat and lay dead.

    This is a thread about someone who worked on behalf of our country and died working at a job that, based on what I know about her, she believed was meaningful. I am not going to sit here and allow anyone to say that her “life was wasted in the course of performing a pointless task.”

    That is indeed a contemptible statement and I was too nice in responding to it initially.

    Patterico (de0616)

  42. I promised to shut-up so I will.

    The Liberal Avenger (c93dac)

  43. […] Patterico shares his experience working with Maj. McClung and hears from her father. […]

    Right Voices » Blog Archive » In memoriam (1466f5)

  44. Patrick–

    I agree. Megan McClung’s loss was a tragic loss to most Americans, but I wonder if Liberal Avenger has arrived at the same conclusion.

    Mescalero (6b3828)

  45. Your first thought was the right one, Paterrico. Let’s just bless Major MaClung’s memory on this thread. I thought you showed a lot of class when a troll showed up on your post about your father’s one year memorial.

    nk (06f5d0)

  46. Which was, ironically, the same day that Maj. McClung died: December 6.

    Patterico (de0616)

  47. I agree with nk. I don’t want this to be a thread about the Iraq war, pro or con. But there is nothing wrong with saying that Maj. McClung performed a valuable service, and everything wrong with saying something different. So let’s please focus on what’s meaningful and show some class.

    Patterico (de0616)

  48. I absolutely agree that her death is a tragic loss – I believe I made that clear.

    The attempts here to spin her death as anything more than a tragic loss are very upsetting.

    I’m going to go into a self-imposed exile from here for a few days.

    The Liberal Avenger (c93dac)

  49. Well, let’s just can any spin from all sides.

    Discussing the Iraq war, pro or con, in thos thread, is spin.

    But honoring Maj. McClung and what she did as meaningful . . . is not spin.

    Patterico (de0616)

  50. Please delete this if you think that I am violating my self-imposed rule, Patterico. In response to LA:

    During the First World War, the Kaiser called the British “an army of mercenaries”. In response, A.E. Housman wrote this poem which we now could call a “snark” in response:

    Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

    These, in the day when heaven was falling,
    The hour when earth’s foundations fled,
    Followed their mercenary calling,
    And took their wages, and are dead.

    Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
    They stood, and earth’s foundations stay;
    What God abandoned, these defended,
    And saved the sum of things for pay.

    I do not claim that it is appropriate other than by reason of analogy.

    nk (54c569)

  51. Wonderful – a WW1 analogy. Perfect.

    The Liberal Avenger (c93dac)

  52. Yes. I should have shut up, too.

    nk (54c569)

  53. Semper Fi, Major McClung.

    As a fellow WM, I salute you. As a mother, I mourn you. As an American, I thank you.

    Bless your heart, brave girl. God speed.

    tree hugging sister (700823)

  54. Im sure that she has gone to the great Public Relations Office in the sky.

    robby (098ef8)

  55. Maj. McClung, I hope to see you in Heaven; you’ve done a great job protecting us abroad. I hope your family is comforted in knowing that you served this country well.

    Patterico, thanks for the post.

    A Marine wife (b72da4)

  56. I don’t know if Major McClung liked this but it seems appropriate these days.

    Tommy
    by Rudyard Kipling

    I went into a public-‘ouse to get a pint o’ beer,
    The publican ‘e up an’ sez, “We serve no red-coats here.”
    The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,
    I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I:
    O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”;
    But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play,
    The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
    O it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play.

    I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
    They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me;
    They sent me to the gallery or round the music-‘alls,
    But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls!
    For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, wait outside”;
    But it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide,
    The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide,
    O it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide.

    Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep
    Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap;
    An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit
    Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.
    Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, ‘ow’s yer soul?”
    But it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll,
    The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
    O it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll.

    We aren’t no thin red ‘eroes, nor we aren’t no blackguards too,
    But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
    An’ if sometimes our conduck isn’t all your fancy paints,
    Why, single men in barricks don’t grow into plaster saints;
    While it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, fall be’ind”,
    But it’s “Please to walk in front, sir”, when there’s trouble in the wind,
    There’s trouble in the wind, my boys, there’s trouble in the wind,
    O it’s “Please to walk in front, sir”, when there’s trouble in the wind.

    You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools, an’ fires, an’ all:
    We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
    Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
    The Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
    For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”
    But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country” when the guns begin to shoot;
    An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;
    An’ Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool — you bet that Tommy sees!

    God bless her.

    Mike K (416363)

  57. Id like to offer my sincerest gratitude to Megans family for the enormous sacrifice you have made to the betterment of this our nation and for the people all over the world who have benefited from the fine work Megan chose to do, While we have never met I have had the good fortune of having met Megan, she was married to my cousin Rob, We were not close but it weighs heavy on me as I know our grandmother thought very highly of her and were she still with us would have been quite sadenned to learn of her loss.
    My best to you all, you are in my thoughts and my prayers.

    Jay D.

    Jay D (3fd54e)

  58. A few comments… First, Maj Megan McClung was a great American and patriot. Folks really should resist the urge to score political points right now. Secondly, her death was not pointless, as she was a critical link in the efforts to communicate to the world about what’s happening in Iraq. Lastly, as a fellow female Marine officer who had the privilege of working with her in Iraq on a project, I can assure you she died HONORABLY.

    Lieutenant Colonel Tayrn L. Gude (18d6af)

  59. I attended the Naval Academy with Megan. Good kid, it’s no surprise she developed into an outstanding Marine. The world is a lesser place without her.

    My deepest prayers and sympathies are with her family.

    Jon (d098d0)

  60. Mike K, #57:

    Bravo. It’s a very appropriate poem.

    nk (41da82)

  61. The attempts here to spin her death as anything more than a tragic loss are very upsetting.

    Yeah? Well it’s a damn sight better than having your life be a tragic loss.

    Dan Collins (208fbe)

  62. LA,
    A simple question: were the lives lost on June 6, 1944 wasted? At that time they had accomplished little, in the larger view. The war was still raging, the enemy still fighting. Of couse, looking back now,(looking back is always 20/20) no one would say those lives were wasted. What will you say in 10 years about the Major’s life? That’s when the true answer will be known. Not now, not by you, not by anyone.

    Jim Isom (844917)

  63. Megan, may you be in the loving arms of Jesus.

    We’ve never met, but I wept bitterly for you last night.

    I hope I have the pleasure of meeting you in Heaven someday.

    God Bless You, child-of-Christ!!!

    Timothy Jacques
    Bellevue, NE

    Timothy Jacques (b3fed6)

  64. While embedded during the summer of 2006 in Al Anbar, Major McClung was by far the class of all the PAOs in Iraq. She gave us unlimited access and was encouraging and professional. She almost dared the main stream media to go to the places that they covered from the safety of hotel rooms in Baghdad. I greatly admired her dedication and ethics. We are all devastated to hear the news of her passing and extend our prayers of healing to her family.

    David Bellavia (45aabe)

  65. God Speed soldier.

    Thank you.

    Tom Harrester (9d3daa)

  66. I would like to extend my wife’s and my gratitude to every one of the many, many people who have extended their thoughts and prayers. We know that Megan died doing just what she wanted to do and we supported her all the way. It is a shame that I cannot share all of the tributes with each of you, but if I could, you would realize very quickly what a wonderful person Megan was. Her credo as a PAO was: “Be Bold, Be Brief, Be Gone!” She lived her credo to the end.

    Life will proceed and this will soon be behind us, but please, do not forget that there were two soldiers killed with her that day. Let us thank them as well. God bless us all.

    Michael McClung (599259)

  67. […] Maj. McClung’s father has left a comment that you should all read: I would like to extend my wife’s and my gratitude to every one of the many, many people who have extended their thoughts and prayers. We know that Megan died doing just what she wanted to do and we supported her all the way. It is a shame that I cannot share all of the tributes with each of you, but if I could, you would realize very quickly what a wonderful person Megan was. Her credo as a PAO was: “Be Bold, Be Brief, Be Gone!” She lived her credo to the end. […]

    Patterico’s Pontifications » Maj. McClung’s Father Comments (421107)

  68. . . .soldier’s died for nothing. .

    To Never Forget. I think you don’t remember what we are fighting for. It’s poor excuses for a person like you that don’t truly understand the mission. Go back to your coffee bar and get a double mocha with soy and stay out of it. Your type disgusts me while good men and woman fight for your right spit in their face, literally and with this kind of comment. Get on your sorry knees and thank God in Heaven that they stay the mission while your criticize it. Gawd if I weren’t obligated not to do so, I’d kick your ass.

    Beesh, Father of an Army Soldier (7d5583)

  69. A lovely young lady, and a dedicated officer.
    I am so sorry for her loss..please know that
    I mourn with you in that.

    Just a Progressyve... (24084a)


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