James Blake Miller | |
---|---|
Birth name | James Blake Miller |
Nickname(s) | Marlboro Man Marlboro Marine |
Born | Jonancy, Kentucky | July 10, 1984
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Marine Corps |
Years of service | 2001–2005 |
Unit | 8th Marine Regiment |
Battles/wars | Iraq War |
James Blake Miller (born July 10, 1984) is a United States Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War, who fought in the Second Battle of Fallujah and was dubbed the "Marlboro Man" (and the "Marlboro Marine") after an iconic photograph of him with a cigarette was published in newspapers in the United States in 2004. [1] [2] Miller suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after the war. [1]
Miller grew up in Jonancy, Kentucky. [1] Miller's parents' inspiration of his middle name was the show Dynasty , and both grandfathers served in the military with one serving in combat during the Vietnam War. [3] He became an ordained minister. [1] Not interested in working in the coal mines, Miller joined the United States Marine Corps, with the intention of eventually working in law enforcement. [1]
Miller was part of Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, a unit which took part in the Second Battle of Fallujah in November 2004. Los Angeles Times photographer Luis Sinco took a photo of 20-year-old Miller leaning against a wall, smoking a cigarette. In explaining the photograph, Sinco said that "His expression caught my eye. To me, it said: terrified, exhausted, and glad just to be alive. I recognized that look because that's how I felt too." [1]
Sinco's photograph of Miller was published in many newspapers. CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather singled out the photo for its excellence, and turned the then-unidentified Marine into a celebrity. Sinco was told to find the Marine for a follow-up story and tracked down Miller four days later in an auditorium near Fallujah's civic center. Miller was embarrassed about the photo's fame, but shared information with Sinco. The two would remain friends thereafter. [1]
After his identity was made public, people sent him care packages, including many cigarettes; President George W. Bush sent cigars, candy and memorabilia from the White House. The forward command center soon featured a large blowup of the photo. The Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division, Richard F. Natonski, made a special trip to see Miller, to Miller's surprise. The general shook Miller's hand and let him know that, because Americans had "connected" with his photo, and nobody wanted to see him wounded or dead, he was offered a trip home. Miller turned down the offer because he did not want to leave his comrades behind. [1]
The photo was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 2005. [4] The photograph was nominated by Slate in 2011 for a list of "New Classics", products of the culture since 2000 that will withstand the test of time. [5]
After his tour, Miller returned to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. [1] He was married in June 2005. [6] Divorce papers were filed a year later. [7] He was deployed aboard the USS Iwo Jima, to assist recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina. During that period he blacked out during a PTSD episode. [4] In November 2005, Miller was medically discharged from the Marine Corps. [1]
In 2008, Miller was living in his hometown and having difficulty receiving care from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. [4] By 2013, he had reunited with his wife and, with the help of Sinco, has sought psychological help. [8]
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is an iconic photograph of six United States Marines raising the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in the final stages of the Pacific War. The photograph, taken by Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press on February 23, 1945, was first published in Sunday newspapers two days later and reprinted in thousands of publications. It was the only photograph to win the Pulitzer Prize for Photography in the same year as its publication, and was later used for the construction of the Marine Corps War Memorial in 1954, which was dedicated to honor all Marines who died in service since 1775. The memorial, sculpted by Felix de Weldon, is located in Arlington Ridge Park, near the Ord-Weitzel Gate to Arlington National Cemetery and the Netherlands Carillon. The photograph has come to be regarded in the United States as one of the most significant and recognizable images of World War II.
The First Battle of Fallujah, code-named Operation Vigilant Resolve, was an operation against militants in Fallujah as well as an attempt to apprehend or kill the perpetrators of the killing of four U.S. contractors in March 2004.
The Second Battle of Fallujah, codenamed Operation al-Fajr and Operation Phantom Fury, was an American-led offensive of the Iraq War that lasted roughly six weeks, starting 7 November 2004. Marking the highest point of the conflict against the Iraqi insurgency, it was a joint military effort carried out by the United States, the Iraqi Interim Government, and the United Kingdom. Within the city of Fallujah, the coalition was led by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army, the battle was later described as "some of the heaviest urban combat U.S. military have been involved in since the Battle of Huế City in Vietnam in 1968".
3rd Battalion 1st Marines (3/1) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Horno on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Nicknamed the "Thundering Third", the battalion consists of approximately 1,220 Marines and Sailors and falls under the command of the 1st Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.
→
1st Battalion, 25th Marines (1/25) is a reserve infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps located throughout New England and upstate New York and consisting of approximately 850 Marines and Sailors. The battalion falls under the 25th Marine Regiment in the 4th Marine Division.
Bradley Allan Kasal is a United States Marine who received the Navy Cross for heroic actions performed as the first sergeant of Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines during a firefight in Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah, Iraq on November 13, 2004. He received the decoration in May 2006 during a ceremony at Camp Pendleton, followed by his promotion to sergeant major and reenlistment in the U.S. Marine Corps. He retired in 2018 after nearly thirty-four years of service.
Rafael Peralta was a United States Marine killed in combat during the Second Battle of Fallujah during the Iraq War. In September 2008 his family was notified that he was awarded the Navy Cross, the second-highest award a United States Marine can receive. In February 2012, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that a new Arleigh Burke-class destroyer would be named USS Rafael Peralta.
Richard Huck is a retired United States Marine Corps officer. Huck served as Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Division from 2004 until June 16, 2006. Huck is currently serving as Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations, Headquarters Marine Corps.
Ashley Gilbertson is an Australian photographer. He is known for his images of the Iraq War and the effects of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on returning veterans and their families. Gilbertson is a member of VII Photo Agency.
Douglas Alexander Zembiec, nicknamed the "Lion of Fallujah" and also referred to as the "Unapologetic Warrior", was an officer in the United States Marine Corps and member of the CIA's Special Activities Division's Ground Branch who was killed in action while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is best known for his actions during Operation Vigilant Resolve, which were detailed in the book No True Glory by Bing West and for an article that ran in The Wall Street Journal following his death.
Duncan Duane Hunter is an American former politician and United States Marine who served as a U.S. representative for California's 50th congressional district from 2013 to 2020. He is a member of the Republican Party, who was first elected to the House in 2008. His district, numbered as the 52nd from 2009 to 2013, encompassed much of northern and inland San Diego County and a sliver of Riverside County, including the cities of El Cajon, Escondido, San Marcos, Santee and Temecula. He served in the U.S. Marines from 2001 through 2005 and succeeded his father, Republican Duncan Lee Hunter, a member of Congress from 1981 to 2009.
Sergeant Jose Luis Nazario Jr. is the first American to be tried in a civilian court for war crimes which were allegedly committed while he was on active duty. Nazario was charged, under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, with voluntary manslaughter, assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence for his role in the death of four unarmed Iraqis. The Iraqis were killed on November 9, 2004, in Fallujah, Iraq, when Nazario was leading a squad of 13 Marines on house to house searches as part of Operation Phantom Fury, during the Second Battle of Fallujah.
The Anbar campaign consisted of fighting between the United States military, together with Iraqi Government forces, and Sunni insurgents in the western Iraqi governorate of Al Anbar. The Iraq War lasted from 2003 to 2011, but the majority of the fighting and counterinsurgency campaign in Anbar took place between April 2004 and September 2007. Although the fighting initially featured heavy urban warfare primarily between insurgents and U.S. Marines, insurgents in later years focused on ambushing the American and Iraqi security forces with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), large scale attacks on combat outposts, and car bombings. Almost 9,000 Iraqis and 1,335 Americans were killed in the campaign, many in the Euphrates River Valley and the Sunni Triangle around the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi.
Six Days in Fallujah is an upcoming tactical shooter game developed by Highwire Games and published by Victura. The game's plot follows a squad of U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (3/1), fighting in the Second Battle of Fallujah over the span of six days in November 2004.
The Highwaymen Motorcycle Club is a one-percenter outlaw motorcycle club. The club was formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1954. The club has undergone a number of large-scale police and FBI investigations, most notably in 1973, 1987 and 2007. In the early 1970s several members were convicted of bombings and raids of the homes and the clubhouses of rival motorcycle clubs.
Ryan G. Weemer is a Marine Veteran from Hindsboro, Illinois, who was tried in a military court for war crimes that were allegedly committed while he was on active duty during the Iraq War. Weemer was charged with the killing of unarmed Iraqi detainees in the city of Fallujah. His trial began on March 31, 2009, at Camp Pendleton in California. He was acquitted of all charges on April 9, 2009.
Nicholas Allen Popaditch is a medically retired United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who gained fame as the "Cigar Marine", recipient of the Silver Star and Purple Heart. He ran unsuccessfully as the 2010 Republican candidate for California's 51st congressional district, losing to incumbent Democrat Bob Filner. He ran again in 2012 in the 53rd congressional district, losing to incumbent Democrat Susan Davis.
Rick Loomis is an American photojournalist, documentary filmmaker and producer based in Los Angeles, California. Loomis won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting in 2007.
Sean Andrew Stokes was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Silver Star for actions while serving with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines during the Second Battle of Fallujah.