Michael Yon has made a lot of claims of feats and fame, but fear hasn't been something he's readily admitted. He claims to have been one of "the youngest green berets" ever minted without explaining why he left the military at the rank of E5, which is unheard of in the Special Forces world. He has admitted to having killed a man in a bar with his bare hands, without explaining how the court dismissed the case.
But his nemesis is a man he calls a "fobbit" and "crazy." That man is MSG CJ Grisham, who has been bold enough to admit that he fights PTSD. CJ has documented his struggles, not so the world around him will feel pity, but to encourage other Troops struggling with it to accept the help that is available. CJ readily tells the world he doesn't want pity.
Yon, so distorts the picture of "his fears" that one of his fans alerted the Secret Service. The fan thought the threat was to the President, not some low-level yapper "reporting" from the confines of a FOB in Afghanistan. But what was the threat that scares Yon so much?
“I want to rip his head off and piss down his windpipe!” CJ Grisham in response to a verbally graphic description by Yon of a Soldier's death.
Such a statement would likely shock a civilian, as it is designed to do, but be remembered by every Soldier that ever went through Basic Training. To date, no basic trainee's neck has literally been ripped off, nor necks pissed down, nor have any of the more nasty threats normally associated with this line been executed. Why? Because the "threat" represents hyperbole, and a sense of disgust fully appreciated by the Drill Sergeant and the Basic Trainee that hears it. And drill sergeants don't say it as if it's a mere desire, but that it is an event that will happen.
In reading Yon's account, some came to the conclusion that CJ had raped Iraqis, murdered Iraqis, or threatened the President. CJ has done none of those things, but one of Yon's readers alerted the Secret Service in response.
Yon went through basic training, though he doesn't seem to have learned much there. In other words, Yon knows this is not a threat to his life. But Yon is a "green beret," a green wooly hat, according to his story and he has criticized CJ as being a "fobbit" though the record shows CJ has been in combat more than Yon has taken pictures of it.
Does the "green beret" Yon really fear death from the "fobbit" CJ? No. Yon may be afraid to go outside the wire or he may fear that his paypal account will dry up, but he's not really afraid of CJ becoming violent. He may be afraid that CJ will provide the final nail in his coffin of his embedding career, and more importantly his paypal donations, but if you believe any account from Yon, of his exploits, you can not realistically believe he fears "some fobbit" many miles away from him. This is just more drama from the drama queen.
CJ's pen is mightier than his sword. And CJ has demonstrated Yon's OPSEC violations. In response, Yon has a long history of attempting to get CJ thrown out of the Military.
Am I a member of the "CJ cult?" No, but I do have respect for a Warrior, who has gone through the trials of combat (unlike Yon), the trials of PTSD, and provided the example to his Troops of how to deal with these things. I have however, been banned by Yon, from providing any alternate side of any story. Yon may complain about censorship, but the record shows Yon's very prolific with it. CJ and I don't always agree, but when we don't, we disagree in a mature manner and discuss the issues as adults.
The Tarnak Saga:
1) The Bridge Over the River Tarnak Looking at Fact and Fiction of the incident
2) From Tarnak Bridge to Bruhaha Looking at Yon's obsession for Menard
3) The Tarnak Scalp That Wasn't Looking at Yon's claims of scalping Menard
4) The Yon Conspiracy Over Tarnak: Looking at Yon's Conspiracy Theory Origins
Deviant Behavior
1) Yon OPSEC Violations: It can't be more blatant but some are in disbelief
2) Yon Publicizes Video of American Soldier Losing Legs.
3) Banned By Yon!
4) Yon's Attack on PTSD as insanity
5) The Banning of an Angel
More Links (and far from comprehensive but I may add to the list as I can):
Bouhammer Insanity Defense?: http://www.bouhammer.com/2010/06/micheal-yon-has-lost-his-marbles-and-is-an-oxygen-thief/ (When Troy went from supporter to un-endorsing him.)
Yon FB archive: http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=207730000664&share_id=118317618212252&comments=1#!/posted.php?id=207730000664&start=1770
Yon Archives on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=207730000664&start=2340
TCO: Insanity Defense?: http://tcoverride.blogspot.com/2010/04/mike-yon-has-gone-nanners.html
The Yon Defense: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/06/michael-yons-war/57483/ (A fan in the media interviews Yon and a PAO corrects the record in comments.)
The Menard Dismissal: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/afghanmission/article/816654--grounding-a-rising-military-star 31 May 2010
The unloaded weapons response: http://www.villainouscompany.com/vcblog/archives/2010/05/the_credibility.html May 2010
UJ on ROE (Official v. Lower misinterpretation): <iframe title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DUxnhr7cfOM" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>
!Yon/Tillman! USNI: http://blog.usni.org/2010/04/19/one-voice-is-a-heads-up-many-voices-are/comment-page-1/#comment-223039 (The US Naval Institute notes that many Veterans are concerned for Yon's new "style.")
The Non-Captain's Journal Defends Yon: http://www.captainsjournal.com/2010/04/19/in-defense-of-michael-yon-an-open-letter-to-milbloggers/ (One of two "Milbloggers" Yon endorses. The author is not a captain as his site name implies, but also points out Military vulnerabilities, notably the reliance on Pakistani logistics routes, for months preceding the attacks on those routes.)
Yon Interview: http://www.warisboring.com/2010/07/01/war-blogger-michael-yon-speaks-out/
In Response to War Porn: http://www.soldiersperspective.us/2011/02/12/logic-disconnect/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=logic-disconnect
Wrong on Menard: http://assolutatranquillita.blogspot.com/2010/04/to-michael-yon-thank-you.html
The Disembed: http://sjponeill.wordpress.com/2010/04/16/three-strikes/
Canadian Response: http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=92407.0
Der Spiegel: hthttp://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,690526-2,00.html
Lawsuit!: http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/0410/Military_blogger_Yon_threatens_to_sue_McChrystal.html
Canadian Response to Bridge Allegations: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Military%20rebuffs%20call%20general%20fired/2636068/story.html
UK Takes over RC-South: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/DefencePolicyAndBusiness/UkTakesOverIsafsRegionalCommandSouth.htm