“An Ambush and a Comrade Lost”- Reaction Piece
January 27, 2012 Leave a comment
The New York Times piece “An Ambush and a Comrade Lost” gives us the story of a U.S. army platoon on patrol in Afganistan, and how a routine walkthrough in a familiar area can turn deadly in just seconds.
In war, there is never a moment to let your guard down- soldiers must be on full alert at all times, regardless of how secure they feel or how safe an area may be. In this piece we are shown the consequences of letting your guard down, even for an instant, when you are in the enemy’s territory.
The platoon is crossing a river on a thin, makeshift bridge in a known Taliban area that they have secured several times before. Rain from the night before has made the river flow at a torrential pace, and one misstep could cause disaster. However, it would not be the river that would cause the tragedy on this day.
The way the New York Times tells this story- through a video slideshow with the live audio of the bomb’s explosion and subsequent gunfire- gives the viewer a visceral feel that makes you feel as if you were right next to the soldiers. The pictures from both before and after this battle show us how quickly an event can turn ugly, as well as the lasting effects that it can have on the soldiers who just lost a close friend.
While a print story may be able to portray an incident like this effectively, the natural sound of the event itself, combined with the voices from soldiers who were there, makes this a very emotional piece about the human element in war.
mattmasterson 