The Marlboro Man--The Iraq War "Poster Boy"

His name is James Blake Miller and he's a twenty-year-old Marine Lance Corporal who paused to smoke a cigarette after some twelve hours of nearly continuous combat. Now, he's a bemused heart-throb of females across the country. Things could be worse.

November 13, 2004

THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ
Marine Whose Photo Lit Up Imaginations Keeps His Cool

By Patrick J. McDonnell, Times Staff Writer

FALLOUJA, Iraq � The Marlboro man is angry: He has a war to fight and he's running out of smokes.

"If you want to write something," he tells an intruding reporter, "tell Marlboro I'm down to four packs and I'm here in Fallouja till who knows when. Maybe they can send some. And they can bring down the price a bit."

Such are the unvarnished sentiments of Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller, 20, a country boy from Kentucky who has been thrust unwittingly and somewhat unwillingly into the role of poster boy for a war on the other side of the world from his home on the farm.

"I just don't understand what all the fuss is about," Miller drawls Friday as he crouches inside an abandoned building with his platoon mates, preparing to fight insurgents holed up in yet another mosque. "I was just smokin' a cigarette and someone takes my picture and it all blows up."

Miller is the young man whose gritty, war-hardened portrait appeared Wednesday in the Los Angeles Times, taken by Luis Sinco, a Times photographer traveling with Miller's unit: Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment.

In the full-frame photo, taken after more than 12 hours of nearly nonstop deadly combat, Miller's camouflage war paint is smudged. He sports a bloody nick on his nose. His helmet and chin strap frame a weary expression that seems to convey the timeless fatigue of battle.

www.latimes.com...

It helps when an image emerges from the war that connects with the public. This one is, in my opinion, not on a par with those that have emerged from past wars, but one cannot always analyze the emotional response of the public. According to Miller, he was just "smoking a cigarette." Now, he's the "Marlboro Man."


[edit on 04/11/14 by GradyPhilpott]

Look into those eyes and you can get an idea of what the "Marlboro Man" has seen.

So where's the Marlboro Girl? Post-combat women are hot!

[edit on 2004/11/13 by wecomeinpeace]

Hell, after twelve hours of having bullets shot at him, he's earned the right to knock off 7 more minutes of his life.

But seriously I think you could filter that pic black and white and
it would look like any other soldier from any war in the past
His/Her mind somewhere between "I,m not really here"
or "This has got to be the best cigarette I have ever had"

geo

Just another picture in a propaganda war.

Grady did you hear his request? He says that all this attention makes no sense but that he wouldnt mind if Marlboro sends him some freebies as the things are way to expensive.


Cute, I smoke so I understand his complaints.

I think he's trying to point out that if I can't get killed in the war I'll wait out the killing from cigarettes.

Don't smoke. Without explanation. Take my word for it.

Yeah where are the pictures of the liberated Iraqis throwing flowers and candy to the Malboro man?

Where are the pictures of the happy children and women.

I always thought it was interesting that people say "Smoking a cigarette takes 7 minutes off your life." Well, DUH!, it takes about 7 minutes to smoke a cigarette...

I am in love! He is gorgeous! Dirt and all.
If i wasnt married i'd give him a welcome home he'd never forget!

Originally posted by marg6043
Yeah where are the pictures of the liberated Iraqis throwing flowers and candy to the Malboro man?

Where are the pictures of the happy children and women.

They were ground up and put into that smoke.

I mean, come on, I know that's what you and Nerdling were thinking

Originally posted by geocom
But seriously I think you could filter that pic black and white and
it would look like any other soldier from any war in the past.

[edit on 2004/11/13 by wecomeinpeace]

Originally posted by dgtempe
I am in love! He is gorgeous! Dirt and all.
If i wasnt married i'd give him a welcome home he'd never forget!

Ain't it the truth...he is quite the dish. (OMG tempe - something we actually agree about)

Something about a dirty guy with soft warm eyes.

Originally posted by Jamuhn
I always thought it was interesting that people say "Smoking a cigarette takes 7 minutes off your life." Well, DUH!, it takes about 7 minutes to smoke a cigarette...

We finally agree on something!

AAFES Screwing Troops?
AAFES is suppose to help the troops, not screw them. Yet, we at SFTT, are receiving more and more traffic from warriors around the globe of price gouging such as gas is cheaper off post and shelf items at the PX/BX are second rate and can be found at much cheaper prices out the front gate. Sound off Thx, Hack

www.hackworth.com...

Originally posted by Nerdling
Just another picture in a propaganda war.

Yeah.

Too bad there weren't any propaganda photos from your boy's war, but Clinton allowing the Euro's to have our planes drop bombs from planes at reckless heights in order to force a sovereign nation to give up its land to the Muslims is one that can be spun by word or photo, huh?

Originally posted by Bleys

Originally posted by dgtempe
I am in love! He is gorgeous! Dirt and all.
If i wasnt married i'd give him a welcome home he'd never forget!

Ain't it the truth...he is quite the dish. (OMG tempe - something we actually agree about)

Something about a dirty guy with soft warm eyes.

Bleys, someone is using your pc and impersonating you Wonders never cease
He is a hunk. Its nice to agree once in awhile

Your ignorance and poor taste are showing wegottopieces. Anyone who served in that era would neve be fooled by that picture, which by the way is copyrighted. I really feel sorry for the likes of you and Nerdling. Cowardice is a terrible condition for which there is only one cure.

Nice. But dude...WTF are you going on about? I'm not trying to fool anyone at all. It was a blatantly obvious Photoshop mock-up, and merely a response to geocom's post about the similarities between soldiers in wars over the time. No offence was intended. If you can explain to me in polite terms why the pic is offensive, I'll be happy to take it down.

OK...Folks...look...

He is a Marine...and he is from Kentucky ( just like me ), we pretty much don't look for fame, we just look to get the job done, and get home...

He isn't looking for anything but getting the job done, and getting home to see his folks...

I personally think, we should send him some cigs, he said he was running out, and pray that he and all the others get home safely...

Just my opinion...