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I've never been to Iraq, but I would guess stories like this happen quite frequently over there. It's too bad media outlets won't report them unless their own staff is in the "hero" role. A writer for Time magazine tossed a hand grenade out of the Humvee he was in, losing his hand and saving American soldiers' lives.

Writers like Rich Lowry have frequently pointed out tales of bravery in Iraq that the rest of the media have ignored. But this story -- one of survival as much as bravery, because if the writer hadn't thrown the grenade away he'd have likely died -- hits the cover of one of the nation's biggest news weeklies. Soldiers who go above and beyond the call of duty, probably including some who suffer even worse injuries, go unnoticed.

I should note that the reporter was assigned the story of "Person of the Year," the American soldier. But I think that actually furthers the point. Soldiers as a whole get a Time cover, and one reporter gets the same coverage.

Of course, there are some reporters who'd have taken the "stay out of the story" journalism school lesson too far and bitten the dust. For this, Weisskopf should be commended. But let's not act like this sort of behavior is out of the ordinary in a dangerous land where thousands of U.S. soldiers are stationed.

The whole thing reminds me of an Everybody Loves Raymond episode, where Raymond (a sportswriter) goes on a ride-along with his brother Robert (a police officer). Robert risks his life to stop a holdup, and Ray calls the story in to his publication, Newsday. The next morning, the headline is something to the effect that "Newsday's own Ray Barone survives stickup attempt." His brother's name isn't even mentioned.

Robert VerBruggen blogs at http://robertsrationale.blogspot.com.

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