Thanks and Praise
Michael Yon’s Iraqi Iwo Jima shot, Muslims and Christians replacing the cross on top of St. John’s in Baghdad.

Jules Crittenden calls the photo above ‘Iraq Iwo’. The well-known photo of the toppling of the statue of Saddam has been cited as THE photo from this battle in the Global War on Terrorism. Crittenden points out that photo is about tearing down the old regime. The photo above by Yon is about building, working together to restore civility. Its about hope for a new future.

From Michael Yon

I photographed men and women, both Christians and Muslims, placing a cross atop the St. John’s Church in Baghdad. They had taken the cross from storage and a man washed it before carrying it up to the dome.

A Muslim man had invited the American soldiers from “Chosen” Company 2-12 Cavalry to the church, where I videotaped as Muslims and Christians worked and rejoiced at the reopening of St John’s, an occasion all viewed as a sign of hope.

The Iraqis asked me to convey a message of thanks to the American people. ” Thank you, thank you,” the people were saying. One man said, “Thank you for peace.” Another man, a Muslim, said “All the people, all the people in Iraq, Muslim and Christian, is brother.” The men and women were holding bells, and for the first time in memory freedom rang over the ravaged land between two rivers.

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