Caught in his own lie, Mike Yon retreats to Thailand to play CDC expert
There are only two folks that I look on now and am like “Why didn’t I see the clues that dude was a huge bag of steamed dicks?” Charles Johnson at LGF, and Mike Yon. And to be honest, there’s nothing finer than watching them completely implode.
If you haven’t read the Professional Soldier’s thread where Yon retreats when a guy shows up with facts about how Yon was escorted off the SF FOB for opsec violations, it is a thing of beauty.
I was the Team Sergeant of the ODA on FOB GABE during that time frame. You asked one of my guys to talk to me and I met you in our main living area. You told me that you were in Iraq independently as an author and told be about your previous book. You asked a couple of questions about what we were doing (as had other reporters) and I deferred you to our PAO located in Mosul at the time. You pressed on with your questioning, even suggesting that I/we could benefit in the long run from the association. I interpreted this as being beneficial to your writing and a breach of OPSEC and became rather short with you. Our dog, “Sheik,” sensed my anger and bit you on the back of the leg (not sure if she broke skin or not, but at the very least got ahold of you pant leg) With that, I told you to leave our compound and not come back and walked you back out of the Team House and through the gate. I then instructed my BDOC guards to prevent you from ever entering the compound again. In such, you we’re removed from an SF Compound at that time and the statement is true.
So, how does Mike respond to this? Is it to issue a mea culpa? Oh, hell now. He accuses them of incompetance and murdering an unarmed Iraqi man in 2005.
Your memory of events is off, though some facts are correct. For instance, on the raid in question one of your team members could not get through a gate/fence. (I may have photo or video.) It was closed by wire. He needed my knife to get through the wire, which I gave to him. Mind you, this was on initial entry and he could not get through without my knife. I believe he was wearing jeans instead of a uniform.
I did in fact photograph papers that your team was leaving behind. I gave the photos to 1/6 because it was evidence that your team was going to (and did) abandon.
It’s understandable that your team does not like me. And in fact, it was your team that caused me to turn down all other SF offers for the last seven or so years.
How did the murder investigation turn out? During an operation in about February 2005, it was alledged by an officer in 1/6 that one of your team mates murdered an unarmed Iraqi while he lay face down on the ground. After I left Diyala, I did not track that any more and nearly forgot about it until now. What was the outcome of the investigation? Was there an investigation?
From there, Yon really rolls out the big guns, citing video of Samuel L. Jackson and Jack Nicholson. Just what in the Holy Name of Spongebob that has to do with a murder 6 years ago is unexplained. But the Yonites are totally down with it.
Dude, jumped the shark, jumped the boat, damn near jumped the Atlantic Ocean. Loving the implosion. Kinda embarassed I ever looked up to him with respect, but so it goes.
Category: Politics
I still remember jumping ship at LGF years ago. Hell I remember my dad laughing, telling me I was imagining things.
Yon, I don’t know what the hell happened there. I still don’t know what the hell happened there and I even did a bit of research trying to find some clues. It’s like he just flipped his shit after a bit.
Nothing to be embarrassed about, TSO. There was a time when Mike did very good work, but as TDM says; it was like a switch flipped. I don’t know much of the particulars of his most recent escort out of the area, but there must have been good reason for it. Those that would come on here and defend him; please look at the pattern that has developed over the last few years in relation to him being booted from embeds and FOBs, before commenting.
Yon is now and always has been a douche. He’s a self-serving prick who will shit on anyone who dares question Teh Yawn.
I hope he gets cholera.
[…] stuff was deleted and new folks banned from his website. By that time the cat was out of the bag, other sites started to notice the meltdown and loss of control from Michael. […]
I was supportive of Yon several years back. I thought he wrote well, and had important insights into what was going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Then, it suddenly became the Mike Yon show. It was all about HIM, rather than him being a conduit of information, a living window into that other world. He could’ve been someone, a really good reporter, but he placed himself above his work, and he went over the edge big time.
I got banned from his FB page for asking a couple questions. I got really tired of the “Milkook” label that he attached to anyone with a blog who disagreed with him or questioned what he was about.
I am convinced that he needs some serious help. His personal attacks on others have been vicious and (IMO) totally baseless. He is in a full meltdown mode, and it is a damned shame.
The saddest part, to me, is how he’s dragged many of his supporters down with him through his reassurances that HE was the blameless one.
My real anger over this whole situation is that Mike Yon has damaged the good name and reputation of many MilBloggers through his actions. In the same way that “Stolen Valor” actions damage the reputations and service of real veterans, Yon’s own actions will cause ALL military units to be more wary of MilBloggers, and reinforce the image that they are NOT “real journalists” and can’t be trusted in the manner that the MSM can. THAT alone is a real blow to all of our citizens, as well as to freedom of the press, because it will mean that the message will be easier to control.
Sorry for the rant, but many of us have seen this coming. Yon could’ve been someone, he could’ve been good, but he drove that whole brand right off the cliff, and the worry is how many more will be injured when that vehicle hits bottom.
I stopped trusting Yon after he started pushing that Gun Trace Bull shit from Mexico. I dont believe anything he writes anymore.
Yon is a classic example of what happens to people when they start believing their own hype.
Regardless, he sure shoots some awesome pictures. I used to send him money and trusted his opinions until the milblogs started questioning his motives. I just don’t know.
“Yon, I don’t know what the hell happened there. I still don’t know what the hell happened there…” his ego overpowered his objectivity. He slowly morphed into THE story, his journalistic intergrity compromised beyond repair. We know he doesn’t vet sources very well, he takes at face value those who jibe with his preconceived notions(See Hanson for a good example), without cross checking or verification from more then one place.
Frankly, I don’t even want to go down the Mulberry Street of Yonville again, with its questionable descriptions and characters. Most of who’s very existence is at best questionable or trivial, but increasingly became dismissible. The mind of Yon is a dark place I’d rather no venture to.
I think it was about the time of the Seattle frisking incident that I started questioning him. When he got kicked off of his time with the brits early his reasoning was a bit off but maybe there was something there. He should have taken it as a sign to take some time off but he has just went downhill since then.
JSJ- That is where he lost me as well. I still remember Michelle Malkin linking to it, and I started to wonder if it wasn’t a little bit overblown. Since then, all downhill.
I have financially contributed to Yon and would like to hear about these stories. In keeping with my non-ability to judge character, I and some friends, may have been screwed. Please advise.