Fulfilling Promises to a Ghost

Life has an odd way of coming back; sometimes it comes around full-circle, nice and smooth, other times, it zig zags away only to ricochet back like a slap in the face.

There are also times that causes one to pause in awe and irony and accept there is no perfect explanation and the experience can be intense.

Because I often write news or other current events, I sometimes find myself involved in my story more than I expected or set-out to be. This was the case with a story I covered earlier this year.

Award-winning Journalist, Michael Hastings

Image Source: Reader Donated

When journalist Michael Hastings was killed I began to follow the story closely because I had always been a “fan” of his writing. As the questions surrounding his “accident” piled-up, I began researching and writing my own pieces on the subject of his [thus far unsatisfactorily explained] death.

R.I.P.

January 28, 1980 – June 18, 2013

An extraordinary journalist — one who was unafraid to speak Truth to Power, Michael Hastings — former Newsweek reporter, was a contributing editor to Rolling Stone Magazine, a reporter for  Buzzfeed,  author of books and so much more.

He was most widely known for his 2010 Rolling Stone piece, “The Runaway General“,an expose on General Stanley McChrystal – the former commander of NATO‘s International Security Assistance Force in the Afghan war.

He was an outstanding reporter, whatever the story.

He was also a vociferous voice against all that is wrong; labeled a “Muckraker” by some and respected by many. It isn’t a stretch to acknowledge Hastings picked-up a few enemies along the way.

Prominent in each of the three pieces I had written, was one SSG Joe “Rambo” Biggs, Hastings’ friend from his embed days covering the war.

SSG Joe “Rambo” Biggs

Image Source: Joe Biggs

Initially I wasn’t sure what to think of SSG Biggs, I mean, the whole story about the email paired with the explosion of Michael’s car was quite extraordinary to say the least and Biggs wasn’t anyone any of us were familiar with.

From my perspective, some of the things he was doing played into the hands of those who were labeling him a fake, or worse, a “plant”.

He was also muddying the waters with his growing involvement with questionable media sources — or so it seemed.

After writing my second piece in the Hastings trilogy, Biggs contacted me in order to clear up a few things, namely the growing controversy over reports by talk show host Alex Jones and Examiner reporter — and San Diego 6 guest, Kimberly Dvorak; both of which I had soundly called out in my coverage of their coverage.

Biggs confirmed that I was correct saying much had been misreported and falsely credited to him by these two so-called, “journalists”.

I had spent many hours over the course of many days reading news stories and watching video footage while writing these pieces and I grew to feel familiar with Biggs from his interviews. The pain he was feeling over the loss of his friend was tangible. I really felt for him.  I wanted him to know that other people wanted answers too, or at least some better answers than we have all been given.

I also let him know, that he needed to be careful who he was climbing into bed with in his search for truth and media attention.

Making Friends 

There is no consoling someone when their loss is unexpected and so steeped in anomalies and oddities as Hastings’ death was. No one could really blame Biggs for reaching out wherever he could. He just wanted people to remember his friend and to not accept “answers” that didn’t add up.

As the weeks and months passed, Biggs and I became friends and although we have never met face to face, I feel the friendship is genuine.  When he recently decided to take his own writing more seriously, I felt honored that he came to me for help in creating a blog and, as I was knee-deep in building “You Can’t Handle the Truth“, I realized I was fulfilling a promise I made to Michael Hastings because I had vowed to do whatever I could to steer Biggs in the right direction…

I guess I have done just that.

I had never met Michael, but his impact on my own approach to writing has been profound and his death impacted me just as greatly. I feel — in some small way, I am repaying him for all that he had done for us and I was doing it by way of my friendship with Biggs, whom I wouldn’t have met had Michael not been killed…

Thank you Michael, for continuing to touch my life.

Thank you Joe for allowing me to be a part of your journey.

DAY #5 OF NaBloPoMo, BlogHer,  yeah write and NanoPoblano

Related articles

• Who Killed Michael Hastings? (mintpressnews.com)
• Who Killed Michael Hastings (infiniteunknown.net)
• FBI Releases Information on Michael Hastings (blacklistednews.com)
• Re: Journalist Michael Hastings Was Investigating CIA Director at Time of Crash (wikileaks-forum.com)
• Former DHS Officer Blows Whistles On DHS and Gets Declared ‘Domestic Terrorist’ (thelastgreatstand.com)
• Michael Hastings to Receive Norman Mailer Award (thewrap.com)
• Michael Hastings Body Cremated, Now Missing! (jewishterrorism.com)
• Journalist Michael Hastings dies in car crash at 33 (scooprocket.com)
• Michael Hastings’ Novel Will Be Published Summer 2014 (freshwaddabrooks.com)

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