Marine Corps News Room

Final Exit: Afghanistan War Diary

Gretel C. Kovach
1:05 a.m. May 4, 2014

QUANTICO, Va. — We stopped on our way to Afghanistan so I could accept the Gen. Oliver P. Smith award for local reporting from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Nel Cepeda, the photographer I work with in the war zone, was worried my head might swell too big for my Kevlar helmet. He reminded me that the medal I got for preserving Marine Corps history ranks just above Cracker Jack status, compared to the one on the pale blue ribbon worn by another guest at the annual awards gala last month at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, near Quantico, Va.