Earlier this week, the Today show ran a remarkable story about a Marine serving in Iraq:

If you’ve ever wondered what the Marines have in mind when they advertise for “a few good men,” look no further than Gunnery Sgt. William “Spanky” Gibson.

Two years ago, he lost a leg to a sniper’s bullet in Iraq. Today, he’s back in the combat zone — by his own choice. If you notice an unusual spring in his step as he goes about his duties at Camp Fallujah in Iraq, mark it down to the wonders of the modern technology that went into the carbon-fiber prosthetic leg Gibson wears. He may have surrendered a leg in serving his country, but he’s far from handicapped.

The accompanying video is worth watching for a couple of reasons. One, it helps to remind us of the astonishing courage and strength that our armed forces possess. Sgt. Gibson is the first, full-leg amputee to re-up for a tour of combat. No obligation on his part; he wanted to.

Two, it makes a nice antidote to the seemingly-relentless parade of fictional movies and documentaries that make our troops look like nothing but bitter fools who were tricked into combat. Take Tomas Young, the 25 year-old paralyzed by gunfire days after arriving in Iraq. His story, told in the new documentary Body of War, co-directed by Phil Donahue, is certainly tragic. There’s no reason it shouldn’t be told. But isn’t there room on the big screen for a movie about Sgt. Gibson, or any other soldier who believes in what they’re fighting for? Donahue and the rest would tell you that their anti-war stories must be told because the media is ignoring them. This is an odd thing to say since only anti-war movies have been released since Operation Desert Storm.

All those Iraq-themed movies of 2007 tanked, so you’d think some director might take a new approach: American Soldier as Hero; Terrorist as Bad Guy. But that would take guts. How odd.