CBS reporter injured in Iraq visits Pitt

‘ ‘ ‘ Two years ago, she was relearning how to walk. Three weeks ago, she ran 10 miles in… ‘ ‘ ‘ Two years ago, she was relearning how to walk. Three weeks ago, she ran 10 miles in preparation for the Marine Corps Marathon 10K. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘This story is tough to tell,’ said award-winning journalist Kimberly Dozier. ‘ ‘ ‘ Dozier, a CBS foreign correspondent, spoke to people gathered in Frick Fine Arts Auditorium last night about how she was injured while covering the Iraq war. ‘ ‘ ‘ On May 29, 2006, Memorial Day, Dozier and her crew linked up with an Army unit in Baghdad with hopes of telling the soldiers’ story on national news. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘At no other time are you almost guaranteed air time from a war zone,’ said Dozier, who recently wrote a book about her experiences called ‘Breathing the Fire,’ of the opportunity to cover the military on Memorial Day. ‘ ‘ ‘ What came next was a shock. ‘ ‘ ‘ While attempting to investigate a town suspected to be infiltrated by the insurgency, enemies detonated a car bomb. ‘ ‘ ‘ Along with the captain, James Funkhouser, her cameraman, Paul Douglas and soundman, James Brolan were among those killed in the blast. Almost the entire group was within the 20-foot radius, or ‘kill zone,’ said Dozier. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I’ve got a pretty strong inner compass,’ she said. But ’20 years of roadblocks and pitfalls to becoming a correspondent were great training to overcome a car bomb.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Dozier suffered from two broken bones, blown eardrums, shrapnel penetration of her skull, a punctured femoral artery and extreme smoke inhalation. ‘ ‘ ‘ Doctors had to restart her heart five times while she was in the hospital. ‘ ‘ ‘ And she said she remembers that pain every time she tells her story. It’s like sharing part of her soul, she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It hurts,’ said Dozier. ‘ ‘ ‘ But she added that she was still eager to tell others about how Funkhouser’s men saved her. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The troops fought to keep me alive just as if I were one of their own,’ said Dozier, adding that it was important to know she was the last to receive their help. ‘ ‘ ‘ That way, her friends didn’t die because the troops spent time helping her, she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ Dozier began recounting her tale even before she could speak, writing notes while she was lying intubated in a hospital bed. ‘ ‘ ‘ Telling her story, she said, is important not only for her own recovery but also to help teach others about the role the media plays in society. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I’ve tried to use this painful experience to teach military folk why [journalists] do this … and why when we criticize we’re actually trying to help,’ said Dozier. ‘ ‘ ‘ Dozier said that the war in Iraq has forever changed the way journalists do their work, both because of distinct conditions within the country and because of public perception and reception of war reports. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I have seen my industry humbled,’ she said. ‘It has gone through a lot of soul searching about its role.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Following the 2004 and 2005 insurgency jumps and respective audience slumps, Dozier developed ‘rhino skin’ to some of the comments directed at her, especially when the media was largely blamed for negative public opinion, she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I thought, ‘I must be doing something right. Everyone hates me,” said Dozier. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Now, two years after a life-threatening attack, Dozier’s determination still propels her. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We, as Americans,’ she said, ‘need to care about what the rest of the world thinks about us.’