Blogger Exclusive: First Interview With Ilario Pantano
June 11, 2006 · Print This Article
2 Lt. Ilario Pantano
One year after all charges being dropped against him, Ilario Pantano has released his book entitled Warlord : No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy. It’s been a long time coming, but Pantano’s book has the potential to become one of the definitive memoirs about the Iraq War. One would think that with the large amount of publicity and even fame that Pantano has seen over the last year, that you’d see his face on CNN or FOX—and you will, starting Monday morning. However, Ilario is a man of his word, and so he has made good on a long-standing promise: to give Euphoric Reality the first in-depth interview about his story, which made the Top 10 news stories of 2005 in Wilmington, North Carolina…and across the country.
We were able to chat with Ilario for about two hours on Friday night, and he spoke very candidly about his ordeal a year ago. I’ve edited this interview for brevity and clarity; Ilario has a lot to say, and he’s had a long time to reflect on his story and the ramifications it has included, not just for his family but for the Marine Corps and even the war as a whole.
I say yes.”
The finished interview is about 30 minutes long, and you can use the player below. I apologize for any blips or static in recording: this was a phone interview done with three people in three different locations throughout the country. I realize the interview is long, but I hope that you take the time to listen to the whole thing. I can tell you that the two hours spent talking to him was amazing. He is insightful, brilliant, entertaining, and no-holds-barred.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of our conversation was hearing that not only does he hold no ill will toward the Marine Corps, but that he still loves his Corps and embraces its ideals. He believes the system worked, and though it took him and his family on a journey through some dark times, ultimately it delivered justice and exonerated an innocent man.
God bless Ilario and his family. People like him give me renewed faith in our nation and in the caliber of men and women defending our freedom.
We asked him the golden question that seems to be the topic du jour here on related Pantano articles: Do you have any regrets about that day?
You asked if I had regrets and I want to answer you directly. There are many things about war that I regret. War is the darkest hour of humanity, but if you ask me if I would do what I did again, I say yes.
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Warlord : No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy is out in stores. Grab a copy! We’ll be reviewing this book in detail over the next few weeks and we’d love to have you join the discussion.
You may also browse our extensive coverage of Pantano’s case here.
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