Daily Show's Stewart 'Quietly Visiting' Ailing Iraq Soldiers

Comedy Central's Jon Stewart was in Washington, DC Tuesday night for the USO-Metro Awards Dinner, where the Daily Show host was honored with a Merit Award from Joint Chiefs vice-chair General James Cartwright. If it seems an odd fit for a comic who consistently lampoons the Bush administration, the Washington Post's Reliable Source informs readers that all the comedic comfort Stewart gives critics of the Iraq War is matched by his efforts to comfort our wounded soldiers:

Turns out the comedian has been quietly visiting soldiers at Walter Reed and Bethesda hospitals, trips he began in 2004 to better understand the Iraq war. "I felt that I was living in a world of theory," he told the audience, "but I hadn't touched the reality and the humanity of it." The first patient he met was "funnier than I was" -- and Stewart's been a regular ever since.

Stewart told the Post, "I certainly get a lot more out of it than they do...If anything, it's made me angrier... You can be for the war, against the war, but you can't be uninformed about it. To see the human cost is part of the equation."

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Greg Mitchell: The 'Unsung Heroes' in 5 Years of War -- Even Stephen Colbert [HuffPo]
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Jon Soltz: Helping The Wounded During the Season of Giving [HuffPo]

The Bob Woodruff Family Fund

Comments

[Beaux510]

Damn Jon, you the man.

[Pquid]

Just when you're about to give up on humanity a story like this comes along. Jon knows the difference between the soldiers who fight and the people who started this war and it shows. Love the Daily Show. It can't be easy finding humor in the news these days but it sure is good for us all to laugh at it sometimes. Congrats, Jon!

[mullylin18]

I watch Jon Stewart/Colbert everyday and love them both.....y­es, they are
hilarious, and also can be shocking in their truthful manner....­.that is
what I count on....and visiting the wounded only reaffirms that Jon's
bottom line is he cares....h­e really cares about our troops, the mess
this President and his administration has put us all in!! Over 4000
dead and 29,000 wounded and the longest war we have fought! Keep
lifting us up Jon and Steve!!

[AngryCitizen]

Well done good and noble jester. I'm sure you made some of our soldiers laugh in during a time that they felt like anything but laughing.

[moderationsmuse]

God bless Jon Stewart.

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

Amen!

[nogimmicks]

As significant as his visits are, it would have been as important and patriotic to spend his time on exposing the people who unleashed this war. These people keep working on expanding the war and starting the new ones (McCain, Kristol and the like). Jon, please, do not give them respect and airtime, - fight them.

[WomanInOrangeSweater]

I disagree. There's nothing I enjoy more than watching two smart, witty people who fervently disagree engage in a respectful debate. I think Jon is quite good at allowing us to see these people for what they are without being rude. I wish more people on television (and on blogs) had that talent.

[elr50]

I have visited a VA hospital several times with my WW2 vet father. There are still Vietnam vets there, and their positive attitudes are incredible. I go home hating my country's leaders for the destruction they cause, regardless of party. Of course right now my ire is directed at George W., the biggest monster of them all.

Then you Jon Stewart, I knew there was a reason why I love your program (besides the fact that we share a home state and a political philosophy).

[jsh1120]

As others have noted, Jon Stewart is a class act. Most striking, I think, is that the example he sets for journalists while never claiming to be one. This is still another instance.

[badtimes]

How can you not admire Jon for this? Whether you support the war or oppose it, this is a good act. Way to go Jon!

[callit]

This is what I love about Jon Stewart: he really cares about what he's talking about. Instead of simply ranting and making (admittedly hilarious) jokes every night, he actually goes out and does something positive, something that makes a real difference. If only there were more people like him . . .

[NicoleAnonymous]

I've heard that most of his audience is men and based on the responses her I'm assuming they're also children. Nobody can say something about him without them becoming really angry about it and the way they're insulting Tina Fey makes them seem just...rea­lly immature and childish.

[WMDs]

Most of the audience are smarter and younger then those of Oreilly Factor. Not to mention have a greater grasph of news and worldwide events being more informed.

[Igglesbee]

Who the heck are you talking about, Nicole? You REALLY don't make any sense.

[lisakaz]

Awesome statement. That's how I feel about Stewart, too. He's a real guy and a credit to his William & Mary education (I think he has a philosophy degree, actually). His humor is informed, his expressions of substance are informed -- that's why his audience understands events so well.

[rich3324]

As a vet and someone who goes to Walter Reed for medical care and sees these brave men and woman, thank you.

[SuiginTou7]

Next Time you want to try to compare yourself with Jon Steward, Tina Fey, please take a bat to yourself and beat yourself to a plup. You're nothing compared to him and will never reach his stature. So just shut the hell up.

[cblcar]

You can't just say something nice about Jon and leave it at that, can you. What is it about HuffPo that brings out the nastiness in people?

[indypete]

I guess we're learning a bit from checking up on Rush, O'reilly and the like!.

[CjAzure]

The world is a better place because Jon Stewart is in it.

[cybersense]

HuffPost's Pick

You know, I read this story and I think this is someone who does what he does, and then takes action on something that is important.

Then, I read some of these post comments dogging the good that he did. The nastiness of your opinions and statements make me think you should move to another country. Some of you are suffering from something that you need to address. Quit making everything a battle of nasty comments. I don't care that you have the freedom to speech, what I care about is that you use it wisely.

[NicoleAnonymous]

I probably was being mean but I was just trying to point out that he must have known that by mentioning it he would get publicity for it. I don't "hate" him. I've never met him and nobody here has either so you don't know if he is a great person or not. He probably is but you don't know that for sure.I don't watch his show so I really can't criticize it but I don't think Stewart takes many risks - you will NEVER see him making jokes about Israel or how we support that country which is strange for a Jewish person.

But I don't worship celebritites or think that what they do is changing the world.

[Libsrule]

You definitely don't watch his show do you? He does poke fun at all those people and more. You have NO PLACE to talk about him if you don't watch his show and don't know what his ways are.

HE was honored for what he does, HE didn't decided to bring it up for public discussion, the PENTAGON DID! What IS your problem?

So why are you here commenting on it?

[Igglesbee]

Ahhhhh....­. you're obviously bitter about something.

Jon Steward has been visiting vets since 2004, and TODAY is the first time it's been in the news. Why? Because he got a well-deserved award for walking his talk, not for alerting the media.

Focus your anger on somebody who deserves it and leave Jon Steward out of your cynical ranting. BUH-bye!

[Boobaloo]

THIS schmuck is your pick Huffpo?

You should take your own advice cybersense and use your freedom of speech wisely like expressing your opinions articulately and not personally attacking other bloggers and refraining from name calling simply because others hold a different point of view from yours.

Your nasty comments stand out above most everyone elses.

[WomanInOrangeSweater]

I don't often agree with Huffpo picks (or even understand them), but this one is dead on. If you felt it was a personal attack, perhaps it just hit a little close to home.

[LeftVetPatriot]

but I'M not bitter!

[CountryBeforeParty]

bravo

[mach]

Wow, and I thought you liberals invited all walks of life, all open dialogue..­..what happened to that Big tent that invited everyone..­..oh thats right, only those who share your opinions are invited. Thanks for shedding light on your open mindedness. Isnt what you said synonymous with a conservative saying "love it or leave it"....som­ething that gets you liberals so worked up. Thanks for shedding light on the close minded, bigoted idealoogies of the far left.

[WomanInOrangeSweater]

Great post. My only argument is that we shouldn't have the nasty people move to another country. Aren't we trying to heal our image abroad?

[IndependentTogether]

Take *THAT*, Tina Fey;)

[NicoleAnonymous]

I've never seen her show but it seems as though recently she is saying things just to get in the news. The latest is that she wants Britney for her show. I've heard her show is funny but she came from SNL and that show hasn't been funny in many years.

[rzan]

Her show isn't very funny.

[wendy82551]

Oh, come on. Tina Fey is HILARIOUS, as is Jon Stewart. Why the hell can't people have opinions that differ from your own without feeling the need to trash them?

[happycat]

Tina Fey reminds me of that girl who was really unpopular in High School. Now that she is in the incrowd and has lots of friends, she has become an absolute bitty who doesn't know what to do with all of that popularity. She has become addicted to the attention and accolades, none of which is deserved in my opinion.