His name is James Blake Miller, God Bless him.
(This photo of Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller in Fallujah was published in more than 100 newspapers Wednesday.)
“Marlboro Man” Marine files for divorce
PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A Marine who was dubbed the “Marlboro Man” after appearing in an iconic photograph from the Iraq War has filed for divorce less than a month after dozens of Americans contributed to a dream wedding for him and his bride.
Millions became intrigued with James Blake Miller, 21, after seeing a 2004 Los Angeles Times photo in which the grubby, exhausted Marine lance corporal is pictured taking a break from combat in Fallujah with a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Miller and his wife, Jessica Holbrook, were initially married at a county building in June 2005, but Miller had said in a Jan. 29 story in the San Francisco Chronicle that he wished he could give his wife the wedding she had always wanted. Readers responded by contributing toward a $15,000 wedding June 3 at a golf course clubhouse near his hometown of Pikeville.
But by June 12, Miller and his bride were living apart, according to court papers. Miller filed for divorce on June 20, saying the marriage was “irretrievably broken.”
Miller was discharged from the Marines in 2005 and has spoken in newspaper interviews about suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which is often characterized by flashbacks, nervousness and nightmares.
“I’m just sad for them,” said Eunice Davis of Pleasanton, Calif., who spearheaded the contributions, which included a pair of wedding rings from a jeweler. “It must be a very difficult time and a very difficult decision.”
Miller and his wife have unlisted numbers and could not be reached for comment by The Associated Press on Monday. Miller’s attorney, Michael de Bourbon, declined to comment.
In Sunday’s Appalachian News-Express of Pikeville, Miller said he had filed for divorce, “but I’m still trying to resolve my problems with my wife.”
“I would like to start by saying I’m trying to take things one day at a time,” he continued. “I can’t stress enough what it’s like to deal with PTSD and every other day problems.”
Pikeville wedding planner Missy McCoy, who helped with the arrangements, said she was saddened by the news.
“They’ve been through a lot,” McCoy said. “They’re a sweet couple I hope they can work it out.”
Originally written By: Samira Jafari,
Associated Press Writer
