Published: October 15, 2009 07:20 pm      

Death of local Marine is part of new PBS documentary

The death of Adairsville Marine Seth Sharp is part of a documentary about the war in Afghanistan airing on PBS.

Sharp was serving in Company E of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines when he was killed on July 2.

(Sharp was born in Dalton and attended Pleasant Grove Elementary before moving to Adairsville with his father in 2000. He attended Adairsville High School and played football there, but left school early to join the Marines. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He and his fiancee, Katie McMahan of Dalton, had not set a date to be married.)

The Frontline special “Obama’s War” includes footage from a photojournalist who was at the battle where Sharp lost his life. In the preview video posted online — which includes graphic imagery and language — fellow Marines can be heard calling his name as they carry him away from the firefight.

“Obama’s War” includes interviews with top generals, diplomats and foreign officials. It examines how President Barack Obama’s strategy in Afghanistan is taking shape.

“What we found on the ground was a huge exercise in nation building,” said correspondent Martin Smith. “The concept’s become a bit of a dirty word, but that’s what this is. We started with the goal of eliminating al-Qaida, and now we’ve wound up with the immense task of re-engineering two nations.”

“Obama’s War” will be shown again at 2 a.m. on Friday and at 3 a.m. on Sunday, and will also be available online.