226 - i do not remember the actual incident but my memory seems to be fading. I did have to pull SFC (at the time) Caviani out of Shirley lake into a RB after his water jump so may have been because of the leg. I hope he is enjoying life. I will shoot you a PM

Reasoning
 

After much time out of the net, I'm back home and reading many, many threads. Seeing that this subject had not been to active of late, I did want to include my thoughts.

The words, "Received", "Win" and "Won" are often interchanged with medals. While my opinion does not warrent my vocabulary to use the word "won", it congurs up the feeling that medals are a contest, like my son's soccer tournaments. Medals of Valor, beit, Bronze, Silver, DSC, or MOH are not awards of contests, but symbols of heroism bestowed upon them by their fellow soldiers for actions above the call to duty.

Rarely have I met a soldier, who had awards for bravery that thumpt his own chest, but more often than not, I have witnessed humility, thanks, and graciousness.

Some of the earliest recipients of the MOH were quiet 'drummer boys' who never left their posts during extreme fighting periods of our own Civil War. Their bravery were marked as examples for soldiers and citizens alike.

If by chance history was different and Shughart and Gordon were not killed in Somolia, but were captured with Durant. If by chance they were still with us, their actions would be no less heroic. They stepped from the safety of high ground, (Blackhawk), and stepped in harms way to defend a fallen brother.
It is because they lost their lives that day we honor their memory and esteem them in the highest regards.

Like all things, things change - it should not surprise us that the Medal Awards Committee changes to. I would encourage all of us, not to use the words "Win" or "Won" when referring to our nations Medals.

The medals will fade with time, collect dust or end up in old shoe boxes stored in closets, but my graditude for their "recipients" will never diminish.

I thank all of you for your service, and may God's love comfort your families.

WD

WD,

Excellent post,very well expressed and I concur with you 110%........:D

Big Teddy :munchin

Thanks. This subject has been on my mind lately. I was visiting with my old man in Wyoming who served as a AF airmen during the Korean War. All my life, he has been soft spoken and reserved, must be a generational thing. His older half brothers served in the OSS/WWII, I met them before they died when I was just a kid. Perhaps it was these men and my father who provided the basics in me developing my own opinions on the subject of medals.

Finally, after so many years of trying to pull out of my father a few stories I could share with his grandchildren, did I learn that my father went down over the sea of Japan. While flying medical troop transport carrier of wounded US Army Infantry soldiers, flying from Korea to Japan for additional medical services. The pilot informing that all must bail out before crashing, my father aided the other airmen with parachutes, and a few patients that could jump. Having to leave the majority to die with the wreckage. My father was the last to leave, just prior to exiting the aircraft, he noticed a friend kneeling beside a litter offering a humble prayer to a wounded soldier. My dad said it was time to go. The Airmen said he was not leaving, that these wounded should not die alone. My father informed me that he considered staying himself, but only for a moment. An engine exploded, the aircraft rocked and my father fell out the door. The pilot, lone airmen and wounded went down.

By chance, a Swedish fishing ship recovered all who jumped. Water temperatures were so low, that life expectency was under 5 minutes. The pilot had plotted a ship by radar and kept the plane aloft for as long as he could.

According to my mother, my father had spent all these remaining years trying to locate the manifest for that flight: flight crew, airmen and wounded. He finally gave up only speculating that a manifest was never submitted by ground crews.

Heros, all of them.

Your post is very timely for me. My uncle, who I love dearly and respect more than I can ever put into words, passed away last Wednesday, and was buried with full military honors on Saturday.

He was a quiet, unassuming man, who although fought in the Korean and Vietnam wars, with multiple tours, never really spoke of his service. Yes I know that he was a Sgt Major, yes I know he retired as a Major, yes I know he was a Ranger, and had a purple heart, but that was it. All that I know of his service was a book written about his platoon in Vietnam called "Charlie Mike".

At his viewing on Friday night, I saw him in his full dress uniform for the first time. On that uniform was a Silver Star, 5 Bronze stars (2 for Valor if rememner correctly through my tears) a Purple Heart, amongst many more. I was humbled that I never knew he recieved these awards, because it was not something he felt comfortable discussing. As far as he was concerned, he was only doing his job.

Wet Dog, as you have so eloquently stated, he didn't "win" anything, he simply did what he knew he should.

RIP Major (Ret) Gerald Colvin

Medal of Honor
 

Although it is not as bad as when Abrams was in command, politics play a very large part of any award for valor. Some units as in Bob Howard's case will award a DSC pending the award of the MOH. Other units will not award anything pending
Again as in Bob's case his first nomination ended in a DSC. His second ended in a Silver Star due to a jeolious sergeant. The third one went through. Also, the write up will also play a part in what award is to be awarded. This will always happen when you got Politics involved in the military.

Did you just revive a 5 year old thread?