Today is National Medal of Honor Day... NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR DAY 25 Mar.`16 - National Medal of Honor day is a day that is dedicated to all Medal of Honor recipients. See also: National Medal of Honor Day - Video on NBCNews.com
The criteria for being awarded the CMO has been raised and lowered over the past 155 years. We have seen over the years those who demonize a Confederate battle flag being clueless what a battle flag is and represents to those who have been to war any war. During the American Civil War if an Union soldier captured a battle flag of the Confederacy he was usually awarded the CMO. Examples: http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/14/adams-james-f.php http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/16/adams-john-g-b.php http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/22/allen-nathaniel-m.php http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/24/ammerman-robert-w.php http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/49/bacon-elijah-w.php
MoH Day recognizes Navy Seal's heroism... Navy Illustrates SEAL's Heroic Actions in Afghanistan to Honor MoH Day Mar 25, 2016 | In honor of National Medal of Honor Day, the U.S. Navy created an informational graphic depicting the December 2012 hostage-rescue mission that earned Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward C. Byers Jr. the nation's highest award for valor.
Vietnam MoH winner passes on... Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipient Richard Pittman Dies at Age 71 Oct 18, 2016 | Richard Pittman, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War, has died at age 71.
Navy recommends two medal upgrades to Medal of Honor... SecNav Recommends Two Troops for Medal of Honor Dec 05, 2016 | Navy Secretary Ray Mabus is recommending that two service members be upgraded to the military's highest valor award amid an extensive review of medals awarded since Sept. 11, 2001, Navy officials confirmed.
Rep. Duncan Hunter Petitions Mattis to Approve Medal of Honor... Lawmaker Petitions Mattis to Approve Medal of Honor for Fallen Marine Feb 06, 2017 | Rep. Duncan Hunter is hoping that the fourth time's the charm for fallen Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta.
Former Vietnam War army medic to receive Medal of Honor... Medal of Honor Recipient A Hero to Generations of Students For his acts of valor during the Vietnam War, former Army medic Jim McCloughan will be the first person to receive the Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump. The official facts are impressive, as detailed in this Military.com article.
That's fascinating. I never knew that. So originally it was quite a frivolous award, and by WW2 it had become essentially a recognition of extreme bravery usually resulting in death.
Kinda seems that way. Protecting a battle flag in combat would get you the CMO. The last known American soldier to use a bayonet to kill a fleeing "native American" backed stabbed the red savage in the back and was awarded the CMO. Battle flags...No American battle flag was ever captured by a foreign army. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/3...-ill-prepared-for-iran-encounter-in-gulf.html They were captured during the American Civil War. The U.S. Marines destroyed their colors at Wake Island and the U.S. Army destroyed their regimental colors before surrendering to the Jap's on the P.I.'s. No American military ever surrenders their battle colors (flag) until Obama's PC Navy. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/30/report-us-sailors-ill-prepared-for-iran-encounter-in-gulf.html
The Battle of Wake #1 -- yes I remember it from USMC officer school. It was one of the few amphibious assaults in history that was repelled by the US Marines against the Japanese. In the 2nd battle of Wake the island was conquered and the US Navy commander surrendered. I think I would rather fight to the death than surrender. But then that is what I was conditioned/brainwashed to do. Death before dishonor.
The Marines repelled the Japs first amphibious assault and even sank a Jap cruiser. The Jap's second amphibious assault they put the assault troops on two destroyers and ran the destroyers onto the beach. The U.S. Navy commander saw a Jap flag flying over one of the three small islands and thought the Marines were defeated but actually the Marines were kicking the Japs butts and were winning. The USNI "Proceedings" has debated what if the Navy commander hadn't ordered the Marines to surrender ? The Marines would have probably prevailed but if the Japs conducted a third amphibious assault it's unlikely the Marines would have prevailed. All of their 5" and 3" naval guns were either destroyed or not operating. The Japanese paid a heavy price for that little speck in the ocean. 1,142 Japs killed while 52 Americans were killed.
Was that Crazy Horse? If it was, good for him; the Sioux were scum, and Crazy Horse was a butcher who deserved a far worse death. The soldier did him a favor. If it were up to me I would have turned him over to the survivors of one of the many tribes the Sioux butchered and tried to genocide out of existence and let them do the usual thing native americans liked to do with captives, which is devise creative ways to torture them to death over days and weeks.
That would have been Pvt. William Gentles who bayoneted Crazy Horse but he wasn't awarded the CMH. It seems Pvt. Gentle was a career private in the U.S. Army. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gentles
If I were the senior Marine and a Navy commander ordered me to surrender my marines I suspect I would have shot him instead.
That equals 22 to 1 for enemy killed. We were taught that you should always kill whoever is trying to kill you, and also that 10 to 1 is outstanding.
There are a few historically correct books that were written about the Battle of Wake Island. Some that are historically incorrect. I noticed Wikipedia's article on the Battle of Wake Islands conflicts with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps official records. That's why Wikipedia isn't a reliable source when it comes to history or anything that deals with politics. When you use the Hyperwar website < http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/ > you'll notice there's still a whole lot of history on WW ll that still hasn't made it into the history books. Here are the official military records and history on Wake Island. -> http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Wake.html The secret on using this website is keep following the links. You can find yourself outside the Hyperwar website and inside the U.S. Navy records and archives at the Washington D.C. Navy Yard or inside the U.S. Army's War college website.
Vietnam Hero soon to get his due reward... Marine Gunny Gets Medal of Honor Nod for Battle of Hue Actions 12 Jan 2018 - In a rare move, Congress waived the time limit for the Medal of Honor recommendation.
Kentucky WWII veteran to get Medal of Honor... Trump to Award Medal of Honor to World War II Infantryman 29 Mar 2018 - President Donald Trump will soon award the Medal of Honor posthumously to an Army lieutenant who directed artillery fire from an exposed position for three hours while fending off "fanatical German infantrymen" during a 1945 battle near Houssen, France.
