This thread should garner about 6 responses... But I know they will be great responses... Quality, not quantity!
QUESTION?
Is congress diluting the Valor of the Congressional Medal Of Honor by demanding more CMH's be awarded?Personally I think so... I look at this as affirmative action. Now do not get me wrong. Every ultimate sacrifice is honorable, but the CMH is beyond special.
I was reading this late tonight, as I can not sleep for some silly reason....
"Eight years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. About 4,000 members of the U.S. military killed in action. More than 34,000 wounded. Just six considered worthy of America's highest military award for battlefield valor."
For some veterans and some members of Congress, that last number doesn't add up.
They question how so few Medals of Honor -- all awarded posthumously -- could be bestowed for wars of such magnitude and duration.
Pentagon officials say the nature of war has changed. Laser-guided missiles destroy enemy positions without putting soldiers in harm's way. Insurgents deploy roadside bombs rather than engage in firefights they're certain to lose.
"It seems like our collective standard for who gets the Medal of Honor has been raised," said Hunter, R-Calif.
"The basis of warfare is you've got to take ground and then you've got to hold it. That takes people walking into houses, running up hills, killing bad guys and then staying there and rebuffing counterattacks," he said. "That's how warfare has always been no matter how many bombs you drop and how many predators you have flying around."
Military officials said they welcome the opportunity to conduct an in-depth review of the award process. Still, they dispute Hunter's theory.
"Nominations go through no more or less scrutiny than in the past," said Eileen Lainez, a Pentagon spokeswoman. "The standard for the Medal of Honor is high, as one would expect for our nation's most prestigious military decoration."
Now get this.....
The Medal of Honor has been awarded 3,467 times since the Civil War.
Almost half -- 1,522 -- were awarded in the Civil War.
The next highest tally came from World War II -- 464.
In the Vietnam War, 244 were awarded.
To earn the CMH, at least two eyewitnesses have to view a deed so outstanding that it clearly distinguishes gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. No margin of doubt is allowed.
Nominations make their way through military channels until eventually they're approved at the highest levels of the Pentagon and then by the president.
My take is this... The CMH need not go the way of the football hall of fame. Where there has to be a certain number of inductees every year..
War has changed I do not want to see the CMH being watered down by even 1%.
4,00 killed in 8 years in Iraq and Afghanistan... TRAGIC.
However, There were 7.000 American casualties in 20 fricken minutes in the Civil War attack on Cole Harbor. There were no smart bombs, Lazer guided cannons... It was face to face... Flag to flag.
Awarding the CMH for the sake of awarding the CMH is a slap in the face of every true hero in the history of this great country who truly earned the CMH.
R.P.
""People Will Probably Never Remember What You Said, And May Never Remember What You Did. However, People Will Always Remember How You Made Them Feel."