Medal Of Honor

[warhawk 0]

I was watching a movie today, "The Majestic" and that got me to thinking about something. In the movie, for those who haven't seen it Martin Landau's character is talking to Jim Carry about his son who was killed in World War II. Martin's character is explianing under what circumstances his son was awarded the Medal of Honor. All of this got me to thinking, how much do we know just what the Medal of Honor is all about. So I did some research and this is what I found.

On December 9, 1861 Iowa Senator James W. Grimes introduced S. No. 82 in the United States Senate, a bill designed to "promote the efficiency of the Navy" by authorizing the production and distribution of "medals of honor". On December 21st the bill was passed, authorizing 200 such medals be produced "which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen and marines as shall distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities during the present war (Civil War)." President Lincoln signed the bill and the (Navy) Medal of Honor was born.

Two months later on February 17, 1862 Massachusetts Senator Henry Wilson introduced a similar bill, this one to authorize "the President to distribute medals to privates in the Army of the United States who shall distinguish themselves in battle." Over the following months wording changed slightly as the bill made its way through Congress. When President Abraham Lincoln signed S.J.R. No 82 into law as 12 Stat. 623-624 on July 14, 1862, the Army Medal of Honor was born. It read in part:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause two thousand "medals of honor" to be prepared with suitable emblematic devices, and to direct that the same be presented, in the name of the Congress, to such non--commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities, during the present insurrection (Civil War)."

The first award of the Medal of Honor was made March 25, 1863, to Private Jacob Parrott his citation is as follows:

One of the 19 of 22 men (including 2 civilians) who, by direction of Gen. Mitchell (or Buell) penetrated nearly 200 miles south into enemy territory and captured a railroad train at Big Shanty, Ga., in an attempt to destroy the bridges and tracks between Chattanooga and Atlanta.

Not since those tragic events in Mogadishu, Somalia has anyone been awarded the Medal of Honor since Vietnam. The two people awarded the Medal of Honor then were US Army Master Sergeant Gary I. Gordon and US Army Sergeant First Class Randall D. Shughart. In all there have been 3,459 Medals of Honor awarded for 3,454 separate acts of heroism performed by 3,440 individuals (including 9 “Unknowns”).

Today, there are 137 living Recipients of the Medal of Honor. 53% of the living Recipients earned their Medals more than 50 years ago while serving in WWII (52) or Korea (20). There were no awards of the Medal of Honor during Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, or Desert Storm.

There are in fact three variations of the Medal of Honor. There are versions for the Navy, Army, and Airforce.The Navy medal was the first to be struck, followed quickly by the Army version of this award. There are three different types of Medals of Honor today as seen directly below: the original simple star shape established in 1861 which the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have retained; a wreath version designed in 1904 for the Army; and an altered wreath version for the Air Force, designed in 1963 and adopted in 1965.

In reading through some of the other citations I was struck by the sheer heroism shown by so many. I can not nor would I ever try to imgaine what it is like to be in a position such as some that were described. Often, I imagine, that the furthest thing from the minds of these great hero's is that they will win some sort of award for their actions. Rather, and I am assuming here though I doubt very seriously that I am wrong, that the foremost in the minds of these hero's is either the men they are responsible for, trying to protect or to rescue. Or even to the mission at hand. It is often the case I think that we find our hero's in the most unlikely people and in the most trying times.

These brave soul's in a moment in time, of great difficulty, take the situation at hand and go beyond just making the best of it. Often their actions end up saving countless lives and at times at the cost of their own. How is it I wonder that some can so easily forget the sacrifices made by so few, I mean this in relative terms of course, so that so many of us can live in freedom and relative peace.

I would like to share with you some information on a man that was my father's hero. His name was Audie L. Murphy and his citation is as follows:

2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods.

2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver.

The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire.

He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

I thought I would close this post with something written by Mr. Murphy.

"Alone and far removed from earthly care

The noble ruins of men lie buried here.

You are strong men, good men

Endowed with youth and much the will to live.

I hear no protest from the mute lips of the dead.

They rest: there is no more to give.

So long my comrades,

Sleep ye where you fell upon the field.

But tread softly please

March O'er my heart with ease

March on and on

But to God alone we kneel."

Audie L. Murphy, 1948

I will never forget!

Stout Hearts

Warhawk

P.S. Info on the Medal Of Honor More Info on the Medal Of Honor

[supasniper 0]

Interesting!

This got me thinking so i looked up the history of the Victoria Cross:

The Victoria Cross was born in the carnage of the Crimean War, even though hostilities had ceased a good twelve months before the first award was made.

In January 1855 the Secretary of State for War, the Duke of Newcastle wrote to Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's husband) and suggested a new decoration open to all ranks.

It does not seem to me right of politic, that such deeds of heroism as the war has produced should go unrewarded by any distinctive mark of honour because they are done by privates or officers below the rank of major.... The value attached by soldiers to a little bit of ribbon is such as to render any danger insignificant and any privation light if it can be attained.

On 29 January the Duke followed up his letter by announcing the new award in a speech in the House of Lords. At about the same time an official memorandum on the subject was circulated within the War Office setting out the details of a cross to be awarded for a signal act of valour in the presence of the enemy.

The Queen herself was actively involved in the proposals. A letter to the new Secretary of State for War made pencil alterations to the draft warrant, which arose from discussions with the Queen. It had already been decided that the award should carry her name, but the Civil Service's proposal was clumsy and long-winded: 'the Military Order of Victoria', Albert put his pencil through this and suggested 'the Victoria Cross'. Throughout the document, wherever the word 'Order' with its overtones of aristrocratic fraternity occurred, Albert applied his pencil.

Treat it as a cross granted for distinguished service,' he noted, 'which will make it simple and intelligible.

Queen Victoria took a great interest in her new award, especially in the design of the Cross. When the first drawings were submitted to her, she selected one closely modelled on an existing campaign medal, the Army Gold Cross from the Peninsular War. The Queen suggesting only that it should be 'a little smaller'. She also made a significant alteration to the motto, striking out 'for the brave' and substituting 'for valour', in case anyone should come to the conclusion that the only brave men in a battle were those who won the cross.

Inspired by the Queen's remarks, someone had the happy thought that it would be fitting to take the bronze for the new medals from Russian guns captured in the Crimea. Accordingly, an engineer went off to Woolwich Barracks, where two 18-pounders were placed at his disposal. The gunmetal proved so hard that the dies which Hancock's used began to crack up, so it was decided to cast the medals instead, a lucky chance which resulted in higher relief and more depth in the moulding than would have been possible with a die-stamped medal.

Queen Victoria caused some consternation by electing to stay on horseback throught the ceremony of awarding the first sixty-two recipients with the Cross. There is a legend that the Queen, leaning forward from the saddle stabbed one of the heroes, Commander Raby, through the chest. The commander, true to the spirit in which he had won the Cross, stood unflinching while his sovereign fastened the pin through his flesh. The other sixty-one seem to have come through the occasion uninjured. The Queen managed to pin on the whole batch in just ten minutes, which does not suggest lengthy conversation, but the whole parade went off extremely well to the raptuous applause of the public.

Prince Albert's influence was clearly expressed in the terms of the Royal Warrant for the Cross which has survived, with some alterations, to the present day. It was a medal awarded 'to those officers or men who have served us in the presence of the enemy and shall then have performed some signal act of valour or devotion to their country'. Far from striking the public as something with which to 'find fault', the new award was greeted with great enthusiasm by the British people.

TO DATE, 1,354 VICTORIA CROSSES HAVE BEEN AWARDED

including one to The US Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery

[Rocky 1,224]

Nice research you guys, thanks!

[Super-Bob 0]

Can I get the cliffs notes of this thread?

[supasniper 0]

there seems to be quite a few new members around here to i thought i'm bump this "

[AO3_Chucky 0]

It is nice that all you guys show interest in medals of honor, one it puts the names of the brave men who gave there lives and or almost lost there live. I too have seen combat wounded twice last one was cause by a mine which would have taken me life. If it wasn't for a Gunner Sarg. I wouldn't be alive to day not only save me from death but carried me back to boat 8 miles he was awarded a silver star and purple heart. he risked his life to save mine.

Now I have a son over in Iraq and pray for him and the other

" CPO Chucky

[AO3_Chucky 0]

there seems to be quite a few new members around here to i thought i'm bump this "

thanks, it is kool these guy see what happening with the boys who live and die for there country

[firefly2442 0]

IIRC, there was a story about a man who got a medal of honor when the hill he was dug into was over-run. He operated a machine gun and single handedly killed countless enemies. Thinking that he was dead, they enemy passed him and he turned around and mowed them down. He did this a couple times. I believe he survived... not sure.

This topic brought me to a question. There are many medals for bravery, courage, and outstanding presence on the battlefield. However, in todays day and age, should there be one for "least civilian casualties" or something to that effect? We're trying to win wars by killing as few people as possible and certainly not civilians. Would it be a beneficial thing to create a new medal?

[AO3_Chucky 0]

IIRC, there was a story about a man who got a medal of honor when the hill he was dug into was over-run. He operated a machine gun and single handedly killed countless enemies. Thinking that he was dead, they enemy passed him and he turned around and mowed them down. He did this a couple times. I believe he survived... not sure.

This topic brought me to a question. There are many medals for bravery, courage, and outstanding presence on the battlefield. However, in todays day and age, should there be one for "least civilian casualties" or something to that effect? We're trying to win wars by killing as few people as possible and certainly not civilians. Would it be a beneficial thing to create a new medal?

kinda, they call it the unknown solider it for all the falling brothers fallen in war

[ReconSnake 0]

huh?

Audie Murphy was definitely a bad-ass. I rememeber reading about him in books when I was a kid. Iwo Jima in WWII saw 27 MOH's awarded to Marines and Sailors.

Major General (USMC) James Day is a heck of a story too, this is one of my heros:

CORPORAL JAMES L. DAY

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a squad leader serving with the Second Battalion, Twenty-Second Marines, Sixth Marine Division, in sustained combat operations against Japanese forces on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands from 14 to 17 May 1945. On the first day, Corporal Day rallied his squad and the remnants of another unit and led them to a critical position forward of the front lines of Sugar Loaf Hill. Soon thereafter, they came under an intense mortar and artillery barrage that was quickly followed by a fanatical ground attack of about forty Japanese soldiers. Despite the loss of one-half of his men, Corporal Day remained at the forefront, shouting encouragement, hurling hand grenades, and directing deadly fire thereby repelling the determined enemy. Reinforced by six men, he led his squad in repelling three fierce night attacks but suffered five additional Marines killed and one wounded whom he assisted to safety. Upon hearing nearby calls for corpsman assistance, Corporal Day braved heavy enemy fire to escort four seriously wounded Marines, one at a time, to safety. Corporal Day then manned a light machine gun assisted by a wounded Marine, and halted another frenzied night attack. In this ferocious action, his machine gun was destroyed, and he suffered multiple white phosphorous and fragmentation wounds. Assisted by only one partially effective man, he reorganized his defensive position in time to halt a fifth enemy attack with devastating small arms fire. On three separate occasions, Japanese soldiers closed to within a few feet of his foxhole, but were killed by Corporal Day. During the second day, the enemy conducted numerous unsuccessful swarming attacks against his exposed position. When the attacks momentarily subsided, over 70 enemy dead were counted around his position. On the third day, a wounded and exhausted Corporal Day repulsed the enemy's final attack and dispatched around 12 of the enemy at close range. Having yielded no ground and with more than 100 enemy dead around his position, Corporal Day preserved the lives of his fellow Marines and made a primal contribution to the success of the Okinawa campaign. By his extraordinary heroism, repeated acts of valor, and quintessential battlefield leadership, Corporal Day inspired the efforts of his outnumbered Marines to defeat a much larger enemy force, reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

This is what it means to be brothers in arms:

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS DEWAYNE T. WILLIAMS

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following 

CITATION: 

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with the First Platoon, Company H, Second Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division in action against communist insurgent forces in the Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam. Private First Class Williams was a member of a combat patrol sent out from the platoon with the mission of establishing positions in the company's are of operations, from which it could intercept and destroy enemy sniper teams operating in the area. On the night of 18 September 1968, as the patrol was preparing to move from its daylight position to a preselected night position, it was attacked from ambush by a squad of enemy using small arms and hand grenades. Although severely wounded in the back by the close intense fire, Private First Class Williams, recognizing the danger to the patrol, immediately began to crawl forward toward a good firing position. While he was moving under the continuing intense fire, he heard one of the members of the patrol sound the alert that an enemy grenade had landed in their position. Reacting instantly to the alert, he saw that the grenade had landed close to where he was lying and without hesitation, in a valiant act of heroism, he rolled on top of the grenade as it exploded, absorbing the full and tremendous impact of the explosion with his own body. Through his extraordinary initiative and inspiring valor in the face of certain death, he saved the other members of his patrol from serious injury and possible loss of life, and enabled them to successfully defeat the attackers and hold their position until assistance arrived. His personal heroism and devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country. 

/S/ RICHARD M. NIXON

[MarkVanDamme 0]

Anyone watch the documentary with Jeremy Clarkson on the Victoria Cross?