Sunday, August 02, 2009

Medal of Honor???

I am going to have to do some more thinking on the story below - The Medal of Honor, the highest award a military member can receive, is a great honor! I cannot put into words what it "stands for" to an active or past member of our military. Some reasons for the high level of respect is because it is not given easily, or lightly, and politics has relatively been left out of the awards process...

If we just look at WWII, 464 medals were given - a quick look puts the military deaths for WWII around 416,800 (this is higher or lower depending on source)...meaning the Medal(s) of Honor awarded were just over 1% of the miltiary deaths.

We see there have been 4,000 death and 6 medals awarded...just over 1% - The numbers tell me they need not, should not, change a thing. Whatever is done or not done the honor can/must not be diminished, neither for future recipients or past...and if politics becomes the primary factor I fear this is inevitable. If I had to give an opinion today I would say - LET the process ALONE and RESPECT the traditions of the past!

Some Say Pentagon Not Awarding Enough Medals of Honor for Iraq
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 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
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