Medal of Honor Day
This is Steven Petrick Posting.
Today is "National Medal of Honor Day". Most of you have probably never heard of it, because it is not a holiday, and most media will not mention it in support of their own editorial policies.
The Medal of Honor has not always been "The Award". Indeed, when it entered service it was awarded for things that had nothing to do with "courage under fire", in addition to being awarded for such displays of courage. It was only later that it was restricted to those who displayed the greatest courage and self-sacrifice.
The Medal of Honor is known as "The widow-maker", because so many of the awards are made posthumously. This is not really fair. It is rare indeed that an individual performs the act for which he receives with award with the intent to earn it. Thus the award does not make widows.
Most civilians do not understand what this shiny piece of metal and colored ribbon means to military men. Most in the combat arms do covet it, i.e., would like to somehow measure up to the standards to receive one. And all will accord automatic respect (even beyond the simple requirement to salute the holder of the award) to anyone who has it. Those who have been in combat recognize those among their number who have gone beyond the limits most would mortal man to be capable. Because most of them did it not to achieve "glory" for themselves, but to save their buddies.
Whether it was a badly wounded man throwing himself on not one, but two enemy grenades, smothering their explosions with his own body to save his friends in the same fighting position, or the medic who repeatedly crawled forward under enemy fire to drag the wounded back to safety, or the blinded machine gunner, continuing to man his gun under the verbal instructions of his wounded assistant gunner, these are men who met a test and passed it that few of us could even imagine.
It is right and proper that such men should be honored, and remembered, even if the media would rather that you forgot.
Today is "National Medal of Honor Day". Most of you have probably never heard of it, because it is not a holiday, and most media will not mention it in support of their own editorial policies.
The Medal of Honor has not always been "The Award". Indeed, when it entered service it was awarded for things that had nothing to do with "courage under fire", in addition to being awarded for such displays of courage. It was only later that it was restricted to those who displayed the greatest courage and self-sacrifice.
The Medal of Honor is known as "The widow-maker", because so many of the awards are made posthumously. This is not really fair. It is rare indeed that an individual performs the act for which he receives with award with the intent to earn it. Thus the award does not make widows.
Most civilians do not understand what this shiny piece of metal and colored ribbon means to military men. Most in the combat arms do covet it, i.e., would like to somehow measure up to the standards to receive one. And all will accord automatic respect (even beyond the simple requirement to salute the holder of the award) to anyone who has it. Those who have been in combat recognize those among their number who have gone beyond the limits most would mortal man to be capable. Because most of them did it not to achieve "glory" for themselves, but to save their buddies.
Whether it was a badly wounded man throwing himself on not one, but two enemy grenades, smothering their explosions with his own body to save his friends in the same fighting position, or the medic who repeatedly crawled forward under enemy fire to drag the wounded back to safety, or the blinded machine gunner, continuing to man his gun under the verbal instructions of his wounded assistant gunner, these are men who met a test and passed it that few of us could even imagine.
It is right and proper that such men should be honored, and remembered, even if the media would rather that you forgot.
posted by Federation Commander at 1:19 PM
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