Medal of Honor may go to living soldier for first time in decades

[BlueStateSaint]

It's about time--that's all I've got to say.

Medal of Honor may go to living soldier for first time in decades

Thu Jul 1, 3:36 pm ET

The Pentagon is preparing to nominate a living soldier for the Medal of Honor—the military's highest distinction—for the first time since the Vietnam War, the Washington Post reports Thursday.

The Pentagon has not released the nominee's name while the award is under consideration, but the Post reports that he ran through a wall of enemy fire in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley, saving the lives of several comrades. Military officials told Post reporters Greg Jaffe and Craig Whitlock that even the soldier's own family does not know how far his nomination has gone: all the way to the White House (which must review the nomination).

Only eight Medals of Honor have been awarded for wars since Vietnam, the Post says: two in Somalia and six in the current Afghanistan and Iraq wars.  All of them were posthumous.  Of the six most recent recipients, three of them jumped on grenades to save fellow troops.  (One awardee from the Korean War, however, did get the medal in 2005).

In Vietnam, 246 servicemen won Medals of Honor.  More than a third of them survived their acts of heroism.

Veterans groups have protested both the far lower volume of Medal of Honor awards in the Afghan and Iraqi conflicts and the practice of awarding them only posthumously. Several lawmakers have taken up that cause.

Mods, if this belongs in the Military forum, by all means move it there.

People have to have living examples of incredible heroism to look up to, IMO.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100701/ts_ynews/ynews_ts2997

[Eupher]

Even SecDef Gates is quoted in the article (or a similar article I'd read) that it was pretty amazing that acts of valor that had made it through the MoH system had ALWAYS been approved only after the funeral.

Long overdue. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

Several Silver Stars should really have been MoHs, and some of the acts that have only gotten the Bronze+V were at least Silver Star material but a combination of service politics and 'standards creep' have kept the awards away from the deserving.

[Zathras]

Glad to see someone is getting proper recognition for their bravery. The only sad part of this is whos signature will be on the certificate and who will be presenting the award, the worst president ever and someone who has no honor whatsoever, The Obumbler.

[littlelamb]

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought there was one given out a few years to someone alive

[Hawkgirl]

 

[NHSparky]

TAH has a link over HERE.

Jim Hanson (Uncle Jimbo of Blackfive) broke it and posted it on BIG GOVERNMENT.

(excerpt)

SSG Sal Giunta, a paratrooper w/ the 173rd Airborne, is likely to be the first living Medal of Honor recipient since the Vietnam War. He earned this by charging a group of Taliban who were trying to make off with a wounded comrade in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. His actions broke the Taliban’s attack and allowed him to regain control of SGT Josh Brennan. He also saved the lives of the many other members of his unit who had been caught in a near ambush by the Taliban. Giunta didn’t hesitate one second before advancing on his own to ensure the enemy would never take one of ours, but sadly Josh Brennan was too badly wounded too survive. His cousin PVT Joe Brennan recently graduated airborne school and has joined the same unit proudly carrying on Josh’s memory.

Hoo-rah, SSG Giunta.

[NHSparky]

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought there was one given out a few years to someone alive

Not for actions since the Vietnam War.  One Korean War vet was awarded the CMH in 2005.  IIRC, LTC Bruce Crandall ("Snake" from the movie, "We Were Soldiers") was awarded the CMH in 2007.  All recipients since (2 in Somalia, 6 in Iraq/Afghanistan) have all been posthumous.