Obama to award 24 Medals of Honor to 24 vets

[pinoybaptist]

Obama to award 24 vets with medal of honor

EXCERPT

They braved bullets and bombs, risking their lives for their country.
Now -- having been passed over in some cases for decades due to their ethnicity or skin color -- the U.S. government is giving them their just reward.
President Barack Obama announced Friday that 24 Army veterans would receive the Medal of Honor -- the nation's highest military award, bestowed on U.S. troops who show "gallantry above and beyond the call of duty " -- for their combat actions in Vietnam, Korea and during World War II.

If this was a president who has not been identified with those who use the race card at the drop of a hat, I'd say "good".
But, then again, reading the actions of the veterans, I think they DO deserve recognition.
But, should it be the Medal of Honor ?

What do you think the great Hypocrite is up to ?

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

He's painting former administrations as bigoted for not having given these medals to begin with. Some of that assessment may be true, but rest assured he will credit himself for having "righted an ugly wrong" and will make certain the spotlight falls on him as well as these heroes, who, as you have said, deserve the recognition. I'm not sure all of them deserve the MOH, but those that don't certainly deserve the DSM/DSF/NC or similar.

 

[carpro]

With him presenting the medals, I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of the recipients tried to turn down the medal.

Obama , with his rules of engagement that favor our enemies, has killed hundreds of our soldiers and Marines. They know it

All this really represents is an Obama photo op to make him look as if he appreciates the service of a military he despises. They probably know this as well.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

With him presenting the medals, I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of the recipients tried to turn down the medal.

Obama , with his rules of engagement that favor our enemies, has killed hundreds of our soldiers and Marines. They know it

All this really represents is an Obama photo op to make him look as if he appreciates the service of a military he despises. They probably know this as well.

It appears most of these vets are elderly. I'm not sure they'll know what the current rules of engagement are or not. If they do, you may be right, but I wouldn't count on them being aware.

 

[Salty]

It appears most of these vets are elderly. ...

WWII & Korea = yes
Vietnam - still young enough

 

[Salty]

WWII & Korea = yes
Vietnam - still young enough

Were there any whites who were inproperly passsed over for the MOH? The article stated there was to be a review of " Jewish and Hispanic veterans " why not American Indians? how about Asians?

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Were there any whites who were inproperly passsed over for the MOH? The article stated there was to be a review of " Jewish and Hispanic veterans " why not American Indians? how about Asians?

Why not whites? I know of at least two who should have at least been considered. I put my left seat in for a DFC. They gave him a bronze star, posthumously. It was a disgrace. It happens he was black. Didn't matter what color. Many were passed over. None of the administrations that got us involved in Vietnam wanted to call attention to the war by "making heroes" out of the soldiers who fought there, but they deserved it as much as any veteran of any other war.

 

[Scarlett O.]

But, should it be the Medal of Honor ?

What do you think the great Hypocrite is up to ?

I don't care what Obama is up to concerning this matter. 24 men were slighted because of ethnicity or whatever.

They DID perform acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty.

They deserve it.

For some - it's too late. 21 of the 24 are dead. Only three will actually be alive to receive the medal.

• "Melvin Morris was 19 when he volunteered to go to Vietnam. In 1969, the Army Green Beret got hit multiple times by bullets during combat. Bleeding, he "charged into a hail of fire" to rescue his dead and wounded comrades in what the Army characterizes as a show of "determination possessed by few men." His heroics were recognized in 1970 with the Army's Distinguished Service Cross award. Now 72, Morris -- who is black -- will wear his country's highest military honor."

• "So, too, will Santiago J. Erevia, a native Texan. The radio-telephone operator was caring for wounded colleagues in 1969 in Vietnam when his position came under attack. According to the Military Times, "without hesitation Specialist Erevia crawled from one wounded man to another," charged while armed toward the hostile fire, before eventually returning to take care of the injured troops he'd left behind.

• The last surviving new Medal of Honor recipient is Jose Rodela, who like Morris and Erevia also won a Distinguished Service Cross. While commanding a mobile strike force in Vietnam, Rodela was "wounded in the back and head by rocket shrapnel while recovering a wounded comrade," according to a military commendation, yet he still single-handedly "assaulted and knocked out (a) rocket position" before returning to lead his men.

 

[pinoybaptist]

Were there any whites who were inproperly passsed over for the MOH? The article stated there was to be a review of " Jewish and Hispanic veterans " why not American Indians? how about Asians?

yeah, like the 'wind talkers'.
I reiterate, they DESERVE the recognition, just that I don't know if everybody should get the Medal of Honor, which, by the way, if I understand it correctly, an investigation is first conducted as to the veracity of the actions of the recipient.
either way, hats off to these guys.
as for Obama, if he is using this occassion for his own photo op...well, of course he is, narcissist that he is.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

While I agree the POTUS is using this as a photo op, it's fairly well known many potential MoH's were not put through due to racism. As for the Navaho "wind talkers", they were so prized by the Marines; they weren't placed in a position to be awarded an MoH.

 

[carpro]

24 men were slighted because of ethnicity or whatever.


[/LIST]

And you have proof of this?

No one else does. It's an easy allegation to make, but the truth is many true heroes never receive any recognition or medals, not matter their race.

To make this a race issue is one of the most pernicious forms of racism there is. It cheapens the award.

But it is true to form for the Divider.

 

[go2church]

Have you not read a history book? Our country was neck deep in segregation during most of the time these men served. People were denied home loans based on color, you don't think this didn't happen in the military as well? Come on!

These men deserve to be honored for their service. Just leave it at that.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Have you not read a history book? Our country was neck deep in segregation during most of the time these men served. People were denied home loans based on color, you don't think this didn't happen in the military as well? Come on!

These men deserve to be honored for their service. Just leave it at that.

The law of averages says that if the Little Marxist Dictator could have his henchmen find 24 minority heroes who were slighted, he should have been able to find at least 50 whites who were likewise. So where are their medals? Not that these men don't deserve them. As I said, my left seat was slighted as well, and he was black. Nonetheless, where are the whites who didn't get the medal they deserved? Could the research that resulted in these medals being authorized not find any white men who got shafted?

 

[carpro]

Have you not read a history book? Our country was neck deep in segregation during most of the time these men served. People were denied home loans based on color, you don't think this didn't happen in the military as well? Come on!

These men deserve to be honored for their service. Just leave it at that.

They had already been honored. Why do I have to read about it? I lived it.

But now we have affirmative action for the CMH. :BangHead:

Now the achievements of these men, no matter how heroic will forever be tainted by racial favoritism.

Wanna be fair? Review every DSC, DFC and Navy Cross issued without regard to race and, see whose are upgraded.

But you're not really interested in fairness, are you?

 

[Salty]

Have you not read a history book? Our country was neck deep in segregation during most of the time these men served. People were denied home loans based on color, you don't think this didn't happen in the military as well? Come on!

These men deserve to be honored for their service. Just leave it at that.

Actually, the military took the lead in equality- not saying it was perfect - but way ahead of the civillian world.

Back in 1970, I was talking to a white ROTC cadet - (his dad was a Baptist preacher) Sam told me that during training he was teamed up with a Black cadet. To enforce teamwork - they were only issued one set of gear - which included a canteen.
Well, after a while - the black cadet drank out of the canteen. Sam was getting thirsty - he had a decison to make - was he more thirsty or more racist - after drinking from the canteen, he found out he wasnt really racist.

BTW, Go2church, could you remind us of your military time?

 

[Squire Robertsson]

Salty, we're not speaking about what the military was doing since it was desegrated in the late '40s. We speaking about how the racist attitudes of the WW2 era effected the awarding of the MoH.

Such racism is well documented. The examples I would give off the top of my head are the Tuskegee Airmen, the Port Chicago incident, and the fact German (including SS) POWs in transit to Stateside POW camps got better treatment than the Black GIs guarding them.

 

[carpro]

Salty, we're not speaking about what the military was doing since it was desegrated in the late '40s. We speaking about how the racist attitudes of the WW2 era effected the awarding of the MoH.

Are we?

His heroics were recognized in 1970 with the Army's Distinguished Service Cross award.

Now 72, Morris -- who is black -- will wear his country's highest military honor.
So, too, will Santiago J. Erevia, a native Texan. The radio-telephone operator was caring for wounded colleagues in 1969 in Vietnam when his position came under attack. According to the Military Times, "without hesitation Specialist Erevia crawled from one wounded man to another," charged while armed toward the hostile fire, before eventually returning to take care of the injured troops he'd left behind.

The last surviving new Medal of Honor recipient is Jose Rodela, who like Morris and Erevia also won a Distinguished Service Cross. While commanding a mobile strike force in Vietnam, Rodela was "wounded in the back and head by rocket shrapnel while recovering a wounded comrade," according to a military commendation, yet he still single-handedly "assaulted and knocked out (a) rocket position" before returning to lead his men.

No proof of discrimination at all.

Just affirmative action. Their medals will forever be tainted.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

And if you look back at the awards system, you'll see this isn't the first time the MoH has been awarded to a DSC\Navy Cross receipient years after the fact.

Are we?




No proof of discrimination at all.

Just affirmative action. Their medals will forever be tainted.

 

[carpro]

And if you look back at the awards system, you'll see this isn't the first time the MoH has been awarded to a DSC\Navy Cross receipient years after the fact.

It'll be the first 24 times the upgrade was based principally on the race of the recipient.