thedrifter
12-26-06, 06:51 AM
Confused by Corps Leaders
Joseph Kinney | December 26, 2006
I thought it might happen someday but not in my lifetime. The Marine Corps that I have known and loved is edging steadily toward political correctness.
It didn't seem that long ago that I looked up into the sky to see my Uncle Perry in his majestic Marine dress blues. He had been a veteran of Guadalcanal in World War II and some of the toughest fighting in Korea. Perry and Dwain, his younger brother, were Marines when that could be a death sentence.
My war was Vietnam, which was plenty tough. There were times when I looked death in the face and wondered how much more I could take. I was both scared and tired, and when you mix both together, the combination can be lethal. My "John Wayne" moment never came but I had more than a hint of what it could be like.
In those days, doing something truly heroic on the field of battle meant something. It might even mean a Medal of Honor. Those were days when guts reined supreme. I could hate my first sergeant but that didn't matter as long as I hated the enemy more. The Corps was all duty, honor, God and country. Now, it is duty and country with God and honor being shunted to the sidelines. With a son about to turn 20, I wonder if he could ever know the same Corps.
How did it get this way? Early in the War on Terror, I began to read about our heroic warriors. Yet, there was something amiss. There was a gap between exploits on the battlefield and the medals given in return. I began to research and question our policies, especially for the Medal of Honor. In time, I got an important call. On December 6, I testified before the House Armed Services Committee regarding our highest military award. I told the Committee's panel that the Pentagon had miserably failed to honor the most courageous men and women to ever wear the nation’s uniform. I shared with the Committee that 240 MOHs were awarded for the Vietnam Conflict as compared to two for the War on Terror. I know of numerous cases that warrant a MOH but the Pentagon has turned its back.
I've always connected the Medal of Honor with military valor, but Marine Corps Brigadier General Richard Mills, who also testified that day, let me know the rules are different now. To make his point, he explained that two Marines could fall on grenades and that one could get the Medal of Honor while the other could be just another casualty.
I wasn't sure that I had heard this decorated Marine officer correctly. I raced home that day to North Carolina and spent the evening checking officially stated MOH criteria. I could find nothing that would lead me to determine any other factor that should be taken into consideration. Yes, in theory you could hate your first sergeant and still get the Medal of Honor. Since the hearing, I have written to both Mills and his boss, General James T. Conway, the Commandant, seeking clarity but the Marines haven’t responded.
However, I learned from the Committee staff that I had understood Mills perfectly.
I have no idea what criteria that Mills and Conway have in mind for the Medal of Honor. Whatever it is, I want to know. I am certain there are Members of Congress who would like to be similarly enlightened.
Whatever the current crew is doing at the Pentagon, it certainly isn't honoring our troops when and how it matters. In it is incredible to me that our warriors could fight in Afghanistan and Iraq for five years without one living members of the military receiving the Medal of Honor. By comparison, the Pentagon awarded 27 MOHs for action on Iwo Jima, a battle that took just over a month.
Every young man and woman who wears the uniform deserves to know that their courage will be validated. It is time that our military take the right steps to honor America's most heroic fighters.
Ellie
Joseph Kinney | December 26, 2006
I thought it might happen someday but not in my lifetime. The Marine Corps that I have known and loved is edging steadily toward political correctness.
It didn't seem that long ago that I looked up into the sky to see my Uncle Perry in his majestic Marine dress blues. He had been a veteran of Guadalcanal in World War II and some of the toughest fighting in Korea. Perry and Dwain, his younger brother, were Marines when that could be a death sentence.
My war was Vietnam, which was plenty tough. There were times when I looked death in the face and wondered how much more I could take. I was both scared and tired, and when you mix both together, the combination can be lethal. My "John Wayne" moment never came but I had more than a hint of what it could be like.
In those days, doing something truly heroic on the field of battle meant something. It might even mean a Medal of Honor. Those were days when guts reined supreme. I could hate my first sergeant but that didn't matter as long as I hated the enemy more. The Corps was all duty, honor, God and country. Now, it is duty and country with God and honor being shunted to the sidelines. With a son about to turn 20, I wonder if he could ever know the same Corps.
How did it get this way? Early in the War on Terror, I began to read about our heroic warriors. Yet, there was something amiss. There was a gap between exploits on the battlefield and the medals given in return. I began to research and question our policies, especially for the Medal of Honor. In time, I got an important call. On December 6, I testified before the House Armed Services Committee regarding our highest military award. I told the Committee's panel that the Pentagon had miserably failed to honor the most courageous men and women to ever wear the nation’s uniform. I shared with the Committee that 240 MOHs were awarded for the Vietnam Conflict as compared to two for the War on Terror. I know of numerous cases that warrant a MOH but the Pentagon has turned its back.
I've always connected the Medal of Honor with military valor, but Marine Corps Brigadier General Richard Mills, who also testified that day, let me know the rules are different now. To make his point, he explained that two Marines could fall on grenades and that one could get the Medal of Honor while the other could be just another casualty.
I wasn't sure that I had heard this decorated Marine officer correctly. I raced home that day to North Carolina and spent the evening checking officially stated MOH criteria. I could find nothing that would lead me to determine any other factor that should be taken into consideration. Yes, in theory you could hate your first sergeant and still get the Medal of Honor. Since the hearing, I have written to both Mills and his boss, General James T. Conway, the Commandant, seeking clarity but the Marines haven’t responded.
However, I learned from the Committee staff that I had understood Mills perfectly.
I have no idea what criteria that Mills and Conway have in mind for the Medal of Honor. Whatever it is, I want to know. I am certain there are Members of Congress who would like to be similarly enlightened.
Whatever the current crew is doing at the Pentagon, it certainly isn't honoring our troops when and how it matters. In it is incredible to me that our warriors could fight in Afghanistan and Iraq for five years without one living members of the military receiving the Medal of Honor. By comparison, the Pentagon awarded 27 MOHs for action on Iwo Jima, a battle that took just over a month.
Every young man and woman who wears the uniform deserves to know that their courage will be validated. It is time that our military take the right steps to honor America's most heroic fighters.
Ellie