Dorian

“he really didn't care about decorations….So whenever I mention my brother's service and someone says to thank him for it, I relay it to my brother, of course he acts embarrassed by it…”

I think that's typical of real heroes and I believe an earlier comment by LionAsian might apply here:

“Like we say, no real soldier tells his story; he tells the stories of others.”

But thank you, for telling it

By the way, is he you “baby brother” or your “older” brother?

(Don't feel you have to answer this)

Dorian

Here is a funny story, kinda sad actually, about my brother who I'm fiercly proud of. He was part of the first group of 3,000 soldiers who went into Iraq during desert storm to scout and gather intelligence on the Iraq border. His unit found themselves in a mine field under fire and one 19 or 19 year old kid stepped on a “toe popper” designed to disable soldiers. My brother threw caution aside and moved up to the kid under fire put the kid over his bad and carried him to safety. The army decorated him for this, but he really didn't care about decorations and he never got the one thing that he really wanted for his act, a simple “Thank You” from the soldier he rescued. He never heard from that soldier again.

So whenever I mention my brother's service and someone says to thank him for it, I relay it to my brother, of course he acts embarrassed by it, but I think it helps fill that hole from the missing “Thank You”.

Dorian

I just happened to read that under revisions being considered by Congress as to how Medals of Honor are awarded, Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, R-Calif., who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, is proposing that in some cases, a panel of 10 or so people who have received the Medal of Honor would look at citations and recommend an ‘up-award,’ such as taking a Navy Cross and making it a Medal of Honor”

I'll be writing more on this in the next couple of days

Dorian

“Dorian i hope you don't mind me posting this…”

Not at all. Thank you

It is refreshing to see so much interest in a subject that should be so near to our hearts–the bravery and sacrifice of our service men and women.

It is also refreshing–gratifying–to see a thread of comments that is not replete with political “gotcha's,” one-upmanship, and snide remarks.

Thank you all, and especially thank you joeinhell

Dorian de Wind

P.S. I am purposedly ignoring one short remark at the end of one comment because I know that was not meant to break the spirit of this thread on which the same person earlier said “Tidbits is correct – politics is set aside”

S.fi, man.

And thank you for your service to our nation. You should have heard that then, but you didn't.
May that never happen again to any American in uniform. Freakin' liberals.

Then I called Marine Corps personnel at the Pentagon. Totally unauthorized but I was well past the point of caring about rules and regulations. Got crap from some night duty gunnery sergeant. Called the night duty officer and carefully explained to him who I was, what the situation was, what I expected him to do instantly and then I told him that I could get the Marine Corp commandant's home phone number if he did not move soonest.

Went over to check on the Marine. He'd eaten but didn't want a drink. I took him over to the Red Cross and whispered to one of the girls what medal he held.

Called back the night duty officer and confirmed the guy held it. I asked what the Marines paid extra for a holder and he didn't know, so I went over to headquarters and found the regulations that the army had for a army holder of the medal. Then I typed up an army pay voucher and included all of the months of back pay that he had not been paid. Got a senior warrant officer to sign it. Put a note with it explaining who I was and why I had paid what I had, put the spare copy in his pay file and filled out the payment section, noting that I might have underpaid the Marine.

Got the Marine from the Red Cross girls and took and showed him where the post office was if he wanted to buy money orders and where the bank was if he wanted to start an account.

Took him back over to the unit cashier section and took him to the head of the line. Just shushed the grumble of complaints. He got paid, something like $2500 to $3500. When he signed the pay form, I had to hold it against the wall and he wrote from the shoulder, his arm was so screwed up.

When he finished, I called everyone to attention and right faced them and ordered a salute. He was embarrassed. I said, it's been a pleasure helping you, sir. He sorta gave a salute with that bad arm.

When he hit the street, he had that Marine Corp strut, bad leg and all. He was proud.

I turned back to everyone and ordered at ease. Then I said, “He holds the Congressional Medal of Honor, he will always go to the head of the line and he will always take the salute. He's a Marine. He got his medal the hard way. He's a hero.” Then they all cheered.

I never knew until now why he had not been paid the CMOH extra.

I never knew if he was AWOL or a deserter or why he was there. I would have paid him anyway and I would have saluted him.

Authority and privileges

The U.S. Army Medal of Honor was first authorized by a joint resolution of Congress on July 12, 1862. The specific authorizing statute was 10 U.S.C. § 3741, which states:
“ The President may award, and present in the name of Congress, a medal of honor of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to a person who while a member of the Army, distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.[36] ”
The grave of a recipient at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
Grave of a recipient at the Memphis National Cemetery

Later authorizations created similar medals for other branches of the service.

The Medal of Honor confers special privileges on its recipients. By law, recipients have several benefits:[37][38][39]

* Each Medal of Honor recipient may have his or her name entered on the Medal of Honor Roll (38 U.S.C. § 1560). Each person whose name is placed on the Medal of Honor Roll is certified to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being entitled to receive the special pension of US$1,027 per month above and beyond any military pensions or other benefits for which they may be eligible. As of December 1, 2004, the pension is subject to cost-of-living increases.

* Enlisted recipients of the Medal of Honor are entitled to a supplemental uniform allowance.
* Recipients receive special entitlements to air transportation under the provisions of DOD Regulation 4515.13-R.
* Special identification cards and commissary and exchange privileges are provided for Medal of Honor recipients and their eligible dependents.
* Fully qualified children of recipients are eligible for admission to the United States military academies without regard to the nomination and quota requirements.
* Recipients receive a 10% increase in retired pay under 10 U.S.C. § 3991.
* Those awarded the medal after October 23, 2002, also receive a Medal of Honor Flag. The law also specifies that all 103 living prior recipients also receive the flag.(14 U.S.C. § 505).
* As with all medals, retired personnel may wear the Medal of Honor on “appropriate” civilian clothing. Regulations also specify that recipients of the Medal of Honor are allowed to wear the uniform “at their pleasure” with standard restrictions on political, commercial, or extremist purposes; other former members of the armed forces may do so only at certain ceremonial occasions.[40][41]

Saluting

* It is customary for a Medal of Honor recipient to always be saluted, no matter what the rank.[42]
* Recipients are always greeted and saluted before non-recipients are greeted or saluted.

Wickipedia

When the Metal of Honor is awarded does it involve anything besides the award at the ceremony?

But I'll check into it.

Thanks for your comments

I think the story is back burner material since Ahmadinijad has been confirmed to have nuke capability by the UN. Apparently that superceded SFC Monti's heroism. Let's face it….. It would have been back burner material if this happened during the Michael Jackson funeral as well.

SFC Monti is a hero and more than deserves this honor.

And to DE Rodriguez…. During my time in the military (22 years), it seemed that most of the Medal of Honor candidates have already been awarded a Silver Star (or similar honor) and are waiting for those awards to be “upgraded” to MoH status. Is that the case?

Thanks for your interest.

Dorian

Back again.

As an example there is a young Marine, Sgt. Rafael Peralta, who was recommended for the Medal of Honor back in 2004 by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. After being shot in Iraq the young Marine fell on the ground and scooped a grenade under his body to protect his buddies. He was killed but his buddies lived.

In September, 2008, Rafael Peralta’s family was notified by the Marine Corps that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates had rejected the Marine Corps’ recommendation for Sgt. Peralta to receive the Medal of Honor.

The panel that reviewed the recommendation claimed that Peralta’s actions did not meet the standard of “without any possibility of error or doubt”.

His case is still being “appealed”. You can read more about it at

http://themoderatevoice.com/30745/stolen-valor-…