Pentagon Awards Bronze Stars To 4 Canadians.

[Lancecastor]

The Pentagon has sent Bronze Stars to the four Canadian infantrymen blown to bits by an American F-16 in Afghanistan last April.

The Canadians were on a training exercise at the time when the F-16 made a mistake and laser-guided bombed them into the afterlife.

The Bronze Star is ordinarily granted to American soldiers who distinguish themselves in combat with the enemy.

Does it strike you as odd that the medals would granted to Canadians killed by Americans in friendly fire and that they be mailed to Canada with the families of the dead hearing about it on television first?

Does this devalue the Bronze Star?

 

[Lancecastor]

. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army of the United States after 6 December 1941, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy; or while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

c. Awards may be made for acts of heroism, performed under circumstances described above, which are of lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star.

http://www.americal.org/awards/achv-svc.htm

 

[Liontamr]

Are you sure that's how the families found out about it? By TV or by a fax or phone call?

It doesn't matter really.. no matter how they found out, I still think it's a nice gesture.

 

[Lancecastor]

Are you sure that's how the families found out about it? By TV or by a fax or phone call?

It doesn't matter really.. no matter how they found out, I still think it's a nice gesture.

By watching it on TV.

Here's the thing...one of the families is suing the US military for wrongful death...and one exclusion in the law that covers suing the military is if you are killed in combat.

The Bronze Star is given only for meritorious service....in combat.

So, in short....the US Govt has awarded 4 Bronze Stars by mail to foreign soldiers killed on an exercise by US fire....to try and avoid a lawsuit.

How cheesy is that??

 

[Phoenyx]

I heard Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer's father said fuck the medal. I want my son

 

[Phoenyx]

By watching it on TV.

Here's the thing...one of the families is suing the US military for wrongful death...and one exclusion in the law that covers suing the military is if you are killed in combat.

The Bronze Star is given only for meritorious service....in combat.

So, in short....the US Govt has awarded 4 Bronze Stars by mail to foreign soldiers killed on an exercise by US fire....to try and avoid a lawsuit.

How cheesy is that??

Not True
http://calgary.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ca_ppcli20030225

Ottawa - Four soldiers who died in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan are among the 30 Canadians being honoured with the U.S. Army Bronze Star.

The Bronze Star can be awarded for heroism or meritorious service.

Sgt. Marc Leger, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, Pte. Richard Green and Pte. Nathan Smith, all of 3 Princess Patricia's Light Infantry based in Edmonton, were killed in a "friendly fire" accident last April.

Eight other PPCLI soldiers were injured in the incident. An American pilot believed he was being fired on while the Canadians were conducting a night-time, live-fire exercise on the ground below. A U.S. military hearing will determine whether the pilot will face court martial.

Military officials at the Pentagon say the medals and certificates were sent to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa in January, but the Department of Foreign Affairs says it has not been formally contacted by American officials.

The protocol for awarding the medals would see a committee of the chancellery, under the Governor General, have the final say whether the soldiers would receive the U.S. military honour posthumously.

The Canadian goverment is not delivering the medals

 

[Lancecastor]

Pay attention to this story over the next week or so and you'll hear the legal angle, P.

 

[Phoenyx]

they were killed in combat medal or no medal.

 

[Lancecastor]

they were killed in combat

Really?

And who were they in combat with exactly?

 

[Guest]

Geezes

 

[Lancecastor]

I tend to agree with you, LIW. I heard the lawyers representing one of the dead yesterday. Both Vietnam vets, they were surprised to see the Bronze Star being awarded to non-american soldiers for something that clearly was not "battlefield heroism".

Cheesy move when even the dead are subjected to spin in such a way.