US Marine awarded Medal of Honor.

[Wildcard Ky]

A Marine has been awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Iraq. Whether you agree with the war or not, this young Marine saved other Marines through a very heroic act.

Our military has many fine men and women in their ranks. It's a shame that sometimes they're only recognized after they've made the ultimate sacrifice.

Medal of Honor

 

[S-Des]

A Marine has been awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Iraq. Whether you agree with the war or not, this young Marine saved other Marines through a very heroic act.

Our military has many fine men and women in their ranks. It's a shame that sometimes they're only recognized after they've made the ultimate sacrifice.

It's far too often that they're not properly recognized for all the good they do (although I think that has changed significantly). Much like the fire & police after 911 (when it became the "in" thing to wear FDNY shirts or hats). As brave and heroic as those men and women were, it's not anything that other departments don't do every day. My daughter told me that she and her mother made cookies and took them to the local fire department for Christmas. That made me incredibly proud.

 

[R. Richard]

A Marine has been awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Iraq. Whether you agree with the war or not, this young Marine saved other Marines through a very heroic act.

Our military has many fine men and women in their ranks. It's a shame that sometimes they're only recognized after they've made the ultimate sacrifice.

Medal of Honor

I used to work for the Marines. I know some of the people over there. I have listened to stories of what goes on in Iraq on a day by day basis. The son-of-a-bitch who grabbed the Marine should have been shot down on sight. However, the folks back home will not stand for that, so we continue to lose fighting men or women. Sad.

 

[SesameStreet]

I used to work for the Marines. I know some of the people over there. I have listened to stories of what goes on in Iraq on a day by day basis. The son-of-a-bitch who grabbed the Marine should have been shot down on sight. However, the folks back home will not stand for that, so we continue to lose fighting men or women. Sad.

I agree. The media does our soldiers as much harm as the enemy at times.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Y'know what I find interesting:

If a thread is posted about a soldier doing something wrong, there would be 5 pages of responses. Post something about a decent soldier that gave all to protect others, and hardly anyone even takes the time to comment.

 

[cloudy]

Y'know what I find interesting:

If a thread is posted about a soldier doing something wrong, there would be 5 pages of responses. Post something about a decent soldier that gave all to protect others, and hardly anyone even takes the time to comment.

Could be because, although most of us support the military itself, we feel that we have absolutely no business over there to begin with.

****and don't start with that "why do you hate freedom" shit. I have a cousin that lost his life with the military over there, and a brother in law that died in the towers.

eta: don't get me wrong, what he did was beyond courageous. But....he shouldn't have been put in a position to be killed by our "leaders."

 

[rgraham666]

Thank you cloudy.

As a Canadian I didn't feel it was my place to comment. But that summed up my thoughts on the subject nicely.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Could be because, although most of us support the military itself, we feel that we have absolutely no business over there to begin with.

****and don't start with that "why do you hate freedom" shit. I have a cousin that lost his life with the military over there, and a brother in law that died in the towers.

eta: don't get me wrong, what he did was beyond courageous. But....he shouldn't have been put in a position to be killed by our "leaders."

Always on the attack, aren't you? As soon as someone says something you aren't sure you agree with, you attack them directly. Did I say anything about you hating freedom? Nope, but you went ahead and made the accusation and attacked anyway.

As I said in the initial posting of this thread, whether or not you agree with the war, this Marine acted in the most noble and heroic of ways. We have many good people in the military, and it's a shame that sometimes the only time they're recognized for how good they are is when they make the ultimate sacrifice.

That was my point. I then made an observation that few people were commenting on what this Marine did, yet if a soldier does something wrong, people have plenty of comments. You chose to make it something else, and to attack for no reason.

 

[Guest]

Could be because, although most of us support the military itself, we feel that we have absolutely no business over there to begin with.

****and don't start with that "why do you hate freedom" shit. I have a cousin that lost his life with the military over there, and a brother in law that died in the towers.

eta: don't get me wrong, what he did was beyond courageous. But....he shouldn't have been put in a position to be killed by our "leaders."

Yes.

AND, because I felt this thread would degenerate into a political argument, I wanted to stay away.

My dad's parents are buried at Arlington. My dad's a Vietnam vet. I greatly respect military honor, courage and sacrifice.

 

[cloudy]

Always on the attack, aren't you? As soon as someone says something you aren't sure you agree with, you attack them directly. Did I say anything about you hating freedom? Nope, but you went ahead and made the accusation and attacked anyway.

As I said in the initial posting of this thread, whether or not you agree with the war, this Marine acted in the most noble and heroic of ways. We have many good people in the military, and it's a shame that sometimes the only time they're recognized for how good they are is when they make the ultimate sacrifice.

That was my point. You chose to make it something else, and to attack for no reason.

Indeed he did.

I wasn't attacking you. I was, instead, making myself very clear. Apparently, many agree with me.

Take it however you like.

*shrug*

(eta: if you're going to make snide comments about how "interesting" something is, don't be surprised when you get replied to in kind)

 

[Wildcard Ky]

I wasn't attacking you.

****and don't start with that "why do you hate freedom" shit.

Okeydokey..................................

 

[cloudy]

Okeydokey..................................

I would be a complete dumbass if I didn't learn from experience what the next comments would be.

 

[Liar]

Y'know what I find interesting:

If a thread is posted about a soldier doing something wrong, there would be 5 pages of responses. Post something about a decent soldier that gave all to protect others, and hardly anyone even takes the time to comment.

B-cuz this is a discussion forum, and there was nothing to discuss. Just a guess.

Good man did a good thing. Kudos. What else is there to add?

 

[TE999]

Just this...

OOOHRAH!

Go get 'em, Marines!

 

[Jagged]

Thanks Marine....I won't waste my time with some of you...brave is brave.

 

[MrsDeathlynx]

I am one of the most patriotic people you will meet, my grandfather was a WWII veteran (who is now buried with his wife in the Maine Veterans cemetary) and my father is a Vietnam veteran suffering from many effects thanks to this, but anyways...

Yes he did a heroic things, a lot of men and women over there have done heroic things. But at the same time things like this make us forget about the little heroic things, the things that happen every day. My father is my hero, but what about the doctor who works in the hospital who's patient was about to die in childbirth along with the child yet somehow he managed to pull out the courage to do something perhaps considered a little unorthodox that saved those two lives? To me that's just as heroic, only we don't give them the credit.

Or even another example, what about the 4 year old who's mother is being beaten upstairs by her boyfriend or someone that broke into their house and manages to call 911?


There are different types of heroes and they all deserved to be recognized, not just a select few...

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

Nngh?

Seriously, guys. Seriously. Knock it off. Yeah, politicize our heroes for a war, conflating warriors with wars, etc...

Snarky insinuations against those who don't support a war as though we somehow care less about heroism or heroes or the people over there. Wanting a war to end doesn't mean we don't recognize the humanity and heroism of those over there nor are heroes solely the dominion of soldiers overseas in heroic battle. I would think all the stories coming from 9/11 would have knocked that fact into our heads.

And let's not forget the wonderful tactic of taking someone's recognition of both sides of an issue and attacking one side only. If you recognize a military atrocity or war crime, you must hate our troops. Enough is enough of that bullshit.

And let us always remember even in conflicts we hate, where there is no good reason for a troop to be there, there are always heroes. I'm sure that somewhere in the Nazi ranks there was some soldier in something like Dresden, trying to help save the lives of his fellow humans as best he could, preforming above and beyond what was called of him. This makes him heroic even if the side he fought for was monstrous beyond imagining.

Yes, I know, an unpleasant and overused analogy I'm sure but I'm not using it to insinuate that Americans are the moral equivalent of Nazi Germany, but rather that no matter one's views on a war, the sides of the war, or the reasons, that these are far separate from the individual soldiers whose only miserable job is to survive the true-embodiment of Hell and to try and save as many of their fellow men at the same time without losing one's honour or soul.

Those who succeed and go beyond the call of duty deserve honours above honours for doing more than we could ask of a rational human and even what one with honour believes he can do. The refugee who sacrifices themselves so that the rest of the fleeing peasants can escape the gunfire, the doctors who went against their leader and the fire of their enemies to save an American soldier in the early part of the Iraq War, this man.

They are all heroes. There actions were heroic and that stands alone and above all else.

If we can't get beyond snark then what's the point? Is it here's a hero, let's kill the sand niggers? If that's the case, then why not just drop the pathetic hero tarnishing and go into a pro-war/anti-war snipefest/dogfight? It'd certainly be more honourable.

No, instead I argue that if we want to rehash that old battle between idiot and rational man (i'll let you guys decide which side is which) then go on ahead.

If we are to honour a trait, an accomplishment few of us would be able to emulate, then let us do so.

Let us raise a glass high to all the heroes of all the wars, living or dead, winner or loser, right side or wrong, refugee or warrior. And while we're at it and our glasses are high, let's add the rest of the heroes, from auto accidents to natural disasters, to verbal battles to life and death struggles. Every time someone proved themselves above and beyond what was asked of them and with extraordinary honour and peril to themselves. To these heroes living or dead, salud and may you all be rightly rewarded either now or whenever you so happen to pass on. You have earned it.