[Labyrinthos]

If heroics like that only earn the Navy Cross, what does a guy have to do to earn the Medal of Honor?

[A Simple Soldier]

This is my opinion only!!!!!

We will not again likely see a living Medal of Honor recipient.

[Smokin' Joe]

For starters, you have to do what you do and have an officer witness it.

[IGOTMINE]

Generally you have to get killed.

Not bad for a swab jockey ;)

Semper Fi, Chief Bass!

[verity]

only earn the Navy Cross,

What a sorry-ass statement!

[A Simple Soldier]

FYI, politics plays a role when conferring decorations for extraordinary heroism. Who witnesses the action and who recommends the award play very big roles. Surviving or dying plays a role, not a definitive role, but a role nonetheless.

Bill Carpenter's DSC was written up as a Medal of Honor by his battalion commander. If he would have died, as was expected, when he deliberately called the napalm strike on his own unit (the scene depicted in PLATOON is based on this incident, but Carpenter commanded in the 101st), he would have gotten it. The napalm splashed away from his unit and on to the NVA. He and the remnants of his unit survived and "held the field" at the end of the day.

Chesty Puller had 5 Navy Crosses over 3-4 wars. After the 2nd or 3rd NC, he would have likely gotten the Medal of Honor, if he had been killed, in any of the subsequent actions that he was decorated with the NC for.

[HiJinx]

We will not again likely see a living Medal of Honor recipient.

Well said, and probably true. The Engineer NCO who saved his Bn TOC from being overrun at the Baghdad Airport, and died in the process, is currently being considered for award of the CMH. I beleive he is the only one so far from this conflict who has been nominated...

[PhilipFreneau]

>> If heroics like that only earn the Navy Cross, what does a guy have to do to earn the Medal of Honor?

I recall during the Vietnam war several Navy Hospital Corpsmen threw themselves onto grenades to prevent injury or death to their fellow Marines. In at least one case the grenade failed to explode. They were awarded Medals of Honor.

[Travis McGee]

My question too!!!! WOW!!!

[91B]

There was an Air Force forward air controller in Afghanistan who called in numerous air strikes under heavy fire when the chopper got shot down trying to rescue the SEAL-Neil Roberts (?)-who fell (or was knocked out of-can't remember exactly) another chopper. I read the guys testimony about the events of that day on Hackworth's site and he seemed deserving of a CMH to me. As far as I know he hasn't been awarded a lesser award, so maybe they are working on getting the medal of honor for him.

The whole decorations issue stinks IMHO, I recently read about a Marine tanker in Iraq who pulled his CO to safety under heavy fire and was given a Bronze Star (which seems like less than he deserved). Why have these awards of they aren't going to be given to anyone?

This troop and the SF officer who helped put down the POW insurrection in Afghanistan are the only men I've heard of to win a service cross in the WOT.