Murthas' Military Service Awards (From His Web site)
Distinguished Service Medal of the United States Marine Corps, upon his retirement from the Marine Corps Reserves for 37 years of distinguished service to his country, 1990. Distinguished Service Medal, Pennsylvania's highest honor, 1977. Meritorious Service Medal, Pennsylvania's second-highest honor, 1976. Bronze Star with Combat V, 1966. Purple Heart, 1966. Purple Heart, second award, 1966. Vietnamese Cross of Galantry, 1966. American Spirit Honor Medal of the Marine Corps Recruit Department, 1952.
However in the document provided by his office purportedly from the Marine Corp said: "The records of this Headquarters show that you are entitled to the Purple Heart and a Gold Star in lieu of a second Purple Heart for wounds received in action against insurgent Communist Guerrilla forces on 22 March and 7 May 1967 in the Republic of Vietnam," according to the letter signed by an individual identified only as A. Gardoni. Gardoni's title is not listed on the letter.
Now it would seem that he was awarded medals before he was there...move over skerry...you got company!!
If Murtha is refusing to release his military records then he has something to hide.
Point, Game, Set, Match!
Distinguished Service Medal, Pennsylvania's highest honor, 1977.
Meritorious Service Medal, Pennsylvania's second-highest honor, 1976.
Since when are the DSM & MSM "Pennsylvania's highest military honors"?
If he was a Marine Rustiest all those years, how can he be getting official military awards from Pennsylvania. If he had been Army or Air National Guard, yeh, they have some state level awards, but AFAIK, the states don't give Awards and Decs to reservists. It's only fairly recently that some states give preferential tuition and such to reservists as opposed to guardsmen from their own states. I was a reservist in a state that only gave them to guardsmen, of course that was in the dark ages, but it's also when Murtha would have been serving in the reserves a few years after his Vietnam tour.