Jessica Lynch Awarded Bronze Star !

Kansas City Star ^ | 7/22/2003 | Gavin McCormick

[Tailgunner Joe]

Pfc. Jessica Lynch receives the
Purple Heart from Lt. Gen. James
B. Peake, U.S. Army surgeon general

[MEG33]

Write the army and complain.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

The only person I can find from the ambush who got a bronze star with a V decice was Sgt. Matthew Rose.

[jokemoke]

My husband received many medals from his 10 years of service in the Army and Vietnam.

So, what, exactly, that Jessica Lynch did (or did not do) cheapens my husbands' military service record?

I don't understand your reasoning. What Jessica did hurts or helps no one except herself.

[ex1630]

ALL the members of the 507th Maintenance who returned (including the "black lady") recieved the Bronze Star (BSM)- some with the "V" for valor, with the exception of one PFC who received the Silver Star. I'm sure that the Apache pilots were also decorated.

ALL recipients of the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) from WW2 were retroactively awarded the BSM( without the "V" ) after the war. I don't know if this practise was extended to CIB vets of Korea and beyond.

One of the reasons the Meritorious Service Medal was created was the over awarding of the BSM in Vietnam - most every junior officer I know who served in the rear at LB in supply/legal/etc. roles has one w/o the "V".

My point is - why not these folks - the BSM has been awarded for far less.

The Purple Heart is awarded for "injuries received in combat with the enemy" - can be a gunshot, a car wreck, or broken glass from a "bunker dive" during a rocket attack ( I've seen that ). You can get one from a "reported" wound - I have one from a TIF (Treated in the Field) scratch - small sliver removed with tweezers, peroxide, a tetanus shot, bandaid. I know guys who had half a dozen TIF's which went unreported at their request to their medical corpsman, since 3 PH's got you sent to the rear and perhaps home - I tried but without success.

The POW Medal - even 15 minutes as a POW gets you this one.

It's interesting to see the creeps over at DU struggle with this - claiming to care for "our troops", but "conflicted" by their elitist disdain for all things military.

ESAD to DU !!!

[Dstorm]

Snort!!! thanks for the coffee on my keyboard.

[Steel Wolf]

Yes, especially for POWs. In the first Gulf War roughly 60% of the men and all of the women who became POWs of the Iraqis were sexually assaulted, from what I've been told. It depends on the culture. The Japanese and Koreans were more apt to physically abuse or kill their male POWs for fun, for instance.

But yes, you are right. It is a possibility, the probability of which varies by culture. You have to know your particular enemy. If I became a prisoner of the North Koreans, for instance, being raped would be about the last of my concerns. If I were a prisoner of the Syrians, it would probably be a close second, right behind survival.

I'm not female, however, and any female soldier should be aware that she will almost certainly be assaulted by whoever captures her.

[Rodney King]

Thanks for the info. I wasn't questioning her POW medal or her Purple Hearts. Apparently, I was misinformed as to the nature of the Bronze Star. I said early on that if they are going to give them to everybody, then fine. Apparently they are just about giving them to everybody, so I have no specific basis for complaint.

[MEG33]

They know..They are probably like a lot of young adults...invincible.

[wingman1]

Do you have a source for Lynch receiving the "V" device?

[DocJ69]

I was awarded a Bronze Star, while a Corpsman with the Marines in 1969/70. I was doing my job, I didn't ask for the recognition, and I'm sure she didn't ask for a Bronze, however someone with a very HIGH rank made the decision. Put your finger pointing at that person. I have seen the Purple Heart given for a simple little piece of shrapnel. I have about four pieces still in my back, I didn't recieve the PH, the gut I was treating lost his legs. I didn't deserve it for a scratch or two.

[Tailgunner Joe]

I heard this reported on FOX News yesterday, but I can't find it on the web.

[Rodney King]

Put your finger pointing at that person.

I never pointed it at Lynch.

[chainsaw]

Ping

[Eagle Eye]

Don't worry, I saw a Bronze Star awarded to an admim officer a few weeks ago. Left me shaking my head.

[yonif]

How do you know she was raped?

[Steel Wolf]

This is what I've been told in during SERE classes. I've not personally interviewed them, and I wasn't there, so I can't vouch for the information personally. As with anything else the Army tells me, I go with the information as far as it sounds reasonable. Where I work, being a POW is a occupational hazard that is taken pretty seriously. I try not to blow off information that could be relevant.

Also, I don't know who James Webb is or why he wasn't notified that POWs are in danger of being abused, or what bearing that has on the discussion.

[GreyWolf]

From the US Army website:

1. Description: A Bronze star 1 ½ inches in circumscribing diameter. In the center thereof is a 3/16-inch diameter superimposed bronze star, the center line of all rays of both stars coinciding. The reverse has the inscription "HEROIC OR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT" and a space for the name of the recipient to be engraved. The star is suspended from the ribbon by a rectangular shaped metal loop with the corners rounded.

2. Ribbon: The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: 1/32 inch White 67101; 9/16 inch Scarlet 67111; 1/32 inch White; center stripe 1/8 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118; 1/32 inch White; 9/16 inch Scarlet; and 1/32 inch White.

3. Criteria:

a. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the military 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, while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

b. 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.

c. Awards may be made to recognize single acts of merit or meritorious service. The required achievement or service while of lesser degree than that required for the award of the Legion of Merit must nevertheless have been meritorious and accomplished with distinction.

4. Components: The following are authorized components of the Bronze Star Medal:

a. Decoration (regular size): MIL-D-3943/22. NSN for decoration set is 8455-00-269-5749. NSN for replacement medal is 8455-00-246-3829.

b. Decoration (miniature size): MIL-D-3943/22. NSN 8455-00-996-5004.

c. Ribbon: MIL-R-11589/18. NSN 8455-00-252-9915.

d. Lapel Button: MIL-R-11484/16. NSN 8455-00-265-4889.

5. Background:

a. General George C. Marshall, in a memorandum to President Roosevelt dated February 3, 1944, wrote: "The fact that the ground troops, Infantry in particular, lead miserable lives of extreme discomfort and are the ones who must close in personal combat with the enemy, makes the maintenance of their morale of great importance. The award of the Air Medal have had an adverse reaction on the ground troops, particularly the Infantry Riflemen who are now suffering the heaviest losses, air or ground, in the Army, and enduring the greatest hardships." The Air Medal had been adopted two years earlier to raise airmen’s morale.

b. President Roosevelt authorized the Bronze Star Medal by Executive Order 9419 dated 4 February 1944, retroactive to 7 December 1941. This authorization was announced in War Department Bulletin No. 3, dated 10 February 1944. The Executive Order was amended by President Kennedy, per Executive Order 11046 dated 24 August 1962, to expand the authorization to include those serving with friendly forces.

c. As a result of a study conducted in 1947, the policy was implemented that authorized the retroactive award of the Bronze Star Medal to soldiers who had received the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge during World War II. The basis for doing this was that the badges were awarded only to soldiers who had borne the hardships which resulted in General Marshall’s support of the Bronze Star Medal. Both badges required a recommendation by the commander and a citation in orders.

d. Order of precedence and wear of decorations is contained in Army Regulation 670-1. Policy for awards, approving authority, supply, and issue of decorations is contained in AR 600-8-22.

GW: IMO, though brave she may be, and with all due respect to her situation and sacrifice, I don't feel she meets the qualifications of the Bronze Star listed above (based on what we currently know). My uncle earned 5 Bronze Stars at Normandy in WWII and again, IMO, this type of politicizing of the award cheapens its meaning.