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My cousin Joe was with 1-1 HQ Company in '66, I will ask him if he remembers Murtha, when I see him next.

I don't ever remember any Intelligence Officers in the field, when there was shooting going on anyway, in my Viet Nam experience, maybe the crotch was different. I do remember a directive from MAC-V about the awarding of Hearts in '67, that said you had to have some Iron in you to get one, there was a lot of Medal inflation going on at the time.

I don't doubt that some units followed the "No Iron, No Color" format....

The criteria for awarding Purple Hearts, is flexible to some degree - assuming they would be interpreted and applied by honorable men assessing the claims of honorable men......... As a result - some assholes violated the intent.

(2) A wound is defined as an injury to any part of the body from an outside force or agent sustained under one or more of the conditions listed above. A physical lesion is not required, however, the wound for which the award is made must have required treatment by a medical officer and records of medical treatment for wounds or injuries received in action must have been made a matter of official record.

A "Medical OFFICER" -- in almost every case would have required a wound serious enough to require medivac....

In any case -- I doubt Murtha's "award" will hold up to scrutiny...

Semper Fi

In I Corps - most Intel Officers were NOT REMF...they were often "near in fear" when the SHTF!
It was not uncommon to have them exposed and in harm's way... Hell, you could even get yourself killed mainside DaNang!
I have no difficulty accepting the story that Murtha may have been of this type and in harm's way ---- I simply doubt the truth of his "heroics" and his DESERVING two "Purple Hearts"..

Semper Fi