Former Marine to receive Medal of Honor for controversial 2009 battle

Stars and Stripes ^ | July 19, 2011 | Leo Shane III

[LeoWindhorse]

WASHINGTON — A Marine who braved intense enemy gunfire in Afghanistan to recover the bodies of four fallen comrades will receive the Medal of Honor for his heroism, defense officials said Wednesday.

Dakota Meyer, who left the service last year, will be the third living recipient of the award for actions in Afghanistan and the tenth man recognized for exceptional bravery in the current wars. He’ll also be the first living Marine to receive the honor since the Vietnam War.

[fortheDeclaration]

Semper Fi!

[fortheDeclaration]

Jack Murtha was a disgrace to the USMC, accusing them of war crimes!

[Karliner]

Seem to remember the battele. I think "Sand Rat" posted it.

Was during as Cpl Dakota stated a change in ROE's and the battle was harsh with lots of casualties, well he summarized well in the audio klink above. Semper Fi Marine, complete class, and just saddened it was such a FUBAR mission from the start.

Maybe if Obama gave more soldiers as he's hesistant in manpwer yet gives away money like it grows on trees. What an honor, a living person EARNING the MoH, God Bless him and so many blessings to all.

[Stonewall Jackson]

In the mid 50's my grandfather was a battalion commander in Germany and one of his platoon sergeants was a Medal of Honor recipient from WW2. Grandpa used to laugh about the time another battalion commander from elsewhere in the 5th Corps ran into Sergeant Ross and didn't see his ribbon. He was in the middle of dressing him down when the Commanding Officer of the 5th Corps came up, saluted Sergeant Ross, and began talking to him like he was his best friend. The red-faced lieutenant colonel turned around and slinked (slunk?) away.

Concerning Corporal Dakota Meyer, I was just talking with one of my coworkers who is an amateur golfer (can't compete professionally because of a fused ankle, but he's extremely good) and he told me that the country club in Campbellsville, just a few miles from his hometown, has given Corporal Meyer, who is apparently a golfer, a lifetime membership and several companies have gifted him with a ton of gear. Sports Illustrated is going to have an article about Meyer and his love of golf in an upcoming issue and he will most likely be the master of ceremonies at the next major tournament at the Valhalla Golf Course in Louisville.

From what I've read and heard of Corporal Meyer, I'm not sure if he wants or would appreciate all of this attention. Like so many other Medal of Honor recipients, he doesn't believe that he deserves the Medal. I just hope and pray that some peace and solitude out on the back nine with family or friends can help him come to terms with the loss of his four comrades in arms.

[ken5050]

I can't recall ever reading a MoH citation that doesn't mention the death of the recipient's fellow soldiers. You're about to receive the nation's highest award, so it's to be expected that you have the biggest possible case of survivor's guilt. One magnifies the other.

Kudos to the Valhalla Golf Club...I'd like to see the Masters invite him to play next year..

[Stonewall Jackson]

You are correct about the survivor's guilt. I was just reading a book that had a quote from a WW2 Medal recipient. I don't remember the exact words, but it was along the lines of; "Everyone else looks at your Medal and thinks of the men you saved, but you look at it and remember the men you couldn't save."

[ken5050]

As a former Marine, it's nice to know that you don't have to win the MOH posthumously. During the Iraqi War, I'd read the citations for the Navy Cross, and for the life of me, I couldn't understand why they weren't for the MoH, other than they had survived the action.

I'm also opposed to the trend in recent years of upgrading awards to the Medal for actions duirn WW II, Korea, and VietNam. I don't like this selective review, long after the fact.

[Stonewall Jackson]

I agree with you for the most part about the retroactive Medals. About the only exceptions I approve of are Teddy Roosevelt’s (denied by Congress because they didn’t like him), helicopter pilots Bruce Crandall and Ed Freeman were overlooked because of their unit structure (they were nominated but the nominations couldn’t move up the chain of command), and there was one more (I want to say from Vietnam, but it might have been Korea) where the paperwork was actually misfiled but located just a few years ago during the transfer of all Army personnel files to their new home at Fort Knox.

[ArrogantBustard]

Sergeant Ross

That would presumably be Wilburn Kirby Ross.

Here's his citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty near St. Jacques, France. At 11:30 a.m. on 30 October 1944, after his company had lost 55 out of 88 men in an attack on an entrenched, full-strength German company of elite mountain troops, Pvt. Ross placed his light machinegun 10 yards in advance of the foremost supporting riflemen in order to absorb the initial impact of an enemy counterattack. With machinegun and small-arms fire striking the earth near him, he fired with deadly effect on the assaulting force and repelled it. Despite the hail of automatic fire and the explosion of rifle grenades within a stone's throw of his position, he continued to man his machinegun alone, holding off 6 more German attacks. When the eighth assault was launched, most of his supporting riflemen were out of ammunition. They took positions in echelon behind Pvt. Ross and crawled up, during the attack, to extract a few rounds of ammunition from his machinegun ammunition belt. Pvt. Ross fought on virtually without assistance and, despite the fact that enemy grenadiers crawled to within 4 yards of his position in an effort to kill him with handgrenades, he again directed accurate and deadly fire on the hostile force and hurled it back. After expending his last rounds, Pvt. Ross was advised to withdraw to the company command post, together with 8 surviving riflemen, but, as more ammunition was expected, he declined to do so. The Germans launched their last all-out attack, converging their fire on Pvt. Ross in a desperate attempt to destroy the machinegun which stood between them and a decisive breakthrough. As his supporting riflemen fixed bayonets for a last-ditch stand, fresh ammunition arrived and was brought to Pvt. Ross just as the advance assault elements were about to swarm over his position. He opened murderous fire on the oncoming enemy; killed 40 and wounded 10 of the attacking force; broke the assault single-handedly, and forced the Germans to withdraw. Having killed or wounded at least 58 Germans in more than 5 hours of continuous combat and saved the remnants of his company from destruction, Pvt. Ross remained at his post that night and the following day for a total of 36 hours. His actions throughout this engagement were an inspiration to his comrades and maintained the high traditions of the military service.

[Stonewall Jackson]

Yes, indeed. From the sprawling metropolis of Strunk, Kentucky.

Sergeant Ross is one of the few Medal of Honor recipients still alive from WW2. He retired at Fort Lewis and still resides out in the Tacoma area. Back in 2004, when they reactivated the 2nd of the 14th as part of a Stryker Brigade, they had a reunion at Fort Knox and I had the opportunity to meet him. WOW!!!