USMC Medal of Honor holder Dakota Meyer (medal, marriage, merged)

[midget-boyd91]

I didn't see any topics on this already so...

Living Marine receives MoH for his actions in Afghanistan.
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/20/report-marine-to-get-medal-of-honor-for-afghanistan-actions/?hpt=hp_t2

Dakota Meyer, who now lives in Austin, Texas, will be the first living Marine to receive the nation's highest military honor since the Vietnam War. Two living Army soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry and Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, have received the medal in the past year.

Meyer will be recognized for his actions on September 8, 2009, in Ganjgal, a remote Afghan village near the border with Pakistan. As his unit of 13 U.S. service members came under attack by a force of 50 heavily-armed insurgents, Meyer, a corporal at the time, repeatedly ran through enemy fire to recover the bodies of fellow American troops.

To the good Sgt, and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice that day.

Also, not in an attempt to stir the pot, but has there been any more talk on possible VCs being awarded to Canadians for their actions? Why have a medal of such prestige if it is not to be awarded?

 

[mariomike]

Also, not in an attempt to stir the pot, but has there been any more talk on possible VCs being awarded to Canadians for their actions? Why have a medal of such prestige if it is not to be awarded?

The V.C. is rare. In World War Two, with tens of thousands of Canadians killed, only 16 were awarded:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/sub.cfm?source=history/secondwar/fact_sheets/vcwinner

None were awarded for the Korean War.

 

[benny88]

The V.C. is rare. In World War Two, with tens of thousands of Canadians killed, only 16 were awarded:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/sub.cfm?source=history/secondwar/fact_sheets/vcwinner

None were awarded for the Korean War.

I understand the correlation to numbers of troops deployed, but after a 10 year conflict, surely some actions are as valorous as many of the ones I've read about from the Second World War. It's a political decision based on public opinion about ops in Afghanistan and it's a real shame, those people deserve to be decorated.

 

[dangerboy]

It's a political decision based on public opinion about ops in Afghanistan and it's a real shame, those people deserve to be decorated.

Where do you get the idea that it is a political decision?  The majority of honours and awards get denied at the unit level.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Where do you get the idea that it is a political decision?  The majority of honours and awards get denied at the unit level.

Yup. It's a shame, for all the courses we run in the military, based on my relatively limited experience anyways, that we never train anyone how to recognize or properly write up decorations for valour etc, especially at the Pl/Tp/Coy/Sqn//Bn/Regt level. these things seem to happen almost by accident, or at the instigation of local (visionary) commanders.

 

[OldSolduer]

As dangerboy stated, the majority get stopped at unit level.

Some don't get written at all.

 

[dangerboy]

I agree with daftandbarmy about the lack of information on how you properly write people up.  I just looked at the lesson plan for the PLQ course and it says what the differant  honours and awards are but it does not state how you go about writting people up.  I think a lot of times people don't get the recognition as people don't know how to write them up.  Also various units have differant variations on what is "just doing his job".

 

[OldSolduer]

Fully agreed dangerboy. There is no "template" to write up awards and honours qs each one will be different.

Basically, if the who, what, when and where are covered with good descriptions of the incident/action then the better the chances of it making its way up. Also, this sort of thing should be corroborated and witnessed ideally by more than one person.

 

[Old Sweat]

Tell me, is the recommendation for a specific award, or is it just for a generic award? I was discussing honours and awards with an officer who had been a battery commander in Afghanistan and he stated the latter.

 

[Rheostatic]

I believe JTF-A had a template or at least a guide, and from what I remember the recommendation would be categorized by combat-related incidents (to include decorations for valour and MiD), non-combat incidents (bravery decorations), and merit (meritorious service decorations and commendations). The level of the award would be determined after the nomination went in. IIRC, anyway.

 

[mariomike]

I understand the correlation to numbers of troops deployed, but after a 10 year conflict, surely some actions are as valorous as many of the ones I've read about from the Second World War. It's a political decision based on public opinion about ops in Afghanistan and it's a real shame, those people deserve to be decorated.

I said killed. For example, I have an interest in Canadians who served in Bomber Command. Only one was awarded the Victoria Cross, in spite of the fact that 10,659 were killed. There were no living V.C.'s. awarded.

Highlight mine.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I said killed. For example, I have an interest in Canadians who served in Bomber Command. Only one was awarded the Victoria Cross, in spite of the fact that 10,659 were killed. There were no living V.C.'s. awarded.

Highlight mine.

I understand from family friends who served in Bomber Command that one of the reasons for the paucity of VCs was that 'Bomber' Harris didn't approve of such things, even for a force whose casualty rate outstipped that of the infantry.

It would be interesting to see some keen historians dig up some information that results in some deserving bomber folks a retroactive VC. I suppose that would be too much though as they'd have to give it to anyone who fought in a Wellington  :nod:

 

[Infanteer]

Tell me, is the recommendation for a specific award, or is it just for a generic award? I was discussing honours and awards with an officer who had been a battery commander in Afghanistan and he stated the latter.

Different formations/commands will likely have different policies.  Back home in the Army, you put exactly what you are submitting for.  CEFCOM may work a differently with the valour awards.

 

[mariomike]

I understand from family friends who served in Bomber Command that one of the reasons for the paucity of VCs was that 'Bomber' Harris didn't approve of such things, even for a force whose casualty rate outstipped that of the infantry.

It would be interesting to see some keen historians dig up some information that results in some deserving bomber folks a retroactive VC. I suppose that would be too much though as they'd have to give it to anyone who fought in a Wellington  :nod:

There are many examples. This one is typical:
"On the bombing run, the aircraft was hit by heavy flak and damaged Port Outer engine, which caught fire and was feathered. The aircraft bombed at 0130 hours and at 0132 hours the Port Inner Engine caught fire and was also feathered. Both fires were rapidly extinguished and no casualties resulted. The aircraft lost height and crossed the Dutch coast at 14,000 feet. Port Outer was ticking over, giving no lift but keeping “G” serviceable. Shortly afterwards the Starboard Inner engine caught fire and cut, extinguished by Gravenor, but loss of this engine rendered instruments unserviceable, including “George”. It was decided to make a base in Norfolk instead of ditching.

The searchlights marking Colitshall were not seen and the Captain gave the order to abandon, and signified his intention of following the crew. He maintained the aircraft straight whilst the crew baled out, all landing successfully and without accident. The aircraft continued on its course and crashed into overhead cables in open country. The Pilot crashed with the aircraft and lost his life.
His gallant act of self-sacrifice undoubtedly saved the lives of numerous families living in the surrounding village, and also of his crew who safely landed by parachute." ( His six crewmates all had time to jump safely and survived, uninjured. ):
http://airforce.ca/awards.php?search=1&keyword=&page=134&mem=&type=rcaf

 

[midget-boyd91]

Perhaps a thread split is in order now?
Geez, I did say "not to stir the pot..."    ;D

 

[ModlrMike]

I agree with daftandbarmy about the lack of information on how you properly write people up.  I just looked at the lesson plan for the PLQ course and it says what the different  honours and awards are but it does not state how you go about writing people up.  I think a lot of times people don't get the recognition as people don't know how to write them up.  Also various units have different variations on what is "just doing his job".

The foregoing is a gap in the training of NCOs and Officers alike. It is not unreasonable to include "how to write a recommendation for an award" on both the PLQ and ILQ as well, making it part of the JR Officer trg syllabus. I've sat on several H&A boards and I've seen a large number of poorly written recommendations cross my desk. I can guarantee that the poorly written ones face an uphill battle. WRT a template, that only give you the skeleton... the nominator has to put the rest of it together.

 

[Infanteer]

The foregoing is a gap in the training of NCOs and Officers alike. It is not unreasonable to include "how to write a recommendation for an award" on both the PLQ and ILQ as well, making it part of the JR Officer trg syllabus. I've sat on several H&A boards and I've seen a large number of poorly written recommendations cross my desk. I can guarantee that the poorly written ones face an uphill battle. WRT a template, that only give you the skeleton... the nominator has to put the rest of it together.

Agreed.  Having handled H&A at the formation level, it is all in the write up; there should almost be some formal instruction for Adjutants prior to them filling the seat.

 

[bick]

Sgt Dakota Meyer has received his Medal of Honor today from The President.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/09/15/marine.medal.of.honor/index.html?&hpt=hp_c2

 

[mike63]

Wow, incredible story...most deserving...Bravo Zulu Sgt Meyer.

 

[cupper]

The Post's story included a humorous recounting by Obama about when he called to inform Myers of the award.

When President Obama recently called to tell Meyer he would be awarded the Medal of Honor, the military’s highest honor, Meyer didn’t take the call. Meyer, now 23, was working a new job in construction and asked the president to call him back another time.

“He told me, ‘If I don’t work, I don’t get paid,’ ” Obama recounted with a chuckle Thursday afternoon in the medal ceremony for Meyer in the gilded East Room of the White House.

“Dakota is the kind of guy who gets the job done,” Obama said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/marine-cpl-dakota-meyer-receives-medal-of-honor/2011/09/15/gIQACqAKVK_blog.html?hpid=z2

Unfortunately, there were some who couldn't leave the politics out of it:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/44/post/obama-shares-beer-with-medal-of-honor-recipient-sparking-debate-between-critics-reporters/2011/09/15/gIQAQXfUUK_blog.html?hpid=z3