The back side says "John 15:13" and "A Fallen Friend," and it includes a space for the name of the person who was killed.
Posted on 06/26/2004 4:22:37 AM PDT by BluegrassScholar
KNOXVILLE - Since 1995, Bob Parker has sent nearly 2,000 honorary medallions to survivors of soldiers, police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.
Parker and his nonprofit organization Fallen Friend has 17 more medallions to give, including one for Pat Tillman, the football player who quit the NFL to become an Army Ranger and was killed in April in Afghanistan.
But Tillman's family and others won't receive their medallions.
The Army has stopped helping Parker and Fallen Friend distribute the medals because there is a reference to a Bible verse on the back, according to two letters Parker received from the Army.
The Marines, Navy and Air Force have continued to provide Parker with names, but those branches ask the families first if they want to receive the medallions.
"The denial is based upon the religious content on the medallion. There are some next of kin that may find the inscription offensive to their personal religious beliefs," wrote Lt. Col. Kevin Logan, chief of the casualty operations division.
The 70-year-old Parker, an Army veteran who lives near the Kentucky border in Clairfield, hasn't been able to change the decision and plans to keep fighting.
He believes the families should have a choice to accept the medals or refuse them.
The gold-colored medallion is about the size of an Olympic medal and is inscribed with words "A Fallen Friend," the soldier's name and John 15:13: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
One side of the medallion has a picture of a bell with hands cupped around it with the words "Liberty Rings for All Nations" and "United We Stand, Divided We Fall" around it.
The medal design has been the same since Fallen Friend sent out its first medal to a family of an Army soldier killed in the Bosnian peace-keeping mission. Parker has never received any complaints about the medallions before or had any family return one.
"These people die for a choice. That's what really broke me up," Parker said. "The families that would like to have the medallions don't have the choice to say yes or no. They are denying them the very thing that these people are dying for - freedom of choice."
The military branches provide Parker the names of the soldiers, and he sends the medals to the military to be distributed to the survivors.
In April, the Army returned 16 medals Parker had already engraved. Parker received a letter dated April 27 from the Army, notifying him that each group that wishes to send gifts or letters to the next of kin has to fill out a questionnaire to be approved.
Parker returned the questionnaire, which prompted the Army to write another letter dated May 4 denying Parker's request.
The Army reviewed its practice this spring of helping people send items to survivors and found some of the items were inappropriate.
Unbelievable! I just cannot imagine that this happens in America, the country which is known around the world for its strong support for the Republic and its soldiers!
This concept is universal. The fact that the phrase is contained in the Bible has no relevance concerning the recipient's faith. This decision was therefore in error.
A Lieutenant Colonel did not make this decision.
Given that the writing doesn't even apparently include the reference to where it's from, I can't imagine offense from anyone sane. I mean, if there was a generic and appropriate self-evident verse from the Koran on the back, would anyone normal care?
Great, this kind of BS needs identified. The Army is way to PC as it is.
I hope the mainstream media in the US picks this up and embarasses the Army, this LTC and his superior who he is probably parroting.
The media focuses on BS reference the military and then tends to over look such shameful and discusting examples of idiotic behavior from senior military personnel.
Red6
This kind of rot will be the downfall of this great country.
The back side says "John 15:13" and "A Fallen Friend," and it includes a space for the name of the person who was killed.
This PC bullsh!t really aggravates.
I guess the crosses at Arlington are the next to go....
"This PC bullsh!t really aggravates."
Of course it does. That's because it is the sound of the badguys winning. It's the sound of America dying.
Too true. We're being nibbled to death by PC ducks.
Ah, a misquote in the article. Makes the decision not quite as stupid...but it's still stupid.
Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
E-Mail
President George W. Bush:
president@whitehouse.gov
Vice President Richard Cheney:
vice.president@whitehouse.gov
"A Lieutenant Colonel did not make this decision."
I'll second that.
Probably a lawyer to avert the ACLU from licking their chops.
Casualty Operations Division (COD)
Operations Center (24 hours a day )
Toll Free number: 1-800-626-3317
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.