Posted on 03/18/2014 11:47:15 AM PDT by cll
Army Sgt. Ashley Randall never knew her grandfather, never knew of his heroism in Korea, until President Obama told her that she was next of kin to a Medal of Honor recipient.
"I didn't know anything, not even his name," Randall said of her grandfather, Army Pvt. Demensio Rivera, who was killed at age 18 in Korea during an enemy assault.
~ snip ~
Rivera, originally from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, was drafted into the Army from New York City. He was an automatic rifleman serving with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, when his platoon's forward outpost came under night assault.
The Army's account of Rivera's DSC said that he "held his forward position tenaciously, although exposed to very heavy fire. When his rifle became inoperative, Rivera employed his pistol and grenades, and eventually fought the enemy hand-to-hand and forced them back."
~ snip ~
In addition to Rivera, three others of Puerto Rican descent will also be awarded with the Medal of Honor -- Staff Sgt. Félix M. Conde Falcón, Master Sgt. Juan Negrón, and Pvt. Miguel Vera.
In a statement, Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner in Washington, hailed the recognition "of these four soldiers from Puerto Rico, who are a source of tremendous pride for our island."
Master Sgt. Negron, who died in 1996, will be the first member of the famed 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the "Borinqueneers" for their heritage, to receive the award, Pierluisi said.
"The regiment was composed mostly of soldiers from the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, and its toughness, courage and loyalty earned the admiration of many people who had previously harbored reservations about Puerto Rican soldiers based on stereotypes," Pierluisi said.
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
These warriors richly deserve the belated honors. What grates me is that I’m 100% sure Obama did it now only for political purposes. He could give crap about the sacrifices military, past and present, have given for this country.
The review for these Medals are based on a 2002 law.
I knew it would be PC from Uhbama. He loves talking about how bad we were and how all these poor veterans were so discriminated against. I.e., no regular white guys today. All suffered in America and it is about time we honored them, blah blah blah. Next it will be a poor oppressed homo veteran.
Zero was stoned again and couldn’t even remember the names of the recipients without having to read them.
I would have refused the medal and walked off the stage.
I also didn’t know Bozo considers PR to be a “small town”
” Next it will be a poor oppressed homo veteran”.
You’re exactly right. That’s next. He will probably have a couple of hundred queers saying they got were kicked out because the military said they had a mental disorder. And they are planning on suing the Dept of Defense. Oh, sorry, that’s already happening!
Those queers that got kicked out for mental disorders are also claiming they have PTSD for the military making them go through such an ordeal. They all want to be rated 100% by the VA. With the Kenyan in charge, they’ll also get backpay from the time of their discharge. And probably a distinguished service cross for good measure.
I heard that too.
Look, “these poor veterans” all earned the MOH. Whatever the circumstances of the award, they are heroes. So take your “blah blah blah” and stuff it.
No offense to the veterans themselves.
As soon as Uhbama started yapping he went PC. Makes me think any there were chosen specifically because O could make a point. Including about how awful this country is, and I’m sick of that liberal version.
Well I refuse to dishonor their service. Not their fault that Obama is the one awarding the medals. And have you read the citations? Which one do you think didn’t deserve the MOH?
Individuals in both groups being decorated are recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second-highest award for valor in combat. This award alone is a high honor.
The upgrade to Medal of Honor in every instance is going to individuals based on ethnicity issues, real or imagined, that possibly prevented them from receiving the medal originally.
It's interesting that both presidents handing out this award never served a day in the U.S. military.
President Bill Clinton was a draft dodger from the Vietnam era.
Obama's reason for not serving is more obscure, much like the rest of his past.
Of the 45 individuals awarded the medal by Clinton, or about to receive it from Obama, no doubt a few are deserving. Certainly not all.
This is nothing more than a cynical political ploy by two Democrat presidents to pander to their constituent base.
The prestige of the Medal of Honor is being diminished greatly by awarding it in such a cavalier fashion.
PS ... I should add as a measure of contrast the Marines 'Chesty' Puller was awarded the Navy Cross five times (the Navy's equivalent to the DSC) and one Distinguished Service Cross.
Not aware of any effort to upgrade any of General 'Chesty' Puller's six medals to MOH status. No further comment needed.
I am not dis honoring their service. I contend that this is a group assembled to apologize for The Endless Sins of the USA. That’s all. Sorry whenever speeches like that are made and preferred groups assembled, I am suspicious. Doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it, just that that is not the primary purpose. The prime purpose is for them to be poster children for the evils of racist America.
“Which one do you think didn’t deserve the MOH?”
I don’t have the numbers, but a lot of DSCs and others start out as MOH write-ups but get cut down as the paperwork goes up the chain. I worked with one guy who got a DFC and another who had three Silver Stars from Vietnam.
I agree totally. I’d like to add that the award of these medals are timed to fit 0bama’s political interests. Too bad a REAL president wasn’t available for the presentation ceremony.
I take it that you don’t realize that these honors are the result of a 2002 law that mandated the review of hundreds of DSCs and not something that was initiated by the Obama administration. I can also tell that you haven’t read the citations for these awards.
You might call it a cynical ploy to pander to his base, but we all know that his base couldn’t care a rat’s ass about the military, much less about today’s ceremony. His base is too busy with Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Jay Z. There was almost no publicity for this event. It wasn’t even televised in prime time, if at all. Tomorrow the only ones that will remember these heroes are their families and the very few of us who follow their feats.
I dislike Obama and all he stands for as much as the next guy. But it was only his turn to hand these awards out. Most of the recipients are dead and only three will get a pension out of this and very late in their lives at that.
You can be jaded as you want, but I will remain in awe at their heroics and will continue to honor them so.
Just as I will continue to honor Chesty Puller, Dick Winters, Bud Anderson, David Cooper, and all the other multiple awardees of the highest honors.
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