[ex-Texan]

Just as I predicted months ago to loud criticism by several very vocal FReepers.

[Rodney King]

The awarding of spurious medals only cheapens the honor of those who deserved them. She did nothing to deserve the medal.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Women's Role in Combat Questioned

[Malesherbes]

Well, I'm glad she's getting it and will enjoy watching her homecoming to her little town in West Virginia. But, I'm still opposed to sending women into combat.

[jaykay]

I remember the other POWs from the 507th receiving their medals at a ceremony at Ft. Bliss about a month ago. The article I read listed the medals awarded to each soldier and what that soldier did to receive the medals. Shoshana Johnson, the only other female POW was reported to have received a bronze star, but no description of why. So Lynch and Johnson receive bronze stars and the reason for the awards are not given only in thier cases. I don't think the medals were awarded without merit, but that these two women suffered things that they would rather not have known.

[opbuzz]

From a rollling Stone article on Recon Marines

.... Obtaining (Sgt) Colbert's respect is no small feat. He maintains high standards of personal and professional conduct and expects the same from those around him. This year he was selected as team leader of the year in First Recon. Last year he was awarded a Navy Commendation for helping to take out an enemy missile battery in Afghanistan, where he led one of the first teams of Marines on the ground. ...

I see the Navy routinely disburse Navy Commandation madals for being at work on a regular basis. I knew a special forces LtCol who recieved a bronze star for serving as Administration Officer during the first Gulf War.

Medals have been stripped of their value.

[xm177e2]

She gets a Broze Star for bravery, for standing her ground in the face of a relentless assault. Fending off media advances, she refused to dispute the made-up story of her heroic battle (which played well here at home on the TV helping Bush keep the war popular), instead claiming to have amnesia. She took one for the team, and now she gets her public relations medal.

[Pern]

A Bronze Star, usually awarded for Sacrifice and Valor in Combat, awarded to a pretty white girl because (besides being a pretty white girl) she and her company got lost, got ambushed, were defeated, and taken captive by the enemy.

I can understand the Purple Heart, maybe even a POW medal, but the Bronze Star? It's a publicity stunt, and it cheapens the value of the medal, and mocks the people that actually deserve it.

Welcome to the new, politically correct, kinder, gentler Armed Forces.

[Viet Vet in Augusta GA]

"The Bronze Star is given for meritorious combat service..." Confused reporter. You can get a Bronze Star for meritorious service, or you can get a Bronze Star with V device for "valor". Not clear from story which she got. Lots of folks in my war got meritorious service Bronze Stars for showing up for duty.

[chainsaw]

Ping

[DH]

Like everything else today that is PC, our battlefield medals and awards are now awarded simply to increase one's SELF-ESTEEM! Now you get them if you are in a car wreck.....but only if you are a woman!

[GreatOne]

I hope she has enough honor and courage to not accept the award, or to give to one of her fallen comrades posthumously at the very least. This PC/feminazi crap is really pissing me off these days. It gives credence to Rumsfeld's total disregard of the top-ranking generals, who were all appointed by the former scumbag-occupier of the White House, and who share their destructive philosophy.

[sandydipper]

Jessi has more "I don't remember's" than Hillary.

[snopercod]

Let's see...She got lost and wandered into enemy territory, failed to keep her weapon clean so it jammed when she needed it, got captured by enemy troops...yup, that qualifies for heroism.

I am glad the young lady survived, and regret her injuries, but this is a slap in the face to those who really deserved the bronze star.

[Don Corleone]

Purple Heart...YES! Bronze Star....NO!!!!

[Khurkris]

I can understand the Purple Heart. But I would be very interested in what the citation for the Bronze Star actually says on it.

Nobody asked me, but I am not very impressed with all the hoopla concerning Ms. Lynch. It sounded like a goat cluster that just got worse as it went on.

[dark_mooncat]

The official parameters for the award of a Bronze Star [scroll down, other decorations listed first]

http://www.americal.org/awards/achv-svc.htm

"3-13. Bronze Star Medal

a. The Bronze Star Medal was established by Executive Order 9419, 4 February 1944 (superseded by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962).

b. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army of the United States after 6 December 1941, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy; or while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

c. Awards may be made for acts of heroism, performed under circumstances described above, which are of lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star.

d. The Bronze Star Medal may be awarded for meritorious achievement or meritorious service according to the following:

(1) Awards may be made to recognize single acts of merit or meritorious service. The lesser degree than that required for the award of the Legion of Merit must nevertheless have been meritorious and accomplished with distinction.

(2) Award may be made by letter application to Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN: DARP-VSE-A, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200 (enclosing documentary evidence, if possible), to each member of the Armed Forces of the United States who after 6 December 1941, has been cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, inclusive, or whose meritorious achievement has been other wise confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947. For this purpose, an award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge is considered as a citation in orders. Documents executed since 4 August 1944 in connection with recommendations for the award of decorations of higher degree than the Bronze Star Medal will not be used as the basis for an award under this paragraph.

(3) Upon letter application, award of the Bronze Star Medal may be made to eligible soldiers who participated in the Philippine Islands Campaign between 7 December 1941 to 10 May 1942. Performance of duty must have been on the island of Luzon or the Harbor Defenses in Corregidor and Bataan. Only soldiers who were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (Presidential Unit Citation) may be awarded this decoration. Letter application should be sent to the Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN: DARP-VSE-A, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200."

For emphasis: "distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service...in connection with military operations against an armed enemy" I remember saying at the time if the initial descriptions of her conduct were accurate, I believed she deserved a Bronze Star with a V [appended to recognize life and limb being risked in the face of the enemy].

One thing that makes me uncomfortable about this is there has been no detailed explanation of her conduct. The recent official account contains nothing that would merit even a Purple Heart [they were fired upon, the driver panicked and wrecked the vehicle into a stationary object, thus causing the totality of their injuries].

I would like nothing better than to see Pfc Lynch receive any decoration she deserves. The case has not yet been made.

[Capt.YankeeMike]

ok, thats cool. but what did they guys that SAVED her get?
The Capt.

[sailor4321]

Does anybody know how the special order or citation in fact reads? That will set out what she did that the Army believes warrants such an award....all else is pure, useless speculation/opinionating.

[journey7873]

Jessica has been made into a Jesus figure. Why is she getting soooo much press?

[brooklin]

I don't know, but I don't think that being in a truck that turns the wrong way and then being injured from the firefight, that you didn't help in, warrants the bronze star. She probably deserves it as much as all the medal winners in desert storm.