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Spc. Ross McGinnis Photo by courtesy Related LinksMedal of Honor: Pfc. Ross A. McGinnisFor more photos, see: WASHINGTON (Army News Service, May 23, 2008) - President Bush has announced that Spc. Ross McGinnis will posthumously be awarded the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony June 2, two weeks shy of what would have been his 21st birthday. McGinnis will be just the second U.S. Soldier to receive the medal for actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom and a special Web site dedicated to his heroics has been created by the Soldiers Media Center at www.army.mil/medalofhonor/McGinnis. The site includes a...

The White House announced Friday that a Pennsylvania soldier who jumped on top of a grenade in Iraq and saved the lives of his comrades will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor. The nation's highest military honor will be given to 19-year-old Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis of Knox, Pa., on June 2. McGinnis "distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism," said White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto. McGinnis was perched in the gunner's hatch of a Humvee when a grenade sailed past him and into the truck where four other soldiers sat. He shouted a warning to the others, then jumped...

Three Valleys Municipal Water District Director Javier Alvarez was asked to resign by Director Brian Bowcock Wednesday May 21, 2008 during the boards monthly meeting. ((Will Lester/Staff Photographer) ) • Photo Gallery: Alvarez asked to resign• PDF: Alleged lies told by AlvarezCLAREMONT - A local water representative Wednesday called for the resignation of Director Xavier Alvarez, who has pleaded guilty to falsely claiming he won the Medal of Honor.At a meeting of the Three Valleys Municipal Water District, Director Brian Bowcock called Alvarez a "disgrace," read from a lengthy list of what he called Alvarez's lies and urged him...

5/7/2008 - SALT LAKE CITY (AFPN) -- Don't let the education office fool you; there are some people out there who have become commissioned officers without having their bachelor's degrees. Retired Col. Bernard Francis Fisher, a Medal of Honor recipient, received his diploma in fine arts from the University of Utah during a commissioning ceremony of nine second lieutenants from ROTC Det. 850 May 3, almost 57 years after he originally attended the university. Colonel Fisher received the diploma for his remarkable career in the Air Force, bravery in combat, numerous awards including the Medal of Honor and faithful service...

President Bush is expected to award a Clarion County soldier the Medal of Honor in June, which would make Spc. Ross A. McGinnis the fifth soldier who served in Afghanistan or Iraq to receive the nation's highest honor. McGinnis, 19, of Knox died Dec. 4, 2006, from wounds he suffered when he threw himself on a grenade to save the lives of four other soldiers in his Humvee. Citing anonymous sources, the Army Times on Monday said the president has approved the award. Maj. Nathan Banks, a Pentagon spokesman, said the Defense Department can't comment on the matter until the...

THE story of a US soldier who sacrificed his life for his comrades has moved US President George W. Bush to tears. When a grenade bounced off his chest and fell to the floor near his fellow troops, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor acted out of instinct. His actions didn't stem from a lack of training. His instant reaction was to protect his comrades. PO Monsoor was one of the US military's most highly trained combatants, a navy SEAL. The navy said he committed a selfless act by jumping on the grenade and taking the full force of the...

Five years ago this week, American soldiers and Marines liberated Baghdad from Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guards and the foreign "fedayeen" who had flooded into the despot’s capital. For those of us who were there, it was an unforgettable event. But, as Ambassador Ryan Crocker so cogently noted this week while he and General David Petraeus were testifying before Congress, "the euphoria of that moment evaporated long ago." The assembled lawmakers, perched on their raised daises, barely noted the anniversary, while subjecting the warrior and the diplomat to a 16-hour-long spectacle. For the general and the ambassador, it had to be...

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2008 – Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who posthumously received the Medal of Honor yesterday for his heroic actions in Iraq, joined a rarefied fraternity of military heroes at the Pentagon today. In September 2006, Monsoor leaped onto a grenade and used his body to absorb a blast that likely would have killed two fellow SEALs and several Iraqi soldiers. For his heroism, the Defense Department today enshrined Monsoor’s name alongside the 3,446 other Medal of Honor recipients honored in its Hall of Heroes. “To stand in this room, surrounded by...

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2008 – President Bush today posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL whose mortal sacrifice in Iraq saved the lives of two fellow SEALs and several Iraqi soldiers. Video President George W. Bush weeps Tuesday, April 8, 2008 during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House before presenting the Medal of Honor to George and Sally Monsoor for the actions of their son Petty Officer 2nd Class, Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL, during combat in Iraq. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer...

President Bush has presented America's highest military award to the parents of a Navy special operations sailor killed in Iraq two years ago. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story. In September of that year, Monsoor and three SEAL snipers took up a rooftop position during a firefight with insurgents. The Defense Department says a grenade thrown from the street below hit Monsoor in the chest and dropped to the roof. The 25-year-old gunner covered the grenade with his body - saving the lives of his comrades, but suffering wounds that took his life 30 minutes later. President...

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, and welcome. The Medal of Honor is America's highest decoration for military valor. Over the years, many who have received the medal have given their lives in the action that earned it. The name of Petty Officer Michael Anthony Monsoor will now be among them. In September 2006, Michael laid down his life for his brothers in arms. Today, we remember the life of this faithful Navy SEAL. And on behalf of a grateful nation, we will present Michael Monsoor's family with the Medal of Honor that he earned. I welcome the Vice President. Secretary of...

Vietnam War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Airman First Class William Hart Pitsenbarger, US Air Force After A1C William H. Pitsenbarger's death, he was recommended for the Medal of Honor, but the recommendation was downgraded to the Air Force Cross, the second highest Air Force Award. Pitsenbarger's parents received the Air Force Cross on his behalf in September 1966. Pitsenbarger's actions became Air Force legend for embodying the pararescue motto -- "that others may live." After a campaign to have his award reviewed in the 1990s, his award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Pitsenbarger's father accepted the Medal...

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, April 4, 2008 – He was a husband, father, soldier and leader, but today Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, the 3rd Infantry Division’s 51st Medal of Honor recipient was remembered here simply as a hero. Task Force Marne soldiers who organized a remembrance ceremony for U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, April 4, 2008, stand in the courtyard where Smith gave his life in defense of others five years ago. For his selfless service, Smith was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2005. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jasmine Chopra  (Click photo for...

Summary of Action Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor For actions on Sept. 29, 2006 Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy, distinguished himself through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Combat Advisor and Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 29 September 2006. He displayed great personal courage and exceptional bravery while conducting operations in enemy held territory at Ar Ramadi Iraq. During Operation Kentucky Jumper, a combined Coalition battalion clearance and...

Michael A. Monsoor, a Garden Grove High School graduate, has been selected to receive the prestigious Medal of Honor posthumously for his exceptional courage during a firefight in Iraq when he threw himself on a live grenade to save the lives of his teammates. ... "Without hesitation and showing no regard for his own life, he threw himself on to the grenade, smothering it to protect his teammates who were lying in close proximity," an incident report posted on the Navy SEAL Web site reads. "The grenade detonated as he came down on top of it, mortally wounding him."

NARRATIVE NOMINATING SSG DAVID BELLAVIA FOR THE MEDAL OF HONOR DURING OPERATION PHANTOM FURY FALLUJAH, IRAQ On the night of 10 November 2004 Third Platoon, A Company, Task Force 2-2 IN near OBJ Wolf in Fallujah, Iraq, was ordered to attack to destroy six to eight Anti Iraqi Forces (AIF). 1LT Edward Iwan, the A Company Executive Officer, had identified six to eight AIF who had entered a block of twelve buildings. These AIF had engaged A55 and tanks from Team Tank with automatic weapons and rocket fire. Having a 25 mm cannon malfunction, 1LT Edward Iwan cordoned off the...

3/18/2008 - MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) -- Manas Air Base Airmen, Soldiers and transitory personnel got a firsthand glimpse into history this week. Three Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War toured the base and spoke at several local engagements on their stop here before touring other locations in the U.S. Air Forces Central area of responsibility. Retired Army Col. Robert L. Howard, Marine Capt. John J. McGinty III and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Gary L. Littrell highlighted Manas Air Base's contributions in the war on terrorism. "Americans appreciate the great service you've provided for our country," Colonel...

A Navy SEAL who sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade will be posthumously awarded the nation's highest military honor. The family of Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor will receive the Medal of Honor on his behalf during a White House ceremony, according to a Marine Corps Times report Monday. The report, which cited an anonymous Department of Defense official, said it was not clear when the medal would be presented. Monsoor was part of a sniper security team on Sept. 29, 2006, in Ramadi with three other SEALs and...

A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said. Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret. "He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was...

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2008 – The Defense Department posthumously inducted Army Master Sgt. Woodrow Keeble today into its Hall of Heroes, a day after President Bush bestowed the Medal of Honor on the Korean War hero. Left to right: Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, Russell Hawkins, Kurt Bluedog, Army Secretary Pete Geren, and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Richard Cody stand by during a Pentagon unveiling of a Medal of Honor awarded to the late Master Sgt. Woodrow Keeble, the first full-blooded Sioux Indian, for his heroism during the Korean War, March 4, 2008. Hawkins is...

In the aftermath, he had been wounded at least five different times by fragmentation and concussion grenades in the chest, arms, right calf, knee, right and left thighs.  Eighty-three fragments were later removed.  He never complained and refused medical evacuation until his men were settled into their night defensive positions.  Born on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Indian reservation in 1917, Woodrow Wilson Keeble joined the North Dakota National Guard in 1942 while the Chicago White Sox were trying to recruit the big athlete.  He served with Company I, 164th Infantry Regiment, Americal Division, the first US Army unit on Guadalcanal. They...

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2008 – President Bush today presented the Medal of Honor to the family of the late Army Master Sgt. Woodrow Keeble, the first full-blooded Sioux Indian to receive the nation’s highest military award, for heroism during the Korean War. Army Master Sgt. Woodrow Keeble was posthumously presented the Medal of Honor by President Bush, March 3, 2008. Photo courtesy of Vets Incorporated  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Keeble, a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, was honored during the presentation ceremony at the White House for risking his life to save...

WASHINGTON - During the final allied offensive of the Korean War, Master Sgt. Woodrow Wilson Keeble risked his life to save his fellow Soldiers. Almost six decades after his gallant actions and 26 years after his death, Keeble will be the first full-blooded Sioux Indian to receive the Medal of Honor. The White House announced this morning that Keeble will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously in a ceremony scheduled for 2:30 p.m. March 3. Keeble is one of the most decorated Soldiers in North Dakota history. A veteran of World War II and the Korean War, he was born...

Inside the Vietnam War [TV-14 LSV Ratings N/A] Monday, February 18, 2008, at 08P Inside the Vietnam War takes you inside covert operations, gives you a seat at the military strategy table and lets you witness the emotional toll of war through the eyes of the soldiers and the pilots who undertook dozens of death-defying missions. Woven together with testimonials from more than 50 Vietnam veterans, archival audio and video footage, and never-before-seen photos, the special features the harrowing firsthand accounts of the brave men and women who lived through the war. 5 minute preview video...Battle at Ia Drang

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Tibor Rubin Info from this website.               Tibor Rubin: An Unusual Hero Of The Korean War by Seymour "Sy" Brody Tibor Rubin's bravery during the Korean War is probably unparalleled in the history of America's fighting heroes. That is why many organizations and individuals are involved in a...

Water official claims right to lie Court case touches on Medal of Honor Will Bigham, Staff Writer Article Launched: 01/03/2008 09:00:00 PM PST The water board member charged with falsely claiming he won the Medal of Honor has filed a motion to dismiss the federal case against him, saying the statute is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment. Xavier Alvarez, south Pomona's elected representative to the Three Valleys Municipal Water District, is the first person to be charged with violating the Stolen Valor Act of 2005. The act criminalizes false claims of military decorations or medals, including the Medal...

A friend of mine said he saw a televised discussion on TV in which Ron Paul called a Medal of Honor winner a coward. Anyone know anything about this?

Jefferson J. DeBlanc, a World War II fighter pilot who was awarded the Medal of Honor for shooting down five Japanese planes on a single day while running out of fuel, died Nov. 22 in Lafayette, La. He was 86 and lived St. Martinville, La.. The cause was complications of pneumonia, said his daughter, Barbara DeBlanc Romero. On Jan. 31, 1943, Mr. DeBlanc, then a lieutenant in the Marines, took off from Guadalcanal in his Wildcat fighter, leading a six-plane section of Marine Fighting Squadron 112. They were assigned to protect dive bombers and torpedo planes attacking Japanese ships off...

Jefferson J. DeBlanc, seated in the cockpit of a F4F Wildcat fighter plane, found ways to beat death for three years. But on Thanksgiving Day, DeBlanc, a Marine pilot in World War II's Pacific Theater, passed away from complications related to pneumonia. He was 86. So many World War II veterans have died recently that we don't often pause to pay them the honor they're due. DeBlanc may provide a chance to make up for it. DeBlanc wore the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor. DeBlanc, born in Lockport, enlisted in the Marines five months before Pearl Harbor....

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez Info and photos from this website.             As the medevac chopper landed the wounded were examined one by one. Staff Sergeant Benavidez could only hear what was going on around him. He had over thirty seven puncture wounds. His intestines were exposed. He could not see...

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant (then 2d Lt.), U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). place and date: Vicinity of la Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 14 November 1965. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, pa. Born: 20 November 1941, Washington, pa. G.O. No.: 7, 15 February 1967. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. As a platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), 1st Lt. Marm demonstrated indomitable courage during a combat operation. His company was moving through the valley to relieve a friendly...

Sgt. Rafael Peralta told his men he would die for them. Then he went out and proved it. Peralta was leading five Marines on a house-clearing mission Nov. 15, 2004, in the second week of a battle for the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, Iraq. As he entered a room near the back of one home, gunfire hit him in the face and chest, leaving him barely breathing on the floor. Then a grenade rolled out of the room, landing a foot away from him. Peralta pulled it to his chest so he could shield his men from the blast. He...

AUSTIN -- Dolia Gonzalez was hoping that this Veterans Day would be the one when Texas would present her only son with the hero's medal that he had paid for with his life nearly 40 years ago. But at 78, Gonzalez says she doesn't mind waiting a little longer. She takes comfort in the fact that the son she lost on a Vietnam battlefield in February 1968 has not been forgotten. Not by his buddies in the service, not by his hometown in the Rio Grande Valley, not by Congress and not by his beloved Marine Corps. So waiting for...

A Hero Among US by: James F. Davis, November 09, 2007 The first Medal of Honor since 9/11 was recently awarded posthumously by the President to Michael Murphy. It saddens me that, of the major media, only one, Fox News, carried the ceremony live. This is the highest award for bravery in defending our country. Our people, especially our youth, need to know about the kind of person who risked his life so that the rest of us could live free. I discovered I had one such hero in my own family. After taking my uncle, Gerald F. Davis, to...

The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest decoration for bravery during combat operations. The president presents the medal in the name of Congress to a member of the military who has “distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.” Congress has awarded the medal to three soldiers—all posthumously—during the War on Terror, most recently to Lieutenant Michael Patrick Murphy of the U.S. Navy. In June 2005, Lt. Murphy was leading his four-man SEAL team in...

It's the nation's highest award for combat gallantry, and those few who earn it are rightly held in awe by their comrades-in-arms, who best understand what it means to have shown the necessary bravery and often the necessary sacrifice. Case in point: Lt. Michael Murphy of the U.S. Navy, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously on Monday by President Bush. Of the thousands of American personnel who have fought in Afghanistan during the past five-plus years, Murphy became the first Medal of Honor recipient. The rarity with which the medal is bestowed says nothing about the considerable courage many...

The nation showed its gratitude to the young officer yesterday. President Bush presented the first Medal of Honor for combat in Afghanistan to the family of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL who sacrificed his life trying to save his comrades two years ago

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2007 – Fallen Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy was inducted today into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes during a ceremony that honored the lone Medal of Honor recipient from the war in Afghanistan. (Video) Maureen and Daniel Murphy stand next to a framed picture and Medal of Honor citation during a ceremony where their son, Navy Lt. Michael P. Murphy was inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon, Oct. 23, 2007. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Unveiled today, Murphy’s is the only...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2007 – President Bush today posthumously presented the Medal of Honor earned by Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL who sacrificed his life in an attempt to save fellow SEALs during a fierce battle with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The Medal of Honor, accepted by Murphy’s parents, Maureen and Dan Murphy, during a White House ceremony, is the highest military decoration. Murphy’s is the first Medal of Honor awarded for service in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. “Today we add Lieutenant Michael Murphy’s name to the list of recipients who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Bush said....

Navy SEAL honored posthumously....

CNN decided to not to break away from its almost non-stop coverage of the California wildfires as President Bush formally awarded a Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan the Medal of Honor, as its competitors Fox News and MSNBC aired the ceremony at the White House live. The Medal of Honor went to Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue, New York, who died in the line of duty in 2005 during operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Murphy received the first Medal of Honor awarded from Operation Enduring Freedom. President Bush made the decision to give Lt. Murphy the nationÂ’s highest military...

WASHINGTON - The first Medal of Honor awarded for combat in Afghanistan will be presented today to the family of a Navy SEAL from Long Island, who gave his life to make a radio call for help for his team. President Bush was to present the nation's highest military honor for valor on Monday to the family of Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue, N.Y. "There's a lot of awards in the military, but when you see a Medal of Honor, you know whatever they went through is pretty horrible. You don't congratulate anyone when you see it," said Marcus Luttrell,...

Family of Navy SEAL to Get Medal of Honor WASHINGTON — The first Medal of Honor awarded for combat in Afghanistan will be presented Monday to the family of a Navy SEAL from Long Island, N.Y, who gave his life to make a radio call for help for his team. President Bush is to present the nation's highest military honor for valor to the family of Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue, N.Y.

I just finished listening to the Audiobook of "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell. It is one of the most amazing stories about survival I have ever read, but in my opinion, what is even more compelling about the book are the trials of honor and morality. This is a story that America should be aware of, and very few people are, even though the leader of this team LT Murphy was recently awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, and the other three members of the team were awarded the Navy Cross, two posthumously. This is an awful moral...

The posthumous award of the nation's highest battlefield honor to a Long Island war hero has become an other black mark for the Gray Lady. The New York Times carried not a whisper of news yesterday about the bestowal of the Medal of Honor to Navy Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue - the first time the honor has been given for action in Afghanistan. EDITORIAL: Unfit To Print? Area veterans, as well as Murphy's neighbors, were out raged - but not all that surprised - that the paper car ried nothing about Murphy in Friday's editions, unlike The Post, The...

--> Conservative thoughts on politics, war, law, bioethics, pop culture, and humor. Medal of Honor: LT Michael Murphy, USN By The Puddle Pirate (10:11 AM Oct 12, 2007) | 0 Comments | TrackBack URL | Blog reactions A Navy SEAL will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor on October 22. Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy is the third man to receive America's highest military award for valor in the War on Terror. U.S. Navy press release: Murphy was the officer-in-charge of the SEAL element, which was tasked with locating a high- level Taliban militia leader to provide intelligence for a follow-on...

In the name of Congress, the President of the United States has awarded more than 3,400 Medals of Honor to our nation’s bravest soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and coastguardsmen. FamilySecurityMatters.org is privileged to bring you the outstanding stories of some of these remarkable American patriots.  United States Medal of Honor Citations George Robert Cholister, U.S. Navy From the Editors Boatswain's Mate First Class George Robert Cholister was born on December 18, 1898 in Camden, N.J.  Cholister was cited for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of a fire on board the U S.S. Trenton.  At 3:35...

Every major daily paper in New York took note of President Bush's deci sion to bestow the first Medal of Honor of Operation Enduring Freedom on Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy - a Long Islander who gave his life for his country and his fellow SEALs. Every paper but one, that is.

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The White House announced Oct. 11 that the family of U.S. Navy SEAL, Lt. Michael P. Murphy will be presented the U.S. Navy Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously, during a ceremony at the White House Oct. 22. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Murphy’s father, Daniel, will accept the award on behalf of his son. Murphy will receive the award for his extraordinary, selfless heroism and steadfast courage while...

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush will grant the nation's highest military honor to Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL from Patchogue who was killed on a mountainside in Afghanistan as he tried to save his fellow warriors in June 2005, the White House announced Thursday.