Combat casualty count doubted

Tallahasse Democrat Online ^ | 12-6-03 | Patrick Peterson

[LibertySailor]

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[LibertySailor]

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[LibertySailor]

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[taxcontrol]

Sounds like a clerical error. If memory serves, any injury in a combat zone which requires a doctor's medical attention qualifies for the medal.

Records processing may have simply not recognized the location as a combat zone. I truely doubt anything sinister here.

[Lurker]

Wounds must be a result of "EA" or enemy action in order to qualify for a Purple Heart.

The treating doctor must certify that the wound received was in fact due to enemy action as well.

L

[cyborg]

thanks for the PING

[LibertySailor]

This article seems to have a bent

[DefCon]

And the author should 'get bent'.

[dighton]

CowboySailor alert.

[SandRat]

The mere fact that it is being reported in the Tallahassee Democrat calls the veracity of the story and reporter into question.

[Steel Wolf]

Actually, the injury has to take place while in contact with enemy forces. If you slip off a ladder and break your leg, the difference between a purple heart and a pat on the back is whether or not you were under enemy fire at the time.

You can also be awarded a purple heart outside of a combat zone, so long as it was during an incident with terrorists or otherwise hostile forces.

[thatdewd]

A lower level clerical error that will be blown WAY out of proportion by the hate-mongering socialist allies of Osama and Saddam. I'm sure they're all writing their sound-bites right now, about how we need multiple congressional investigations and independant inquiries to discover the "real" numbers, blah, blah, blah. Hopefully this won't turn into anything more than an ignored rant by Gore (who?) and a cocked eyebrow by that over-medicated Rather guy. The wire reporter should be flogged for his title.

[niteowl77]

Another politician ('rat, of course) stirring the pot and flapping his gums. This was my final post on the thread from last night:

hopefully there aren't a bunch more soldiers in the same situation.

Well if there are, I sincerely hope that despite their injuries, they have more to look forward to than brooding over a medal. I'm not saying that bits of metal and ribbon aren't important, because symbolically, they are... more to some than others. If they are deserving of an award based on their service, they are entitled to it, with our thanks. If they have been slighted in an oversight, then they should get an apology as well. I would think that everyone concerned would approach this matter as mature and respectful adults, but someone took it upon themselves to ensure that is no longer possible in this case.

FWIW, I'd have nothing but praise for this congressman if he'd have followed up on a constituent's question and kept his (or someone's) big, fat mouth shut. If it's a screwup, find it out; if it's a cover-up, find it out. But he (or a staffer) didn't do that. And now, someone has provided another shovel full of vague accusations for the media to throw against the wall, complete with pious editorializing about another conspiracy. And that SUCKS!

Herbert McBride wrote about receiving his last paperwork from the British Consul some years after his service in WWI had ended:

"The whole business was clean-cut and simple- and human. It might have been handled through the mail. A packet of forms, in quadruplicate, initialed here and there by uniformed clerks, locating, identifying and disposing of one McBride, an item of cast off war material, would have served the ends of some organizations. But the genius of common sense in the British War Office was humanely dissolving the bonds which makes armies. You can't put them on paper. it is a universal understanding between men and I accepted the two medals as mere formal tokens of this, possessing a meaning exactly matching my understanding of it."

The soldiers should be dealing with soldiers, because a politician or a newspaper is seldom of any benefit except to politicians and newspapers

[Steel Wolf]

This article, by the way, is nonsense. All injuries that are treated are reported. Not all injuries warrent a Purple Heart. This is not 'underreporting casualties'.

[armymarinemom]

This article, by the way, is nonsense. All injuries that are treated are reported. Not all injuries warrant a Purple Heart. This is not 'underreporting casualties'.

Bingo! My son had to have a laceration closed that didn't warrant a Purple Heart. The injury was reported but it was an accident. This is no different than a jumping accident he had during peacetime training, it was reported and does reflect in statistics of every day injuries related to job function.

[I Am Not A Mod]

LibertySailor, formerly known as PatrioticCowboy, has been tossed overboard.

[Bringbackthedraft]

A former associate of mine dove into a trench in Nam and cut his head on commo wire. They gave him a purple heart. To me that is like taking cover and hitting your head against a table. I couldn't accept an award for that.

[TomB]

Not only that, but it's a repost.

(I know, 2 different papers, 2 different titles.)

[TomB]

LibertySailor, formerly known as PatrioticCowboy, has been tossed overboard.

It's about time. ;-)

OK guys. The first one to ID him next time gets a cookie.