Posted on 09/17/2005 2:14:59 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Storys that just make you say DAMM...
Mr. Rubin, I'll proudly salute you if we ever meet.
Rubin, your place in Heaven is assured.
The President must salute them, its required for him to salute any MOH recipient.
A man worthy of the Medal of Honor wouldn't. It's just the way things are.
Not to be too critical, but what is the basis for the Medal of Honor? I saw nothing in the article, other than the fact that he prayed. I wish the author of the article had pointed this out.
I'm not sure what the purpose of your post is. The President is not "required" to salute anyone. Salutes are rendered out of custom, respect, and tradition.
By tradition, a CMOH recipient would be saluted by all, irresprective of any difference in rank.
Yes, you are right. I never heard of a regulation that "required" a salute be given to a holder of the Medal of Honor. Rather, it was a courtesy to render them a salute. That being said, while I have never met a Medal of Honor winner, if I did, I would give the gentleman a salute.
Did you miss the part where he picked maggots out of the men's latrine to prevent gangrene from forming in his fellow soldiers?
I don't know the basis for a Medal of Honor, but Mr. Rubin acted more than honorably. He made good on his promise to join the US Army, he refused repatriation to Hungary, and used his concentration camp knowledge to help keep others alive.
Chill out Bob.
I had the same thoughts as you...but then I felt...what the hell..he's 76...give the guy the damn medal anyway.
Perhaps worthy of some thought: Here are the requirements;
The Medal of Honor is the highest medal awarded by the United States. It has only been awarded 3,428 times in the nation's history. Below is an excerpt of the Army regulation that describes the eligibility criteria for award of the Medal of Honor...
a. The Medal of Honor [Army], section 3741, title 10, United States Code (10 USC 3741), was established by Joint Resolution of Congress, 12 July 1862 (amended by acts 9 July 1918 and 25 July 1963).
b. The Medal of Honor is awarded by the President in the name of Congress to a person who, while a member of the Army, distinguishes himself or herself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The deed performed must have been one of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his comrades and must have involved risk of life. Incontestable proof of the performance of the service will be exacted and each recommendation for the award of this decoration will be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit.
From chapter 3-6, Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) dated 25 February 1995
Excellent. Give him the medal.
Wow, what a story! I visited the Mauthausen memorial some years ago. That place was truly hell on earth. Then this man, who went through Mauthausen, survived a Chinese Communist prison camp!
Hey, Hollywood, here's a movie just begging to be made!
I don't begrudge it to anyone but I'm not sure he meets the requirement considering others. In fact here is a link to the the first Medal of Honor given to an Army POW for actions taken during captivity in Southeast Asia. (I have no idea how many were given to WWII or Korea POW's)
Of course all duty is honorable and admirable. I'm glad I don't have to make the decisions.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/07/20020708-3.html
During numerous engagements, Rubin’s actions to engage the enemy and to tend the wounded, at careless disregard for his own safety, resulted in the heroic defense of his unit. In one such mission, Rubin single-handedly defended a hill for 24 hours thereby allowing his company to withdraw.While a POW he regularly snuck out and stole food from the gaurds. He also used other techniques he learned in the KZ.
BTW, he was offered, but refused repatriation to Hungary.
Hope you hang around a while longer to enjoy it and inspire other Americans by your story!
I'm sure there are thousands who sacrificed more and are more deserving than this gentleman, but I do not see any disrespect to them by him being awarded the MOH in his final days.
If you want to see why he was awarded the Medal of Honor
go to http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/rubin/citation/printable.htm
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