[Sopater]

those who "castigate and cheapen" the military medal are "weasels" and "snakes in the grass."

Regardless of whether a serviceman or woman sustains "a broken toenail" or a "slug to the brain," Avillo argued, "you are equally wounded"

Maybe its just me, but it seems that giving a Purple Heart for a broken toenail would "castigate and cheapen" the medal, unless of course the broken tonail was caused by stopping a bullet.

[EricT.]

In the Navy, I knew a Vietnam Veteran that had to be ordered to wear his Purple Heart ribbon. He felt it was not "heroic" to have been shot by some guy half his size that was promptly filled with 5.56mm NATO ball. He just figured he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, that it was no different than stepping in front of a moving car that you didn't see coming.

[BFM]

But wasn't it actually Nurtha who confided to an associate that he may not have "earned" it? Isn't THAT enough of a standard; one's own admission?

When I was in the service we used to call them "boo-boo" injuries. Just like a little kid would say, "Mommy, I got a boo-boo!"