RSL: Let diggers take medals on flights

Herald Sun ^ | 24 April 2008

[Aussie Dasher]

THE Returned Services League has called for military personnel and veterans carry to be allowed to carry their medals with them on commercial flights.

RSL national president Major General Bill Crews said he knew of at least one incident in which a veteran was told by airport security he could not bring medals on board an aircraft because of the security risk.

Maj-Gen Crews said airports should show more trust.

"Airport security and the government in particular should recognise that people carrying medals are those whose own service is distinguished by those medals and who have the trust of the community," Maj-Gen Crews said on ABC radio.

"And surely there can be an exemption made because of the importance of having those medals with you for various occasions."

Maj-Gen Crews said many veterans did not wish to place their medals in checked-in luggage because they were afraid it could get lost.

Veterans travelling to funerals often travelled lightly and carried only their medals and cabin luggage, he said.

[Aussie Dasher]

Particularly with ANZAC Day tomorrow, its just stupid to stop veterans travelling with their medals!

[2ndDivisionVet]

“Common sense” is in short supply these days, isn’t it?

[Aussie Dasher]

Ain’t that the truth!!!!

[Always A Marine]

This reminds me of that TSA idiot who tried to confiscate the Medal of Honor from Joe Foss — then an 86-year-old with a pacemaker. Would one of our resident police state apologists please explain how anyone could possibly use a medal as a weapon?

[Daaave]

Decorated WWII veteran detained, searched at airport

"PHOENIX, Arizona (CNN) -- Retired Gen. Joe Foss, 86, one of the most highly decorated U.S. war veterans, recently was detained at a security checkpoint at the Phoenix, Arizona, airport because he was carrying an item with sharp edges."

"The sharp object turned out to be the Congressional Medal of Honor, which he had received in 1943 from President Franklin D. Roosevelt."

"And that started the fracas, and they said, "Off with your boots. Off with your belt. Off with your tie. Off with your hat."

cnn.com

[Daaave]

We had the same thought at about the same time.

[When do we get liberated?]

Um gotta go with the TSA on this one. Put your medals in the bucket, watch them go thru, grab them on the other end. It’s not like they won’t let you on the plane or you need a cavity search to get on with a medal.
Why do I feel this way? Want to see a wave of medal bearing terrorists go thru airport terminals? Make this a rule and you are asking for it.

[When do we get liberated?]

Um gotta go with the TSA on this one. Put your medals in the bucket, watch them go thru, grab them on the other end. It’s not like they won’t let you on the plane or you need a cavity search to get on with a medal.
Why do I feel this way? Want to see a wave of medal bearing terrorists go thru airport terminals? Make this a rule and you are asking for it.

[John Jorsett]

Um gotta go with the TSA on this one. Put your medals in the bucket, watch them go thru, grab them on the other end. It’s not like they won’t let you on the plane or you need a cavity search to get on with a medal.

From the description in the article, it sounds exactly like they won't let you on the plane with them in your possession. TSA wants them put in checked baggage. I can't imagine what the hazard is from a medal. They don't have sharp edges or points, and they don't weigh enough to be used as a bludgeon (for that matter, I could make a better bludgeon with a can of Coke in a sock).

[Oztrich Boy]

A post so dumb you made it twice

[El Gato]

Nice to see that the US "Security" dweebs aren't the only idiots out there.

Not so long after 9-11, some of them tried to prohibit 86 y/o ANG Major General (and WW-II Marine flyer) from taking his Medal of Honor on a plane.< The dufusses thought it might be some sort of throwing star. (Foss was also a former president of the NRA and commissioner of the American Football League and governor of South Dakota)

Idiots were lucky Foss didn't beat the snot out of them with his cane.

Foss has since gone back "in the air" and finally really did get to reach out and touch the face of God.

[El Gato]

Um gotta go with the TSA on this one. Put your medals in the bucket, watch them go thru, grab them on the other end. It’s not like they won’t let you on the plane or you need a cavity search to get on with a medal.

You need to read some of the links. They were not going to let him on the airplane with the medal, until he finally persuaded them about what it was. The idiots thought it was a throwing star.

[MarkL]

And as I recall, it nearly started a riot when Marines who were also traveling learned what the TSA idiots were trying to do. I've never served, but I probably would have gotten a lifetime ban from flying had I been there for what I would have said to the TSA idiots.

Mark

[The Great RJ]

It’s already happened in the US. A few years ago, Joe Foss, a WW-II Marine ace and winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor was hassled by airport screeners for having his medal of honor in his pocket.

[Arrowhead1952]

Veterans’ support ping.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Unbelievable, the idiocy of the TSA and their ilk...and not just here, it seems.

[MEG33]

Indeed!