Former Marine to receive Medal of Honor for controversial 2009 battle

Stars and Stripes ^ | 7/19/11 | LEO SHANE III

[Kartographer]

Dakota Meyer, who left the service last year, will be the third living recipient of the award for actions in Afghanistan and the tenth man recognized for exceptional bravery in the current wars. He’ll also be the first living Marine to receive the honor since the Vietnam War.

White House and defense officials have not released details of the award or the timing of its presentation.

The 22-year-old’s heroics came while serving with an embedded training team from the III Marine Expeditionary Force out of Okinawa, Japan. In September 2009, his team was ambushed in the controversial battle of Ganjgal, which claimed the lives of five Marines and nine Afghan allies.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"The problem comes from the current military culture."

I agree. That is why people like Col Chessani and Col West stand out all the more in today's military environment. I don't think General Lemay would have survived in today's military culture.

[IDontLikeToPayTaxes]

Get over yourselves. If he’s not receiving a paycheck from DFAS, not wearing a uniform, or anything else of the sort, then he is, in fact, an ex- or former- Marine.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"(your whole unit is dead because the sentry could not fire in time)."

One other thing I would like to mention. I think that Col Geraghty (CO of 24th MAU when the bombinb happened) gets a lot of criticism heaped on him and I think undeserved. Everything I have read, he tried to fight a lot of the peace keeping ROI garbage that was handed to him. The April bombing should have woke people up, but it didn't.

Another example of crazy ROI's. I was in a firefight down at "The Stadium" in Somalia. A big hotspot in Mogadishu at that time. We had tank support and they came in and let loose with their mounted 50 cals. After the firefight I was asking some people why those tanks didn't let loose with a shell or two on those dilapidated buildings we were firing on. I was told there were no HE tank rounds in country. I was given some BS reason about being on a humanitarian mission or something like that.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"then he is, in fact, an ex- or former- Marine."

Perhaps you would like to discuss this with the current Commandant, James Amos. I quote:

"A Marine is a Marine. I set that policy two weeks ago - there's no such thing as a former Marine. You're a Marine, just in a different uniform and you're in a different phase of your life. But you'll always be a Marine because you went to Parris Island, San Diego or the hills of Quantico. There's no such thing as a former Marine."

http://www.grunt.com/corps/scuttlebutt/marine-corps-stories/its-official-once-a-marine-always-a-marine/

[SpitfyrAce]

God bless you and your family sir

[albie]

“Get over yourselves. If he’s not receiving a paycheck from DFAS, not wearing a uniform, or anything else of the sort, then he is, in fact, an ex- or former- Marine.”

...I’m glad and greatful that a Marines mentality is “once a Marine always a Marine”! It’s not a matter of “getting over themselves”, it’s an honor that they worked hard to earn.

[famousdayandyear]

“Get over yourselves..” Really? Are you a Marine?

[Always A Marine]

Our ROE in Beirut was such that you walked guard with a magazine inserted but not locked and loaded. The morning of the bombing that truck broke through a guard post where the Marines were under these ROE's. I don't know if those guys could have taken the driver out. They did get some shots off, but how much more time would they have had if all they had to do was bring their weapons up and click off the safety switch? Instead of chambering a round. Makes you wonder.

C/1/8, 24th MAU. Were you there?

[Beckett08]

You reared a Hero.

[Prince of Space]

I clicked on the website for your son on your profile page to learn more about him. Gosh, was he loved!

I’m so sorry for your loss....yet grateful for his service to our country.

Mrs. Prince of Space

[Loud Mime]

Looks like he’s Army

[Daffynition]

[MinorityRepublican]

I just read about Colonel West today. He’s definitely hard-core. That’s why for the remainder of his command, there weren’t any ambushes on his soldiers where they were patrolling.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"C/1/8, 24th MAU. Were you there?"

31st MAU Kilo 3/3 during September 83.

[Always A Marine]

Ah, I remember when 31st MAU sailed up the Suez and many of you came ashore for a reinforcement site recon. I even remember watching one of your bright green AH-1 Cobras buzzing a Russian trawler until a wing smacked into the Med -- Ivan enjoyed a good laugh at our expense, and I always wondered what happened to that snake pilot's career.

There was talk of combining the 24th and 31st MAUs into a MAB, and one of the obstacles was T/E compatability. We were lavished with all the newest toys that hadn't filtered through the rest of the fleet -- KY-57 crypto gear, larger caliber M198 artillery and CH-53E helos -- so the combined logistics was deemed impractical for a brigade. But it was great for us Lejeune Marines to see old classmates from Quantico who'd been marooned out in Hawaii, poor devils!

It's a small world, long-toothed devil dog! Semper Fidelis...

[ArrogantBustard]

but how much more time would they have had if all they had to do was bring their weapons up and click off the safety switch?

About five seconds. IMO.

Five seconds can be an eternity, sometimes ...

[Old Teufel Hunden]

Semper Fi brother. I don’t even like to think of Beirut. I can remember when our captain came over the ships speaker and told us of the bombing. There were rumors that we were going back and we were ready to go back and kick some a$$. Alas, as you know that did not happen.

People now days like to romanticize Reagans Presidency and a lot of it is justifiable. However, he made some poor decisions also, just like every other President. I think us being there and then being in a psuedo peace keeping role was one of them. As far as I’m concerned, I wish that the IDF would have wiped out Arafat and the PLO back in 1982. How many future terrorists could have been wiped out? We’ll never know.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"But it was great for us Lejeune Marines to see old classmates from Quantico who'd been marooned out in Hawaii, poor devils!"

Oh, and I can assure you sir that Hawaii Marines train hard. It's not all paradise!!! : )

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Five seconds can be an eternity, sometimes ..."

Could have been the difference between a dead terrorist harmlessly crashing his truck laden with explosives and 241 Americans being killed. We'll never know.