Posted on 02/02/2015 7:28:44 AM PST by KeyLargo
Texas declares ‘Chris Kyle Day,’ as Medal of Honor petition drive launches
Published February 02, 2015 FoxNews.com
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is declaring Feb. 2 as "Chris Kyle Day" in his state, honoring the late sniper as a petition drive also gets underway to consider him for the Medal of Honor.
Kyle, considered to be the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history, is the subject of the blockbuster film "American Sniper."
Though the movie has been controversial, Abbott told Fox News he decided to honor Kyle because “he’s an American hero.”
“He had the guts to stand up and defend this country,” Abbott, a Republican governor, told Fox News on Monday.
He planned to issue a proclamation at noon in Austin, Texas’ capital.
Meanwhile, White House petitions have been launched calling for Kyle to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The Medal of Honor is not bestowed via petition and it’s not the Oscar. As far as I know, he did nothing to warrant the award of the Medal of Honor. That is not to say that his deeds and accomplishments were not noteworthy and he was, after all, decorated for valor on numerous occasions. Good for the Governor, but the people circulating this petition are showing their ignorance.
I totally agree with everything you said, and you are correct.
However, if MacArthur can get an MoH, why not Kyle? The MoH has always been political.
Agree - well said.
I’m sorry. Cris Kyle performed sterling service through several tours in Iraq. People can dredge up all the character flaws they want, that does not detract from the fact that he did his job, did it well, and likely hundreds of American servicemen are alive because of him. But for all that, Medal of Honor for what?
“but the people circulating this petition are showing their ignorance.”
Agree.
And Chris Kyle agrees, — writing in his book and told friends that medals were not what was important.
“All told, I would end my career as a SEAL with two Silver Stars and five Bronze Medals, all for valor. I’m proud of my service, but I sure as hell didn’t do it for any medal. They don’t make me any better or less than any other guy who served. Medals never tell the whole story. And like I said, in the end they’ve become more political than accurate. I’ve seen men who deserved a lot more and men who deserved a lot less rewarded by higher-ups negotiating for whatever public cause they were working on at the time. For all these reasons, they are not on display at my house or in my office.”
Chris Kyle
You are correct, MOH is of the highest reverence that could ever be bestowed upon a soldier. It is mot a prize one wins in a contest.
Yes, the MoH has always been political, but that doesn’t make it right. The political issue these days is that the Department of Defense applies a political filter to current nominations resulting in many deserving awards being delayed or denied because they don’t support the DoD public affairs agenda of the day.
As far as you know you should investigate his career. He put willingly and without being ordered or required put his own life in front of his fellow soldiers on many occasions. He was horribly burned pulling guys out of a vehicle that hit an IED, and ultimately that cost him his health which cost him a full career- not to say that act was MOH worthy but do some research before showing your wisdom
The movie skips over a lot of that to focus on his sniper mission
if “likely hundeds of Americans are alive because of him”, then what higher standard do you propose for the MOH?
Cooks and drivers “performed sterling service” through their tours in Iraq (maybe not 4 tours like Kyle pulled)- but o try and pull an equivalency of their performance is not logical. If all service is sterling then why even have medals?
He was awarded the Silver Star four times. He was never awarded the Navy Cross, and was never nominated for the Medal of Honor. Audie Murphy received his Medal of Honor before he made the movie, not the other way around.
Teddy Roosevelt got the CMH retroactive.
And there are too few of them awarded because the civilians didn't want heroes from "Bush's Warz".
So yes, the medal's political. It didn't used to be that way, but welcome to the USSA.
The crew of the Enola Gay saved hundreds of thousands of American lives. They did not receive the Medal of Honor. They did their job.
It is not the movie that is earning Kyle calls for recognition in belated honor, but that the movie brought to the attention of a country the actions of a quiet hero who chose a hard road in the military (a SEAL a decade older than his compatriots), went to Iraq 4 times while most of us spent that decade time playing with our kids, shopping and bitching about taxes, and went out with the troops to search and destroy bad guys when sniping didn’t seem like enough action to save the lives of the troops on the ground.
The movie did not make Chris Kyle. Chris Kyle’s life made the movie
every guy who earned the MOH was just doing his job. Ask any of them.
If anyone is interested here is a listing of the more than
3,400 reciepients of the MOH.
http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-archive.php
Were tehy distinguished acts of conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty? More so than any other sniper in the war? I doubt they rise to that level.
and your “doubts” are based on your considered research of his career, having talked to those who served with him and those whose lives he saved, and having read his book, correct?
He was not just another sniper, he was THE most effective sniper in US military history. But just doing his job
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.