FReeper Canteen ~ National Medal of Honor Day, March 25th ~ 25 March 2024

Serving the Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

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Thank the Veterans who served
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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Surprising Facts About The
Medal of Honor
Info from here.

           

On July 25, 1862, the Medal of Honor was created.

Citations for Medal of Honor recipients describe feats of courage, strength, and resilience. Recipients overcame the paralysis of fear, and in some cases, they persevered in spite of wounds that would normally be so painful as to be disabling. Some of these heroes willingly gave their lives for the sake of their buddies.

While it is worth setting aside time to remember the extraordinary service and sacrifice symbolized by the Medal of Honor, it is even more important share that legacy with current and future generations.

Here are eight surprising facts about the Medal of Honor.

1. The earliest actions for which the Medal was awarded took place before the Civil War had even begun (Feb. 13-14, 1861). Bernard J.D. Irwin was an Assistant Surgeon in the Army when he voluntarily went to the rescue of 2d Lt. George N. Bascom who was trapped with 60 members of the 7th Infantry. Irwin and 14 men began the 100-mile trek to Bascom’s forces riding mules. After fighting and capturing Apaches along the way, as well as recovering stolen horses and cattle, Irwin reached Bascom’s forces and helped break the siege. The Medal of Honor was awarded to Irwin on Jan. 24, 1894 – more than 30 years after he performed his heroic deed.

2. Originally, the Medal of Honor was only awarded to enlisted service members. On March 3, 1863, this was extended to include officers as well.

3. There are three versions of the Medal of Honor: U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force. Members of the U.S. Marines Corps and U.S. Coast Guard are eligible to receive the Navy version. Each of the armed services maintains their own regulations governing the award.

4. Only one woman has received the Medal of Honor and her award was temporarily rescinded. President Andrew Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Dr. Mary E. Walker on Nov. 11, 1865 for her work as a Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon in a series of battles from First Bull Run in 1861 to the Battle of Atlanta in 1864. Caught by Confederate troops and arrested as a spy, she also spent four months as a Prisoner of War. Although her award was rescinded along with hundreds of others in 1917, upon the passage of legislation that stated the medal could only be given to persons who had engaged in “actual combat with an enemy,” Walker’s Medal of Honor was restored on June 10, 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.

Because of her selfless service during the war, Dr. Mary E.
Walker became the only woman in U.S. history to receive the
Medal of Honor, which was rescinded in 1917 and restored in 1977.
 

5. The Medal of Honor recommendation process can take in excess of 18 months with intense scrutiny every step of the way because of the need for accuracy. The following organizations and individuals play key roles in the Army Medal of Honor recommendation process: the Soldier’s Chain of Command, a Member of Congress, Department of the Army Personnel Command, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of the Army, Secretary of Defense and the President. To see a visual depiction of the process, visit http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/steps.html

6. Children of Medal of Honor recipients are not subject to quotas if they are qualified and desire to attend the U.S. military academies.

Colin Romesha, son of former Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha, is escorted off
the President’s podium during the Medal of Honor ceremony in honor of his
father at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 11, 2013. Romesha
received the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during a daylong
firefight in Afghanistan in October 2009.

7. Medal of Honor recipients have uniform privileges, which allow them to wear their uniforms at any time or place they choose, unlike other military personnel or retirees.

8. Although not required by law or military regulation, service members are encouraged to salute Medal of Honor recipients as a gesture of respect and courtesy regardless of rank or status and, if the recipients are wearing the medal, whether or not they are in uniform. This is the only instance where a Soldier will receive a salute from members of a higher rank.

What facts about the Medal of Honor would YOU add to this list? Be sure to let us know in the comments section.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

THANK YOU
for your service!

[luvie]

We simply canNOT honor them enough! 🇺🇸

[Seaplaner]

Thanks, this Veteran learned a few interesting things.

I do believe that many who deserved the honor either never had their valor discovered or had the honor kaboshed at some paperwork level.

After reading, and watching the Band of Brothers, for example, I'm not sure why Richard Winters was never accorded the honor.

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

Not a very pretty day up there but it must be somewhat warm. Even without sunshine, there’s been a lot of melting since this time yesterday. YAY!! Even starting to see bare ice on Lake Hood now.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting one Medal of Honor recipient (that I know of). Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris. He was staying at the same motel Hubby and I stayed at while visiting Dad in 2014. We spent quite a bit of time hanging out together at Outcast Corner (what I’d dubbed the smoking area. LOL) and we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him. A really nice man and a lot of fun. He didn’t talk much about his time in service in Vietnam and I didn’t ask. I never do. If they want to talk about it, they will, and I’m all ears then. I learned about Melvin’s actions later by looking him up on Google. At the time we were spending time with him, I was just enjoying his company.

[radu]

Howdy, luvie.
You are so right!

I imagine your kitties haven’t been out and about much. I see you’re under a high wind warning and I know they don’t like wind.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Janey...((HUGS))...glad you are really on the mend finally and headed back to work.

[luvie]

Hey there, radu!

You’re right about that. They don’t like it and neither do I. It’s still blowing hard and about to drive us all around the bend. We’ve had gusts up to 50mph. Ick. Brown skies. Stuff being blown all over the back yard.

Has it been windy there today, too?

[radu]

NWS said y’all were having gusts 40 to 70 mph. Yikes! Not fun for anyone there.

It’s been pretty breezy here the past two days and we’ll be under a wind advisory tomorrow afternoon through Tuesday evening. Not quite as strong as you’ve had but still pretty stout. They’ll be strongest tomorrow night.

[woodpusher]

After reading, and watching the Band of Brothers, for example, I'm not sure why Richard Winters was never accorded the honor.

Below is a link to the speech of Representative Curt Weldon seeking the Medal of Honor for Richard Winters.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CRECB-2005-pt9/html/CRECB-2005-pt9-Pg11761.htm

[luvie]

There was a couple of times that when I was trying to open or close the car door, the wind was pushing so hard, I couldn’t get it done properly. It’s been nasty. We’re just lucky that we didn’t have any local wildfires.

I hope when it gets there, it’s not this bad. You already have enough tree debris to deal with without adding to it!

[radu]

Yeah, winds that strong make it hard to open any doors. I’ll have trouble opening the front storm door tomorrow even though the wind won’t be quite as strong as yours. No biggie, though, since I don’t use that door.

Glad no wildfires broke out over there. Now to see if we’re as lucky. The NWS doesn’t have us under an advisory but the Nashville news stations have been warning about the possibilities the past couple of days. It’s not all that dry here but with the wind, all it takes is some fool deciding to burn some trash ......

The whole country is windy right now. Nest cams are almost impossible to watch because they’re swaying so much and the cams are wiggling.

[luvie]

Yeah, it’s been bad all around. Tornadoes and high winds in Kansas and OK, too. I think EGC had some bad weather today, too. Hope yours doesn’t get bad enough to trigger wildfires from, like you said, someone’s stupidity.

[radu]

I was gone all afternoon and didn’t get a chance to check what was going on weather-wise, so didn’t know things got so wild today. I just saw what was going on at the different nests when I checked on them this evening and went back through the streams.

Just have to hope folks over here play it smart and don’t try to burn any trash the next couple of days.

[E.G.C.]

Greetings everyone from the great state of Oklahoma and ((HUGS)) to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks so very much for your service to our country.

All is well here in Southern Oklahoma. We did have some Tornado Warnings South of us along the Red River including Wichita, Clay into Jefferson counties but a lot of that was just funnels. Gizmo hid under the bed last night from all the thunder and lightning.

No fires here in our neck of the woods. Hopefully none where you are either, Luvie.

Comanche Lake yesterday before the storms.

How's everyone doing this morning?

[luvie]

I imagine that the birds are as happy about all the wind as my kitties are. No one likes their feathers/fur ruffled.

[luvie]

No wildfires here that I know of. Poor Gizmo...I'm sure he was a happy boy when the thunder moved away! Looks like both of you had fun at the lake.

[radu]

Howdy, E.G.C. ((HUGZ))

Glad you and Gizmo were able to get out for some fun yesterday before the storms rolled through, and that you weathered the storms in good shape. Sounds like it was a little wild over there.
Poor Giz having to hide under the bed last night.

[radu]

It’s been rough for them. Hard to hunt when the wind’s so strong. The West End eaglets went without food for a while but Chet finally managed to snag a big fish late today.
DNN has it tough. Wind AND snow and their first egg hatched overnight. At least there’s a fish in the “pantry” so there was food for it today.

I’m messing with the cats right now. I have the Germany cam up. The first egg hatched early today (yesterday Germany time) and going back in the stream, I found a time when Isolde was feeding. Tristan was close by hoo-ing and the cats can’t figure out where the sound is coming from. LOL

[luvie]

RoFl! Your poor cats. Getting them all wound up by an owl on the computer.

DNN always has it rough. The first season I ever watched that nest, it was the same situation. I just knew those babies were doomed, but by golly, the parents were so good and kept them so warm and safe.

I guess I’d better get outta here. I have to go have lab work done for a doctor’s appointment. NOT my favorite way to start a day. Luckily, I don’t have to get up early for it. As long as I don’t eat or drink anything before going out there, I’m good to go. See ya tomorrow!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, Gentlemen, for getting the links.

I should have added them at the beginning.