On Not Admitting Our Mistakes

The Washington Post Page A25 ^ | Friday, May 23, 2003 | Richard Cohen

[Jeff Chandler]

>>There needn't be just one degree of heroism.<<

That's why they award different medals for different deeds. It's important to award them correctly.

In a classroom, if everybody gets an "A" regardless of performance, the A students are being ripped off.

[AngrySpud]

"Sounds like a hero to me"

No disrespect to you or Jessica intended, but in my opinion, the word "hero" has been watered down so much in recent years as to be practically meaningless. Serving honorably, even in combat, is not the same as being a hero.

Audie Murphy was a hero. Today's rampant use of the word "hero" in both military and civilian contexts seems to me to be a part of the self-esteem movement.

[Jeff Chandler]

>>Minnie Mouse is the real strength behind Mickey<<

I heard that Pluto was gay.

[AngrySpud]

"self esteem movement"

I just plagarized gcruse!

[jlogajan]

Audie Murphy was a hero.

You are looking for absolutes where there are none. Audie Murphy wasn't the only "hero", and some of your other "heroes" were greater and lesser -- therefore proving that even in your view there are a range of heroic activities.

Okay, so you don't agree with the range others might. Big deal. I'll take it under advisement. :-)

[Jeff Chandler]

>>I just plagarized gcruse!<<

Please keep your comments clean or I'll have to complain to the Admin.

[gcruse]

I just plagarized gcruse!

What?  Why, you're no angryspud!
You're just a commen tator!!!   ;)

[RJayneJ]

I'm probably wrong in the way that I present the series of items that happened during the event. I wish I could remember more. The case was in Missouri and that gal had murdered her baby and claimed that a stranger broke in and stole her baby. She got away with it. A few years later, they had moved to the next county and had another baby and she claimed the same thing happened again. Anyway, she was caught the second time and finally they solved the case of both childred and what happened.

[WFTR]

Didn't a couple guys in the Kosovo conflict get big medals for getting captured and held prisoner for a few days?

Some guys in a Hummer or some similar vehicle wandered into an ambush. I don't think anyone was killed, but the Serbs captured them and took them to Belgrade. I believe they were held captive for several weeks before Jesse Jackson negotiated their release. Clinton had them all promoted and may have even had the purple heart awarded to one or all of them. At most, they received a few scratches from being pushed around, and a purple heart for scratches and being held captive doesn't seem appropriate. I remember thinking at the time that they were simply being used to give Clinton some photo ops as the "proud president welcoming heroes from the war." I appreciate their service to our country, but if I had been in their position, I would have been embarrassed to receive that kind of attention for what happened.

Likewise, I appreciate Miss Lynch serving our country, but she did nothing more or less than many other young service personnel did. She's not the only person injured or captured in the recent war. We know her name and not their names because she is a woman. The only thing making her special was that she broke a barrier that shouldn't have been broken. Our country shouldn't erect statues to honor someone who is famous only because we did something that was wrong. Instead, we should admit the mistake and change the policy back to what it was prior to the Bush/Clinton years and should let her return to living a normal life.

WFTR
Bill

[Jeff Chandler]

I've never thought that servicewomen should be in combat zones, because it requires that men be programmed out of their natural protective instincts towards women. That is a very bad thing for society.

[festus]

No doubt there was a lot of confusing and mixed up information throughout this story. Trying to find out what exactly happened during a battle or skirmish can be hard.

I don't know for sure either but what I do know is that this girl was serving her country when she was taken captive by Iraqi's.

Whether her injuries happend when her vehicle ran off the road in a firefight, or when she got shot during the firefight, or when the God forsaken Iraqi's got their hands on her is immaterial.

The thing I picked up on is that military doctors first contradicted reports she had been shot, then a day or two later confirmed that she had been shot.

I don't know what sort of wounds you must have but you must be pretty messed up if a doctor can't even tell if you have been shot etc....

I think the stories coming out now about this, the allegations it was staged, misreported, etc. miss the mark.

The point is and always will be our kids putting it all on the line for us.

Never forget the sacrifice especially this weekend.......

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt

[Criminal Number 18F]

Didn't the US military doctors say that in fact she had been shot, suffered small calibre wounds ?

Not in any sourced statement, no.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Criminal Number 18F]

Getting injured and captured aren't heroic. The Purple Heart is plenty.

Heroes are where people find them. WHile the initial GI Jane story was hokum, apparently made up by the Post reporters or some wishful-thinking feminist in Birkenstocks, PFC Lynch did do her duty. When all the dust settles, she will probably have the PH (they will give her the benefit of the doubt on the injuries' causation) and she'll also have the GWOT service medal, GWOT expeditionary medal, POW medal, and a few other odds and ends. The days when George Patton led an Army with two rows of ribbons and Rangers prided themselves on not having any (yeah, really) are long over -- if you've been in the Army long enough to lead a squad you have four or five rows of ribbons.

Lynch was in a dangerous place and came through alive and honourably. Good for her.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Criminal Number 18F]

Clinton had them all promoted and may have even had the purple heart awarded to one or all of them. At most, they received a few scratches from being pushed around

I don't think they got the PH, but I'll have to check. They did get the POW medal and the Bronze Star. Gag me. No one fired a shot, as you recall they were only pushed around, and they let themselves be disarmed by a mob. US never got their arms back, either.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[gcruse]

I'm not minimizing PFC Lynch in any way. The self-esteem generated practice of bestowing praise on all equally or none must not be allowed to permeate the military. If everyone who ever served is a hero, then no one is. I served. I did my duty. I am not a hero.

Lake Woebegone's record of all the children being above average is uncomfortably germane to the subject.