[TontoKowalski]

Hmmm. I have to agree. I'm a big, big Peggy Noonan fan, but she totally missed the mark on this one. This does not rate as one of her finer efforts, not by a long shot.

The President's first round of medals to go to genuine heroes, those who risked, and some who lost, their lives in defending the country on 9/11.

The civilian medal also honors those who made significant, non-heroic contributions to the country, and most of the list fits that category. Without arguing the merits of the individuals listed, they should at least wait till after the real heroes get their due.

Still, she does write beautifully. The paragraph on Mike Moran certainly brought a smile to my face. "...I suspect it wasn't sober...always nice to give a nod to royalty."

[F16Fighter]

We're on the same page here...

We happen to have quite a few "heroes" stationed over in Afghanistan and just off-shore...You are correct -- A "civilian medal" should suffice as acknowledgement of "significant contributions" to the country. Well put.