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Thanks for the follow-up.

In case you’re curious, I asked the Mods to remove my previous posts. Even after “proofreading” my first, I spotted an error after it went out. I posted a correction of sorts, and then requested that they be deleted.

Bill — You’re quite correct, there are many living recipients of the MoH.

Centurion — you may also be correct with regards to the more recent recipients. I haven’t checked that info lately.

In any event, the citizens of this country should regard them all with the highest esteem, whether living or dead. They performed heroic actions very few of us can imagine.

Yes, and centurion's got a point - MoH's have been very sparse of late and it isn't as if there's any less valor running around. I'm not entirely sure what to make of that, actually.

I just finished a memoir of Fallujah entitled House to House. Sometimes you just sit there with your mouth open reading that sort of thing. Highly recommended.

We should and will honor them all.

But, for those who have not been following this issue, most historians and military experts find it very curious that in the years since the end of the Vietnam War, not a single act of valor has been deemed to warrant award of the Medal of Honor excepting posthumous awards. The War in Iraq and Afghanistan has been ongoing since 2001 with several hundreds of thousands of military members engaged in combat, much of it very extensive combat.

The frequency of awards of the highest decorations (Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross) has been very low when compared with other conflicts and, in the case of the Medal of Honor, no awards have been made to someone still living. This has caused considerable discussion about why this might be and what procedures may have changed within the Defense Department. The standards certainly seem to be different. The speculation is that there have been many acts of valor that have merited the Medal of Honor, but reluctance for political reasons has meant that a lower honor was approved.

Staff Sergeant Miller is a true American hero and we all salute him and remember him. Some day, some soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine will stand at attention to receive his medal rather than just having it engraved on his tombstone. And, one hopes that decisions on who might be deserving are not colored by politics, bureaucracy, or anything else.