Posted on 06/24/2011 7:53:59 AM PDT by GlockThe Vote
Obama mistakes first surviving Medal of Honor recipient for a DEAD hero soldier
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:29 PM on 24th June 2011
Comments (0) Add to My Stories Share President Obama made an embarrassing blunder during an address to U.S. soldiers.
Speaking at Fort Drum in upstate New York yesterday, the President mixed up two Medal of Honor recipients, referring to dead hero soldier Jared Monti as alive.
For the members of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division who listened to the President’s speech, the remark no doubt came as a shock.
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President Barack Obama spoke to U.S. Army soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York yesterday
The President said: ‘Throughout my service, first as a senator and then as a presidential candidate and then as a President, I’ve always run into you guys. And for some reason it’s always in some rough spots.
‘First time I saw 10th Mountain Division, you guys were in southern Iraq. When I went back to visit Afghanistan, you guys were the first ones there.
‘I had the great honor of seeing some of you because a comrade of yours, Jared Monti, was the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honor to who actually came back and wasn’t receiving it posthumously.’
To Mr Obama’s embarrassment, the hero soldier was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 21, 2006, and awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously on September 17, 2009.
President Obama handed a framed Medal of Honor to Jared Monti’s parents, Paul and Janet Monti, in September, 2009
Jared Monti (front right) was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 21, 2006
President Obama handed the framed medal to his parents, Paul and Janet Monti, and comforted the grieving couple in the Oval Office after the ceremony, joined by First Lady Michelle Obama.
Explaining the error, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told CBN News the President did not have a prepared speech.
Mr Carney said: ‘At Fort Drum, the President misspoke when discussing the first Medal of Honor he presented posthumously to Jared Monti, who was a member of the 10th Mountain Division.
‘The President paid tribute to Monti in his remarks to troops in Afghanistan in March 2010. Last year, the President presented the Medal of Honor to Salvatore Giunta, who was the first living recipient of the Medal who served in Afghanistan.’
The President presented the Medal of Honor to Salvatore Giunta, the first living recipient of the Medal who served in Afghanistan, on November 16, 2010
The President presented the medal to Sergeant Giunta on November 16, 2010.
The gaffe came one day after the President announced his plan to withdraw 33,000 troops out of Afghanistan rover the next 15 months - after nearly ten years of war.
While Americans are siding with him over bringing troops home, the decision flies in the face of warnings from the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, as well as other military officials.
General Petraeus fears that a drawdown that is too quick and too intense could allow militants such as the Taliban to fill the vacuum left by departing U.S. troops, pushing Afghanistan over the brink into the extremism that allowed Bin Laden and Al Qaeda to flourish once more.
Mr Obama also defended his decision to withdraw 33,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan over the next 15 months
More than half of Americans want the troops to come home as quickly as possible, a Pew Research poll showed, as interest in the war fades following the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.
On Wednesday, the President said he is is planning to withdraw 10,000 troops by the end of 2011 and a further 23,000 by the end of 2012 - accounting for all the extra forces he sent in 2009 to turn around a flailing war effort.
Around 70,000 U.S. troops would then be left, with more American lives bound to be lost and leaving General Petraeus concerned that if troops are pulled out too quickly the Taliban will rush in.
This figure leaves around twice as many troops as when Mr Obama took office in January 2009 and shows a more aggressive pull-out than some of his military advisers had suggested.
Gopher it!
It tells me I sure as hell wouldn't want to serve under him. No wonder the leftists do everything they can to suppress the military vote.
Won't be long before Google, who owns YouTube, stops comments on the video. Google looking out for Bowbama and his regime. I repeat: Despicalble bastard!
Or the video of the soldiers in Iraq greeting Bush in his surprise Thanksgiving visit....my cousin was surpised a bit as he was seated next to Bush for dinner....and he was just a “grunt.”
The time to remember this abhorrent act of apathy is during a campaign debate, for those running against the pathetic piece of empty headedness.
His disgrace in no way lessens the life-sacrificing act of Jared Monti, who was honored in person upon his arrival before the King of Kings who said, “Well done.”
The answer to both is "yes", except the "really smart" part of your question(s)! The guy is a friggin' idiot and there's no way to sugar coat it or my feelings for the loser!
for later
Make sure you have an empty stomach.
I’m sure I can handle it, my expectations with zerO are very low
What would happen to a soldier who stood up and called out, MR. PRESIDENT! JARED MONTI WAS KILLED IN ACTION! PLEASE CHECK YOUR FACTS, SIR!
I posted in Facebook as well. This is disgusting!!
Libs and obama kneepadders are already making excuses for him.
I wish one of them would have done that or they all walked out.
Obama is a disgusting disgrace and dirtbag.
Obama went on and on at Salvatore Giunta’s ceremony a few months back about what a great guy he was, and how much he liked him. As if they were best friends. Now he doesn’t even remember his name?
No way anyone here awards a Medal of Honor to a soldier, talks with him, and forgets his name in a few months.
Just amazing. Libs truly are scum.
True - he is despicable.
If this were bush, pali, bachmann, or anyone on the right - it wouild be played 24/7 on breaking news.
Indeed. Anyone notice how often the ticker at the bottom of the screen on the news networks provides information about casualties in Iraq and/or Afghanistan since 01/20/2009?
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