Free Republic

There are few organizations in the United States as steeped in tradition as the military. And one of the oldest customs is the giving of "challenge coins," privately made medallions stamped with a unit or service emblem. The ritual reportedly started during World War I, when new aviators were given coins from officers upon joining a squadron. According to one tale, a pilot was saved from execution in France after proving his identity with his coin. In a memorial ceremony this week, President Obama placed the commander in chief's coin in front of the photos of the 13 soldiers slain...

Texas Rep. Sam Johnson -- one member that colleagues of both parties routinely refer to as “ a hero” and “great American” -- was honored October 10 for being precisely that by a group of the most honored Americans of all. Johnson, a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot during the Vietnam War who was a prisoner of war for seven years, received the coveted National Patriot Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. The award is a medallion that is awarded annually, according to its sponsors, “to distinguished Americans who exemplify the ideals that make our country strong. Their...

Defense official tells Hunter that modern warfare limits troop-on-troop contactIs high-tech warfare making combat safer and leading to fewer Medal of Honor winners from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? That's the suggestion of a Defense Department official in a letter to Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, R-El Cajon, who says there are more deserving troops from America's current conflicts than the five who have won the honor. Gail McGinn, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, wrote Hunter a letter earlier this month suggesting electronic warfare may be one reason why only a handful of U.S. troops have been awarded...

Recipients of the Medal of Honor are the bravest of the brave, the truest of America’s heroes. Last Friday at the start of this “holiday” weekend, the White House announced the name of the newest Medal of Honor recipient - the fourth for service during the Iraq War. All four medals and one for service in Afghanistan have been awarded posthumously. To read the stories of these men - not just stories of their bravery and of how they died, but of how they lived - is to find convincing evidence that this nation has indeed produced yet another “greatest...

A day for heroes To the editor: Sailor John Finn manned an exposed a.50-caliber machinegun at Pearl Harbor. Wounded many times by strafing Japanese planes, he stayed at his post returning fire with telling effect. He is World War II’s first Medal of Honor recipient. He is with us at 98, and is one of only 105 living men who earned our nation’s highest tribute for valor under fire. I am one of them. Today, as our country marks the first anniversary of National Medal of Honor Day, the date the first medals were awarded during the Civil War, I...

"Although the Southern Mountains contain merely 12 percent of the U.S. population, over 70 percent of the Medal of Honor recipients are from here."