The Process Of Awarding The Medal of Honor Has Changed

The Medals of Honor awarded by each of the three branches of the U.S. military, and are, from left to right, the Army, Coast Guard/Navy/Marine Corps and Air Force. Wikipedia

The Changing Process Of Awarding Military's Highest Medal -- North County Times

Peralta case an example of modern methods interfering with witness accounts, vets say.

When it comes to the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for battlefield bravery, the standard has long been the same: Two eyewitnesses.

San Diego Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta had seven.

His nomination, though, was rejected earlier this month by the Pentagon for the second time in four years, raising questions about whether modern sensibilities — CSI meets G.I. Joe — will forever alter how combat heroes are evaluated and rewarded.

On one hand are the witnesses, who reported seeing Peralta, already on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head, pull a live grenade to his body and shield his squad mates from the blast during combat with insurgents in Fallujah.

On the other hand are forensic experts who doubt whether he could have consciously smothered the grenade and say the evidence shows it exploded next to his body, not under.

The two sides can’t both be right.

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My Comment: So .... a pathologist is the one who now decides who gets the Medal of Honor .... not the witnesses who saw the action that would merit this recognition.

No Medal Of Honor For Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta

In memoriam: Peralta was 25 when he was killed; he also received a Purple Heart for his actions

Hero Marine Who Saved Comrades By Falling On Grenade Will NOT Get Posthumous Medal of Honor - Because He Was 'Unconscious When It Exploded' -- Daily Mail

* Sgt Rafael Peralta killed in the line of duty on November 15, 2004 in Fallouja, Iraq
* Marines said they saw him pull active grenade towards body, but autopsy report said that Peralta was brain dead at the time from friendly fire
* Department of Defense ruled that Peralta's actions were not conscious, and therefore did not award him Medal of Honor
* Peralta instead given Navy Star and Purple Heart

A Marine who was killed after his unconscious body fell on a live grenade during the Iraq War will not receive a posthumous Medal of Honor, it was revealed today.

Sgt Rafael Peralta was 25 years old when he fell on the grenade in Fallouja, Iraq in 2004. Though he perished, his body shielded other American soldiers and saved the lives of other Marines.

The Pentagon told Rep. Duncan Hunter it supports the decision of former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who honored Sgt. Rafael Peralta with the Navy Cross instead of the military's highest honor.

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More News On The Decision To Not Give A Posthumous Medal of Honor To Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta

No MoH upgrade for Peralta: Congressman -- Marine Times
Peralta not getting Medal of Honor -- North County Times
Panetta denies Medal of Honor for Marine who dived on grenade -- Washington Times
Marine who died in Iraq won't get Medal of Honor -- FOX News
No Medal of Honor for San Diego Marine killed in Iraq -- L.A. Times

Flying For Medal Of Honor Recipients

 The Commandant of the Marine Corps flying in a commemorative Medal of Honor F/A-18 Hornet at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Fighter Jet Flies For Medal Of Honor Recipients -- UT San Diego

Commandant dedicates training jet at Miramar honoring war heroes.

Four F/A-18 Hornet jets streaked high over Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Friday afternoon in a missing man formation. When Number 222 peeled away from the others and landed, it was obvious that the latest aircraft added to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 101 was something special.

The jet parked near a red carpet rolled onto the flight line. Then Gen. James Amos, the 65-year-old commandant of the Marine Corps, climbed out of the backseat of the cockpit. It was the first time Amos, a fighter pilot by training, had flown a Hornet this year, aides said.

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My Comment: A worthy cause to support.

Destroyer Named For Fallen Navy SEAL Hero

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Tribute For A New York Hero: $1.1 Billion Destroyer Named For Fallen Navy SEAL Hero Commissioned In Manhattan -- Daily Mail

* Named for Lt. Michael Murphy, a Long Island native and Navy SEAL who was the first American awarded the Medal of Honor during the Afghanistan War in 2005

 The U.S. Navy's newest warship will not be named for a former president, distinguished member of Congress or some historic figure from the past. The USS Michael Murphy, a 510-foot $1.1 billion destroyer, was today commissioned in New York City for Lt. Michael Murphy, a Long Island native and Navy lieutenant who became the first American awarded the Medal of Honor during the Afghanistan War when he was killed along with two fellow SEALs during an ambush in 2005. He was 29.

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More News On The Commissioning Of The USS Michael Murphy  

Navy commissions destroyer named for Navy SEAL -- Chicago Sun Times/AP
USS Michael Murphy, newest Navy warship, pays tribute to SEAL from N.Y. -- Politico/AP
Navy commissions destroyer named after SEAL from NY killed in Afghanistan -- FOX News/AP USS Michael Murphy Commissioned in New York -- US Navy SEALS Blog

The Story Of US Navy SEAL Michael Murphy And The Commissioning Of The USS Michael Murphy

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An Act Of Kindness Killed Navy SEAL Michael Murphy But His Courage Earned Him The Medal Of Honor

When Navy SEAL LT Michael P. Murphy was killed fighting in Afghanistan in 2005 he became the first person awarded the Medal of Honor during the War in Afghanistan, which means he perished under exceptional circumstances.

Murphy led Operation Red Wings, a group of four men sent into the Afghan mountains June 28, 2005 to neutralize senior Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. While making their way to Shah's location, Murphy and his team were stumbled upon by a group of local goat herders.

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My Comment: Never forget.

Where Is Former U.S. Army Capt. William Swenson's Nomination For A Medal Of Honor?

Former U.S. Army Capt. William Swenson, of Seattle, Washington, calls for air support on his radio during the ambush in Ganjgal, Afghanistan. Jonathan S. Landay/MCT

Questions Surround Army Captain’s ‘Lost’ Nomination For Medal Of Honor -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — Like other U.S. trainers with the Afghan force that day, former Army Capt. William Swenson had expected light resistance. Instead, the contingent walked into a furious six-hour gunfight with Taliban ambushers in which Swenson repeatedly charged through intense fire to retrieve wounded and dead.

The 2009 battle of Ganjgal is perhaps the most remarkable of the Afghan war for its extraordinary heroism and deadly incompetence. It produced dozens of casualties, career-killing reprimands and a slew of commendations for valor. They included two Medal of Honor nominations, one for Swenson.

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My Comment: I commented last year that if his military colleagues are even 50% correct in their combat reports on Army Captain William Swenson and his role in the 2009 Battle of Ganjgal .... he should (in my opinion) be considered for a Medal Of Honor. But .... as I said in this post last year .... his criticism of the military leadership and their rules of engagement in Afghanistan after the battle has made him a pariah among many senior officers .... and (sadly) it looks like many of them are still holding a grudge.