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Hey Jim,
Remember reading about the MOH in the civil war. Think that was when it was created. Many of the men who earned it in that war really didn't do a whole lot out of the ordinary and received the medal. Think some were even revoked. They made the award rules a lot stricter after that.
Some scouts earned the medal during the Indian Wars after 1865. The stuff those guys did will make you're skin crawl. Well deserved.
Thanks for the post,
Robert/LB
I was glad to see Lloyd "Scooter" Burke on the list. That guy had some serious guts.
As to inequity in the awards, Theodore Roosevelt's commendation for a Medal of Honor was squelched by William McKinley for mostly political reasons, partly because he just didn't care that much for old T.R. He was eventually awarded the medal long after he was dead by Bill Clinton.
At the time of the Vera Cruz invasion the Medal of Honor could also be awarded for heroism in non combat situations and frequently was. A lot of sailors got the medal for heroic activities in non combat situations.
Vera Cruz wasn't the only place where a kaboodle of Medal's of Honor were awarded. A lot of folks feel way too many were awarded in the "Punitive Expidetion against Panch Villa. I remember the story of one Medal of Honor recipient standing inspection in the 1920's. The inspecting officer asked where he had gotten his MoH. The man replied he had recieved it in World War 1. The officer said "well at least you didn't get it in the Punitive Expedition.
There have been injustices in the awarding of decorations from the beginning and some have been committed because of past injustices. There is a strong belief that Dick Winters got a DSC instead of an MoH because the quota allocated for the D-Day operation had been awarded already and the service was nervous about issuing too many of the medals.
Art,
I actually found the link while doing some research on the POW net the night before this thread posted. Looked at it and said cool. Didn't notice the Officer Only aspect of it. Still, it's kind of neat in it's own way. Certainly wouldn't leave out the enlisted swine of which I was one for 23 years.
Bob
I believe Rickenbacker's MOH wasn't awarded until the '30s. He also flew many missions alone and returned with yet another 'kill'. Also, late in the war, as commander of the 94th he had the dubious distinction of approving his own victories.
SteveD