US Army to award Purple Heart to Fort Hood victims
brinktk
Active member
Not one to be big on medals or decorations...however, I don't think there has been a degradation in both the Purple Heart or Valor awards...if anything, I think the criteria has been harder to receive these things during GWOT than in previous wars.(at least in the US it has) Yes, US soldiers seem to have several decorations compared to our European counterparts...most of them are service awards for serving overseas in some capacity. Our military is a lot more expeditionary than most...nature of the beast.
As for the Purple Heart...I know guys who refused the Purple Heart AND evacuation from the battlefield from gunshot wounds so they wouldn't have to leave the line...I also know guys who did extraordinary acts of heroism and were never decorated for it or received an ARCOM(V)...(a slap in the face really) when they should have received Silver Stars...
Of course, this is why I don't generally like awards in the first place...they don't really mean anything anyways...they don't bring your buddies back...they don't help me sleep better at night...
Kesse81
Banned
In the Danish military decorations are very difficult to achieve and mine are also service awards all of them. They are just coins on a string.
What I am more proud of is when during the debriefing you are mentioned for something you have done during a mission. As the day when a British company commander shook hands with all my guys in my squad and gave me a friendly pat on the back with the words "Damm fine job Sergeant"
We had reacted so fast with fire support that the Brits gained the upper hand after they were pinned down in an open field. Recognition from colleagues is to me worth more than medals.
But I respect that some are proud of the awards which they have received, whatever they have received them for.
What I am more proud of is when during the debriefing you are mentioned for something you have done during a mission. As the day when a British company commander shook hands with all my guys in my squad and gave me a friendly pat on the back with the words "Damm fine job Sergeant"
We had reacted so fast with fire support that the Brits gained the upper hand after they were pinned down in an open field. Recognition from colleagues is to me worth more than medals.
But I respect that some are proud of the awards which they have received, whatever they have received them for.
brinktk
Active member
Again, perhaps because of the over awarding of these types of awards during Vietnam, the brass these days is over correcting and making it harder to earn these awards.
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Pardon me Tetvet, but I would expect you to show a little bit more respect for Mr. Kerry and his three PHs than that.
It's not easy pin pricking yourself and not getting some unGadly infection, ya know.... :m1:
sgtonclewillie
New Member
The criteria for the PH has not changed except in 1973 adding international terrorism. The PH never said anything about combat. You receive the PH for injuries or death caused by an enemy action. If you had to be in 'combat' then no PH for someone that stepped on a landmine and loses a leg. Or how about the guy that falls on a punji stake and buries it through his calf? No combat but clearly an injury caused by the enemy. The only thing that changed was admitting Major Nidal was a part of international terrorism. If there was no proof that Nidal was part of terrorism then it truly would have been workplace rage and no PH. My VFW Post liked the news as did my friends in my Vietnam Veterans group. The American Legion came out in support of their getting the PH.
I agree that way too many Vietnam PH's were issued. I personally know a first sergeant that heard some cannon fire and threw himself onto the ground and got a bad scratch from a plant growing there. Cannon fire was outgoing and the corpsman wiped off the blood. Bingo, PH. So, so disgusting. At least I am proud to say I was never stupid enough to get hit by enemy fire so no PH. :salute:
brinktk
Active member
It isn't necessarily a matter of stupidity that gets people wounded...it is a matter of time really when you're in the grunts. Everyone gets hit sooner later over a long enough period of time...sometimes your name is on their lead and there isn't a damned thing one can do about it...
Kesse81
Banned
I see, thanks for clarifying.
I was hit by a piece of shrapnel in A-stan. Only a superficial wound, nothing serious, but would I then receive a PH if I was a US soldier?
It wouldn´t be sufficient to receive the Danish Medal for Wounded in Service
Makes me think of an episode we had.
One of the mates was hit in the ass by a splinter from a mortar grenade. Well such a splinter is apparently very hot because he jumped around screaming "my ass is on fire"
I laughed so much that I got stomach cramps.
When we finally caught him and got him to lie down the medic asked him if he could whistle, and when asked why the medic replied; so I can know your ass from your head! The moral was quite high for rest of the day. :wink:
MikeP
Active member
Some of those folks got crippled for life-a bunch of others died.
Don't seem watered down to me.
I think the criteria for this has been in effect a long time.
Problem was to get the bureaucrats off their butts for this.
All A&Ds are a big mess-nothing fair, equal, standard, or anything else about them.
Kind of like life outside the military.
Don't seem watered down to me.
I think the criteria for this has been in effect a long time.
Problem was to get the bureaucrats off their butts for this.
All A&Ds are a big mess-nothing fair, equal, standard, or anything else about them.
Kind of like life outside the military.
brinktk
Active member
Ironically, I almost had my nuts taken out by RPG shrapnel and to this day(almost 12 years later) I get crap from my buddies about it. Imagine the goading I went through when they found out my wife was pregnant...(some YEARS later)
"Wow Brink, I thought you lost your nuts in Fallujah!"...."Dang Brink, did you get god to do the Mary dance with your old lady...since you lost your nuts and all"...or one that is particularly thoughtful..."I wish I was smart like Brink was, getting my sperm frozen at a young age...see, it paid off because now the nutless brink has kids"...yeah...that's right...these are the idiots I fought with and would gladly lay down my life for...sigh...
But to answer your question, at least today, you have to be treated at a level higher than the medic and you must be at least evacuated to the aid station. They also allowed for TBI to be a qualification for the PH. I was skeptical at first...but now I am firmly behind it. I've seen what TBI does to you and honestly, I would rather have my legs blown off than have my brain rattled to the point where my cognitive ability is that of a 5-8 year old. We haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg as to the long term effects of TBI and it is only going to get worse...
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MikeP
Active member
It was not always that simple in VN.
You had to be medivacced where I was at one point.
I hate to be argumentative, but you can't simplify or define 10 years of policies and practices by what you saw in your personal corner.
I got 20 stitches in my gourd by the team medic for getting hit with a chunk of metal in a mortar attack. We never did any paperwork, so no PH.
I got shot in lung and both legs and medivacced-got a PH for that.
Two months later, I got a good scratch from a grenade, no PH.
I also know guys who got them for pin prick level wounds.
Different day, different stuff.
You had to be medivacced where I was at one point.
I hate to be argumentative, but you can't simplify or define 10 years of policies and practices by what you saw in your personal corner.
I got 20 stitches in my gourd by the team medic for getting hit with a chunk of metal in a mortar attack. We never did any paperwork, so no PH.
I got shot in lung and both legs and medivacced-got a PH for that.
Two months later, I got a good scratch from a grenade, no PH.
I also know guys who got them for pin prick level wounds.
Different day, different stuff.