How's This For Remarkable?

[Kira]

I've been reading up on the United States military's Congressional Medal of Honor, usually shorted to simply "The Medal of Honor".  It is this nation's highest military award "for gallantry and bravery in combat at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. (or some close variation thereof)"

 

I noticed that many of the recounts from the Vietnam era from TheVirtualWall.org seemed to be the fabled "jumping on a grenade to save one's comrades".  And then I found this story.  Apparently, in rare circumstances, and the right turn of events, being on top of a grenade when it goes off won't kill you.  This guy got up and walked away with a bloody nose; continuing the mission and successfully ambushing the enemy later that night.  I'm most surprised he didn't receive the Victoria Cross, though as he likely would put it, and as is the case with our MOH, "I imagine he would take a living George Cross over a posthumous Victoria Cross any day."

 

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/royal-marine-threw-grenade-walked-away-bloody-nose-george-cross.html?utm_source=revcontent&utm_medium=referral&utm_term=none

[Painless]

Wow, talk about thinking on your feet, ( or back in this case) . Respect Matthew Croucher !

[DD_Arthur]

Don't worry Kira; if he'd been a 'hofficer instead of merely a lance corporal, he would have got the VC! 

[Kira]

Quite likely, Arthur.  I can't even begin to count the number of events in Vietnam I've read about where someone in the enlisted ranks did something deserving of a medal, and the guy that got it was the officer who wasn't even close to the action, and in some cases wasn't even there.  I find it disturbing the number of officers who don't take their oath to heart, but then that goes for most of the human race, I think.  Still, they took an oath, so it ought to be honoured.  Not so at times, apparently.

 

Additionally, there's the typical "review" by those who weren't there, who, jealous of the acclaim accorded those on "the pointy end of the spear", downgrade the medals to some thing less, or, worse, "loose the application in the mail".  Stuff like that sickens me.