America's Ignorance Of Her Heroes

From Veteran's Journal:

During a recent commercial flight from Jacksonville, FL to Baltimore, MD, a flight attendant offered free drink coupons to any of the 150 passengers who could name just one of the five Medal of Honor recipients from the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Awkward moments of silence followed until one man, Navy veteran Dale Shelton of Annapolis, MD spoke up and named Army Sergeant 1st Class Paul R. Smith. Shelton was correct. Sergeant Smith received the award posthumously in 2005 for his actions during the April 2003 battle for Baghdad airport. No other passenger was able to name a recipient.

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The Medal of Posthumous Honor -- A Commentary

Actual Medal of Honor prepared for presentation posthumously to Master-At-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor. (Photo from All American Patriots)

From Argghhh!:

The Medal of Honor is a perplexing thing - trying to scry out the why's and wherefore's of who gets one.

Among our allies in the Long War, the Brits, the Aussies, and the Kiwis all have something in common - they have living recipients of the Victoria Cross, awarded for actions that occured during their participation in the Long War. The Victoria Cross is the Commonwealth equivalent to the Medal of Honor.

The United States has none.

The Brits have a living recipient in the person of Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry, and a posthumous recipient, Corporal Bryan Budd. The Kiwis have Corporal Bill Apiata and the Australians recently awarded the VC to Trooper Mark Donaldson. In the Commonwealth armies, with only one less VC awarded than the United States has awarded Medals of Honor, 75% of their VCs went to living recipients.

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