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Title: Congress launches Medal of Honor campaign for ‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle
Source: washingtontimes.com
URL Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news ... medal-honor-chris-kyle-americ/
Published: Feb 26, 2015
Author: Jacqueline Klimas
Post Date: 2015-02-27 10:03:05 by Gatlin
Keywords: None
Views: 18006
Comments: 87

A Texas congressman introduced a bill Thursday that would ask the president to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL whose life was chronicled in the movie “American Sniper.”

Rep. Roger Williams, Texas Republican, said Kyle should receive the Medal of Honor for his actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom that saved “countless American lives.”

“There is no doubt that this true American hero is worthy of our nation’s highest military honor,” Mr. Williams said in a statement. “While the Medal of Honor will not bring back a husband, father, son and a model Texan, we owe Chris Kyle and his family a great deal of gratitude for his relentless devotion to his country.”

Kyle is credited with being the deadliest sniper in American history. He was killed two years ago when a veteran he brought to a gun range who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder turned the gun on Kyle. The veteran, Eddie Ray Routh, was found guilty earlier this week and sentenced to life in prison.

The Medal of Honor must be awarded by the president, but there is historical precedent for members of Congress offering legislation to encourage the president to award the medal to certain individuals, Mr. Williams‘ office said in a statement.

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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 82.

#1. To: Gatlin (#0)

I'd be more moved by a request from the Joint Chiefs or the appropriate board at the Pentagon.

I think that the medals get very questionable when they are awarded as the result of some sleazy pols lobbying for it.

The Pentagon should award its own medals. I'd prefer the president not control the award of any medals, military or civilian.

Tooconservative  posted on  2015-02-27   10:19:03 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: TooConservative (#1)

I think what he did was courageous and I admire him.

These are the actions I more closely associate with being awarded a Medal of Honor.

Gatlin  posted on  2015-02-27   11:02:30 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#5. To: Gatlin (#2)

These are the actions I more closely associate with being awarded a Medal of Honor.

I reviewed them. Chris Kyle's exploits don't match those of the ten listed.

This Texas pol wouldn't be lobbying for this if Kyle didn't have a book/movie deal. The pol is piggybacking on to Kyle to aggrandize himself to the voters. Not that that will hurt him any with Texas voters but the rest of us shouldn't fail to see it for what it is.

Tooconservative  posted on  2015-02-28   5:06:40 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#6. To: TooConservative (#5) (Edited)

     These are the actions I more closely associate with being awarded a Medal of Honor.

I reviewed them. Chris Kyle's exploits don't match those of the ten listed.

The pol is piggybacking on to Kyle to aggrandize himself to the voters.

This came to mind immediately when I read the article.

Gatlin  posted on  2015-02-28   6:57:22 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#7. To: Gatlin (#6) (Edited)

I saw that half of AZ had their cell/phone/internet knocked out when some vandals dug up and cut a heavy shielded fiber optic cable in the desert. CenturyLink fixed it in a matter of hours.

Maybe a test run like the attack on that CA power transformer station and regional telephone systems?

FreeBeacon: Vandalism in Arizona Shut Down Internet, Cellphone, Telephone Service Across State

Tooconservative  posted on  2015-02-28   7:24:25 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#8. To: TooConservative (#7)

It was called "vandalism" ... "maybe a test run" is more correct.

Back to an earlier post: You should find this interesting: Capt. Humbert Roque Versace.

Gatlin  posted on  2015-02-28   7:52:58 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#9. To: Gatlin (#8)

Unique in being a (posthumous) MOH award to a POW. And not tainted by political influence over the award itself, unlike this Kyle matter. It probably eats McCain up to think that some other POW won the MOH, not him.

Tooconservative  posted on  2015-02-28   8:01:19 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#17. To: TooConservative, BobCeleste, GarySpFc (#9)

O'Sullivan, Christopher Jo, (KIA), USA - Awarded: DSC - Vietnam War

For years my college military fraternity alumni have attempted to contact DoD to reconsider the above officer for the MoH.

I'll dig up the DSC citation if I still have it.

He had a ticket home after a 1 yr tour. Heard his old team was pinned down in the jungle. Turned back went back to them and fought and died with them. When a relief went out he and the entire team were dead with 80-100 enemy dead among them.

redleghunter  posted on  2015-03-01   3:14:04 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#18. To: redleghunter (#17)

I'll dig up the DSC citation if I still have it.

I don't know if it is still true today,but when I was in the army it was generally considered to be true that the only way to get a DSC was to be put in for the MoH and have it denied due to not having the required number of credible witnesses.

In other words,almost everybody understood that you had EARNED a MoH,even if you didn't receive it.

IIRC,Robert Howard was awarded 2 DSC's before he got the MoH. All while he was a E-5 or E-6. When I met him he was a E-7 and waiting to hear if he got the MoH the 3rd time around. All this within 13 months. Everybody that ever met or knew him was in awe of him even before he got it,and even though everybody was happy for him when he finally did get the award,he didn't need it and it did nothing to add to the respect people that knew him had for him. It was just a formal recognition of who and what he was.

I'm sure the same can be said for Mr.O'Sullivan. The character required was already there long before the action that brought it to the surface and proved it.

Roy Benevidez is another that I hold in absolute awe. He earned the MoH while serving was CCS MACV-SOG,when he went on a 1 man Bright Light mission into Cambodia to rescue a recon team that was surrounded with everyone wounded and unable to move. This man jumped off a helicopter all alone in a small clearing in Cambodia that was surrounded by the NVA,armed with only a Bowie knife,and carrying a medics bag. He then ran about 75 yards THROUGH the NVA to get to the surrounded team and start treating them while fighting off the NVA.

I get a chill every time I think about it. I don't care who you are or how high your standards for bravery are,going on a solo Bright Light mission into Cambodia in the late 60's while armed only with a knife takes stones.

www.psywarrior.com/benavidez.html

sneakypete  posted on  2015-03-01   5:59:35 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#19. To: sneakypete (#18)

I get a chill every time I think about it. I don't care who you are or how high your standards for bravery are,going on a solo Bright Light mission into Cambodia in the late 60's while armed only with a knife takes stones.

Or dumb as rocks. Or suicidal.

You think the military wants all its soldiers to go on such hopeless missions just because it turned out heroically one time? I don't.

Tooconservative  posted on  2015-03-01   8:45:36 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#20. To: TooConservative (#19) (Edited)

I get a chill every time I think about it. I don't care who you are or how high your standards for bravery are,going on a solo Bright Light mission into Cambodia in the late 60's while armed only with a knife takes stones.

Or dumb as rocks. Or suicidal.

I solemnly assure you that Ben was neither. I knew him before any of this happened,and he was a mild-mannered and soft-spoken man that was very friendly to everyone he met,and that he had a lot of friends. He was one of those people that was almost always smiling,and seemed to be happy with life.

If being the smartest person in the room is important to you,do yourself a favor and never volunteer for SF training because you will be destined to remain unhappy if you do. I like to think I am pretty smart,and I honestly can't remember a single time I was ever the smartest man in any briefing room or training class.

You owe Ben and his family an apology for even suggesting such a thing.

And there is no such thing as a stupid Special Forces qualified NCO. Every single one qualifies for admission to the army Officer Candidate School,and a lot end up with battlefield commissions and retire as senior officers.

Many served a company commanders and even Battalion Commanders of foreign troops in battle.

One SF E-7 from the 1st Group on Okinawa was deployed to South Korean on a TDY training mission with SK Special Forces,and ended up being appointed as the Defense Minister of South Korea by the South Korean president. This happened when there was a joint team party at the end of the training mission to celebrate the successful completion of the mission,and the SK President showed up after Larry (can't remember his last name right now) had a few drinks in him,and the president asked him "What can be done to improve the SK Army?" Larry was drunk enough to tell him,and was appointed Defense Minister on the spot. Since it was/is illegal for US military members to hold positions in foreign govenments,it took the State Department to get him out of that one. He ended up retiring from the army and going to Beriut to lead one of the Christian militia there during the Civil War,and died of a heart attack while home visiting his family,

sneakypete  posted on  2015-03-01   11:24:38 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#22. To: sneakypete (#20)

You honestly think that the Pentagon wants its soldiers to go on such suicidal missions? I think they are more prudent.

I see nothing wrong with giving him the medal but I don't think the Pentagon actually wants its soldiers to go into battle so poorly armed and against such overwhelming odds. Just because one guy was lucky enough to get out alive from such an exploit doesn't mean it is a good general practice to encourage among the rank and file. At any rate, I don't see the Pentagon likes sending troops on suicide missions.

Tooconservative  posted on  2015-03-01   12:02:18 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#38. To: TooConservative (#22)

You honestly think that the Pentagon wants its soldiers to go on such suicidal missions?

You have obviously never served in uniform in a combat capacity. Frankly,none of us gave a rabid rats ass WHAT the Pentagram wanted or didn't want. What we knew was that our brothers were out there,surrounded and wounded,and if we didn't go in and get them out they would all die. There were always Bright Light rescue teams on standby at the launch sites. Every recon team took turns pulling Bright Light duty,and there was never any shortage of volunteers to go in with them when needed.

There were times the Bright Light teams couldn't launch because of the weather,already being deployed to rescue another team,or even sometimes because we couldn't get the helicopters to go in right away.

What make Roy's 1 man Bright Light mission so impressive that he went in all alone and virtually unarmed. There is no such thing as a combat soldier that doesn't respect courage from another soldier,and Roy had it to burn.

At any rate, I don't see the Pentagon likes sending troops on suicide missions.

ALL SOG missions were generally considered to be suicide missions. We were all volunteers,and we could quit any time we wanted. We were going into Cambodia,Laos,and North Viet Nam to run 6 man recon and special purpose missions in the NVA rest and training areas,and along the Ho Chi Mihn Trail. They even used dogs at times to try and track us down once they found out a team was in their area. When the NVA would find you,you and the other 5 members of our team would have to fight off literally hundreds of NVA to be able to get on a helicopter and get out.

And if a team were surrounded and wounded so they couldn't move,we either went in and got them out or they all died because the regular army would not and could not go into Cambodia,Laos,or North VN to get them. We did it ourselves,or it wouldn't get done.

We also went in sometimes to try to rescue shot down pilots or to recover classified gear from shot down fighter/bombers.

Sometimes we went in with platoons on raid missions,and they were pure combat assault operations and even scarier to me than recon was. It was not unusual for everybody in a platoon or company operation to get wounded or killed on a mission.

sneakypete  posted on  2015-03-01   23:26:31 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#51. To: sneakypete (#38)

There were always Bright Light rescue teams on standby at the launch sites. Every recon team took turns pulling Bright Light duty,and there was never any shortage of volunteers to go in with them when needed.

Okay, sure. I don't get the part where you have rescue teams at the ready with choppers available but that somehow the only weapon that guy could grab is a knife. Did the other rescue teams take all the actual guns on the base or something?

To me, sending out a soldier so unarmed sounds like a courtmartial for his superiors who ran that base. No guns for a special forces operative? Obviously I am a hopeless civvy because I really can't imagine that situation on a foreign base in proximity to hostile troops where you are assembling and launching your top combat teams for rescue missions and one of them ends up having to go out without a gun.

We're Americans. We do believe in providing firearms for our soldiers.

As to the rest of your post, I've read similar accounts before years back. It always makes me think that Vietnam was an insanely mismanaged war that wasted a lot of lives. Not as professional as the kinds of operations we ran in Iraq. Not even comparable.

Tooconservative  posted on  2015-03-02   5:29:49 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#56. To: TooConservative (#51)

Okay, sure. I don't get the part where you have rescue teams at the ready with choppers available but that somehow the only weapon that guy could grab is a knife.

There is only 1 Bright Light team per launch site,but there may be several teams deployed at any one time. If that team is already in the air and the process of rescuing another team that called in earlier,you are just going to have to do the best you can do until they are freed up. Not to mention all the gun ships and other tactical aircraft that go along with them.

You will get a radio message telling you to escape and evade the best you can because there are no assets available to come after you.

We once had a SVN AF Pilot with his Korean War era "King Bee" helicopter come into a hot LZ to pick us up after the US helicopter company assigned to us refused to try again after the first time because the lead pilot took too many hits and said it "too dangerous" to try to land. I told him if he thought it was dangerous up there,he should land and see how he likes it down here.

I think he was probably put off by the 12.7mm,the 20mm,and the 37 mm anti-aircraft fire. I remember on one gun run the lead Cobra gun ship got 14 secondary explosions from his rocket run. I ended up "talking" with this guy on aol back in the early 90's,when I saw a post he made about his first combat mission in VN as a Cobra pilot,and how he asked himself "wtf have I gotten myself into now?",and how he thought there was no chance at all he would live long enough to serve another 11 months of that stuff.

Anyhow,the VN AF pilot had been out screwing around and listening in on the radio,and he broke into the transmission and I heard a voice with a VN accent say "No sweat! I come get you!". And he did,with the door gunner on one side firing his WW-2 A6 Browning out the one door,and his co-pilot leaning out the window on the other side and shooting NVA with his 45 that were trying to rush the helicopter.

I was working as a squad leader with a Hatchet Force platoon at the time,and since he could only carry out 1 squad at a time,he dumped me and my squad off on the airfield at Ben Het and made three more trips to get everybody else out. You know you were in a bad situation when the airfield at Ben Het was thought to be a safer place to drop you off to wait for a ride back to the camp. They had been surrounded for about 6 months and cut off by the NVA,and the only way in or out of there for supplies or anything else was by air. They were a little jumpy and trigger happy,so I made damn sure I took my jungle hat off and faced the berm when we got out of that unmarked helicopter wearing black fatigues with a load of armed Asians so they could see my face and my beard.

I wasn't in CCS so I obviously wasn't there when Roy took his solo rescue ride,but I am GUESSING what happened was the Bright Light team wasn't available,but there was a slick sitting on the pad and the pilot heard about them being shot up and knew they were on their own,so he decided on his own to take off and see what he could do. Roy decided on the spur of the moment to grab a medics bag and go with him. They were PROBABLY thinking the slick MIGHT be able to land to pull them out if they could get enough tac air to suppress fire,and Roy would use the supplies in the medics bag to treat the wounded to keep them from dying.

Then they got there and the ground fire was too intense to land where the team was,so Roy told the pilot to drop him off in a nearby clearing and he would go in on his own. Spur of the moment decision based entirely on what was possible,what wasn't possible,what needed to be done,and having the stones to do it.

Did the other rescue teams take all the actual guns on the base or something?

Was that a serious question? I carried a back up gun for my back up gun. So did everybody else on the teams that I knew about. Roy wasn't working on a team at that time. IIRC,he was still recovering from injuries/wounds from a previous tour,and was working a support job at the launch site. Plus he was attending Mass,so his Bowie knife was all he needed. If the launch site had been attacked,he would have had plenty of time to run grab his weapon and web gear. If he had been wandering away from the launch site,he would have been carrying firearms

To me, sending out a soldier so unarmed sounds like a courtmartial for his superiors who ran that base.

NOBODY "sent him out". This was the US Army Special Forces,not the US Navy. No insult implied,but we didn't wait around for orders when we saw something that needed to be done. We made our own damn decisions. Roy saw something that needed to be done,so he did it. In this case he went out to provide medical care,not fight. When he left the launch site the plan was to land,take on the wounded,and take off to fly them to a army field hospital for surgery,while Roy used the supplies in the medics bag in the rear to keep them living long enough to make it to a field hospital.

And as redleghunter has noted,there is never a shortage of loaded weapons laying around on any battlefield. Once again,you adapt to the changing situation,and do what you have to do to complete the mission.

Obviously I am a hopeless civvy because I really can't imagine that situation on a foreign base in proximity to hostile troops where you are assembling and launching your top combat teams for rescue missions and one of them ends up having to go out without a gun.

As I have written before,he was attending Mass when they heard the radio call. The slick getting ready to take off was sitting on the airstrip with a warmed up engine,and the pilot was winding it up and getting ready to leave to go see what he could do with his one helicopter. Roy didn't have time to run and get his weapon and web gear,so he just grabbed the medic bag and ran for the slick.

AND....,it was NOT a foreign base. It was an American base. It just happened to be a small one.

I've read similar accounts before years back. It always makes me think that Vietnam was an insanely mismanaged war that wasted a lot of lives. Not as professional as the kinds of operations we ran in Iraq. Not even comparable.

Are you really trying to compare covert jungle warfare with overt conventional warfare in the open desert and in cities using conventional forces?

Ever see the movie Black Hawk Down? If not,watch it and note how the Special Forces NCO's that come in to organize and lead the Ranger defense operate in comparison to the Rangers.

Nobody ordered them to do it,they just saw that it needed to be done so they went in and did what needed to be done. Their mission was to run around in the enemy's back yard,gather intelligence,commit sabotage,and disrupt the enemy in any way they could. That is one of the things that SF does. You were in the Navy,and you sailed around on boats. That was what you did. Different missions,different mindsets.

sneakypete  posted on  2015-03-02   10:16:47 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#73. To: sneakypete (#56)

Ever see the movie Black Hawk Down? If not,watch it and note how the Special Forces NCO's that come in to organize and lead the Ranger defense operate in comparison to the Rangers.

Hey, Pete, I talked with you a ways back about the book Black Hawk Down and you were going to read it. Did you ever get around to it?

Biff Tannen  posted on  2015-03-03   18:57:25 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#75. To: Biff Tannen (#73)

Good military history book to teach young leaders.

redleghunter  posted on  2015-03-03   23:30:39 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#76. To: redleghunter (#75)

Hard to believe the nineties could be history. I must be getting old.

Biff Tannen  posted on  2015-03-04   11:41:10 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#77. To: Biff Tannen, GarySpFc (#76)

Had an Army Captain brief me he was going to the training area with his artillery battery and should be mission complete before dark and back to the motorpool.

He told me he was not taking out the unit night vision goggles since they would be back before dark. I then pulled out the line from "Blackhawk Down" where someone made the same comment. My battalion commander smiled and said "what my XO just told you, learn from it."

redleghunter  posted on  2015-03-04   15:27:26 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#78. To: redleghunter (#77)

It was an exciting book. I've probably read it 4 times. I'm not a military person at all but I was shocked how useless the regular army guys were considered to be by the rangers. I was equally shocked how the rangers didn't seem like anything special either. The SF guys, they weren't called SF, it was something else, they were freaking unbelievable.

Biff Tannen  posted on  2015-03-04   20:25:17 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#82. To: Biff Tannen (#78)

t was an exciting book. I've probably read it 4 times. I'm not a military person at all but I was shocked how useless the regular army guys were considered to be by the rangers. I was equally shocked how the rangers didn't seem like anything special either. The SF guys, they weren't called SF, it was something else, they were freaking unbelievable.

For the regular Army types two points. The first is they were actually assigned there to be facility security for the Rangers/SOF and a quick reaction force to rescue any Rangers/SOF needing assistance.

Their role evolved to be much more. Secondly, this was the first urban COIN fight for regular Army troops since Vietnam. The US has a horrible historical record of "first battles." Which is a good book recommendation "America's First Battles." Recommend it.

The amazing SF or SOF were Delta Force. They are what is called "black" SOF. The Rangers and SF Green berets are what is called "white" SOF. Different target sets and purposes. Later in OIF and OEF the Rangers split between white and black given the need. In Iraq mostly black. The SF Green Berets focused on training host nation SF and assisting them on direct action missions.

If you found Blackhawk Down interesting I highly recommend "Not a Good Day to Die". It is about the early weeks of OEF during Operation Anaconda. You won't put it down. Once again many first battle lessons learned.

www.amazon.com/Not-Good-D...e- Operation/dp/0425207870

redleghunter  posted on  2015-03-05   0:35:16 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


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