The Congressional Medal of Honor

America's highest medal to extremely brave military men and women is the Congressional Medal of Honor. Actions resulting in the award often resulted in the death of the hero. In the Korean war, my war, there were 131 winners and 94 paid with their lives.

Before the award is presented by the President of the United States a stringent process is followed that takes up to 18 months. At times, the process has eliminated worthy individuals or delayed the presentation for many years.

In the Korean war, my war, there were 131 winners and 94 paid with their lives.

All ranks have won the Medal of Honor including General MacArthur.

Rodger Young

When I was attending West High School in Salt Lake City in the late 1940s, in ROTC we were presented a patriotic talk by are regular army sergeant whose name I can not remember. The purpose of the talk was to create a sense of duty and courage into our teenage minds.

At the end of the talk, the sergeant played a phonograph record with the song The Ballad of Private Rodger Young. The tune still rings in my head: Rodger Young, Rodger Young, fought and died for the men he fought among.

Rodger Young received the Medal of Honor during World War II. His history and citation reads:

Young, a member of the United States National Guard, attained the rank of Sergeant (as shown by his rank insignia in many photographs), but before going to war he requested that his rank be reduced to private. As a result of a childhood accident he had increasing problems with his eyesight and hearing. He had originally joined the National Guard, believing that he would not be accepted into the regular army given his health problems. When his unit was called up he feared that as a sergeant he would be a liability. After being examined by the company doctor, it was determined that Young was now almost completely deaf and he returned to active duty with the rank of private.

On 31 July 1943, on New Georgia, Young's platoon was pinned down by intense fire from a Japanese machine gun concealed on higher ground 75 yards (69 m) away. The initial burst wounded Young. As the platoon started to withdraw, Young called out that he could see the enemy emplacement, and he started creeping toward it. Another burst from the machine gun wounded him a second time. Despite his wounds, he continued his advance, attracting enemy fire and answering with rifle fire. When he was close enough to the machine gun emplacement, he began throwing hand grenades, and while doing so he was hit again and killed. By diverting the fire of the Japanese machine gun, Young allowed his platoon to withdraw without loss. He was also responsible for several enemy casualties.

In 1949, Young's remains were returned to the United States and he is now buried in McPherson Cemetery in Clyde, Ohio.

Read all about Roger Young including the ballad, photographs, and history at:

http://www.medalofhonor.com/RodgerYoung.htm

Audie Murphy

Most all of we old folks know that Audie Murphy was the most decorated soldier of WWII. The movie To Hell and Back reveals his military service in detail. It seems strange that Audie Murphy played himself in the movie, but he did and he did a good job of it.

Read about Audie Murphy at: http://www.medalofhonor.com/MedalOfHonorAudieLMurphy.htm

Alvin York

If you are really old like me, you probably remember the movie, Sergeant York. Gary Cooper ably played the title role.

Corporal Alvin York, from Tennessee, after other noncoms were killed, led his men to capture a German machine gun nest in WWI. They captured over 130 officers and men.

Read about Alvin York at: http://www.medalofhonor.com/Sgt.York.htm

The pics show he was a pretty good looking hillbilly.

Pfc. Ross A. McGinnis: Our Most Recent Winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor

Pfc. Ross A. McGinnis died in Iraq saving four men. He dove on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers. President Bush said, "America will always honor the name of this brave soldier." Read more details about Ross and his funeral at Arlington Cemetery at:
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ramcginnis.htm

As I watched President Bush present the medal to Ross' parents, I though of how many brave men behaved bravely exactly as he did. I knew some such men in Korea. I honor them and remember them just as President Bush said.

I will remember Pfc. Ross A.McGinnis.

Our freedoms are not preserved by timidity. Brave men and women have always assured them.

Everyday, as I look out the window at the American Flag on my front lawn, I think of those brave men and women who loved their fellow men more than they loved life itself.

Remember them.

Fly Old Glory!

The End