Sgt Kimberly Munley for the Congressional Medal of Honor?
There is a Facebook group that touts Sgt Kimberly Munley for her actions during the attack at Ft. Hood recently. This group supports Munley and seeks to have her receive the Congressional Medal of Honor!
Criteria: The Medal of Honor is awarded by the President, in the name of Congress, to a person who, while a member of the Army, distinguishes himself or herself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The deed performed must have been one of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life. Incontestable proof of the performance of the service will be exacted and each recommendation for the award of this decoration will be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit.
Read the full text here:
The Medal of Honor
I am of the belief that civilian police Sgt. Kimberly Munley is a brave woman. I believe she acted correctly in shooting the terrorist Hasan. I do NOT believe that her actions were anything extraordinary by definition to receive the Medal of Honor. And, she is NOT a member of the U.S. military.
The Medal of Honor is NOT an award that is handed out willy-nilly, many of it’s recipients were awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. The Medal of Honor is the highest award a member of the MILITARY can receive for duty far above and beyond the call of duty.Sgt. Munley was engaged in a gun battle with an attacker, a mass murderer, an action that police officers all over this nation possibly face on a daily basis.Should each and every CIVILIAN police officer be awarded the Medal of Honor every time they engage in a live fire arrest or take-down?
From the Facebook group:
When a Crazed man starts shooting, there are those who have the presence of mind to stay calm and the training to respond. On Thursday, November 5, 2009, Sgt. Kimberly Munley, a civilian DOD police officer with the Ft Hood base police from Wilmington, NC, has been credited in ending Major Hasan’s rampage, was that person.
All of America feels that she should receive our Nation’s Highest Honor: The Congressional Medal of Honor for this fearless act of Bravery! SOURCE
Actually, not ALL Americans feel that Munley should receive the Medal of Honor. She should receive the highest award the Army, her Department and the state of Texas can award her for her act of bravery, but what Sgt. Munley did is called DOING THE JOB. The job she is paid to do.
She did NOT face overwhelming forces. “The deed performed must have been one of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life.”
Though it reads like Hollywood, it was a real life shoot-out and the police officer used her training and delivered four shots into the suspect while taking fire. She was hit at least one time. Both have survived the exchange. Thirteen others were killed but many were saved by Munley’s bravery and service. SOURCE
Sgt. Munley was simply the 1st officer on the scene, and the only person, other than the shooter, that had a weapon. And that my friends, is a sad testament towards guns and their usage in this nationI messaged the owner and admin of the group, telling him that I thought this was a denigration to ALL Medal of Honor winners, and below is the transcript of that exchange. My 1st contact:
Fred Witzell November 22 at 6:52pm
Isn’t that reserved for U.S. military members? Munley is a civilian LEO employed at Hood if I am not mistaken… As such, she is ineligible for the MoH… Correct me if I am wrong…
Bob Lewis November 23 at 2:08am
Fred: There have been exceptions; in 1927, Lindbergh received it for his flight over the Atlantic as a civilian pilot.
For displaying heroic courage and skill as a navigator, at the risk of his life, by his nonstop flight in his airplane, the “Spirit of St. Louis,” from New York City to Paris, France, 20-21 May 1927, by which Capt. Lindbergh not only achieved the greatest individual triumph of any American citizen but demonstrated that travel across the ocean by aircraft was possible. SOURCE
Fred Witzell November 23 at 11:11am
Lindbergh’s awarding of the MoH was a denigration to that Medal and every recipient, as is YOUR group calling for it to be awarded to a civilian police officer… I rarely blast off on ANYONE for what they do on their own page, but you Sir, are in the wrong!
Bob Lewis November 23 at 11:18am
You know, Fred, that’s one of the things I fought for in ‘Nam was the right for each of us to have our own opinion; and I respect yours; but don’t try and impose yours on me.Regards, Bob Lewis
‘Nam ’68
B52s
Fred Witzell November 23 at 11:21am
Not trying to impose ANYTHING on you, but IF you’re a Veteran, and you don’t see the denigration to the MoH that you are imposing, YOU are not all that you think you are..
And one last thing:
Frequently called “The Congressional Medal of Honor”, its true title is simply: MEDAL OF HONOR SOURCE
Mr. Lewis, as the former member of the military you claim to be, why do you insist, in several places, on the continued use of the misnomer CONGRESSIONAL Medal of Honor? In closing, I again say, Sgt. Kimberly Munley is a brave person, she did her job and she is more than deserving of high honor for the performance of her job during the shootings at Ft. Hood.
She should NOT, in MY opinion, be touted as a contender for the Medal of Honor!
The links to the group on Facebook have been blocked, it appears that Mr. Lewis went to a bit of trouble to keep folks from seeing this denigration, OR, to hide my references…
Just go to Facebook and enter the title of this post in the SEARCH, leave off the question mark and add an exclamation…
Got to agree with you Fred. There are prestigious medals for what Sgt Munley did, especially after getting shot 4 times. Too bad she didn’t kill the son of a bitch in the process. I just wonder if obama will award this muslim prick a medal for getting wounded in the course of action, after all, he was one of obama’s homeland security advisors. I say, The Medal of Honor should be bestowed on our military, and the military only. It should not have one dam thing to say about “congressional” when describing it.
You are right Fred, the Medal of Honor should be reserved for military personal only. Kimberly Munley is a brave American peace officer who did her job well and I sure will be awarded the highest honor by both the civilian state, local and federal authorities. And she is deserving of those honors. I wasn’t aware that Lindburg was awarded the Medal of Honor, I doubt there was much opposition to that at that point in time. Like you however, I think it should be military only. I must admit that I know little about the former Medal of Honor winners, if fact very little. I do know like many the story of the young Texas boy who lied about his age and went to war in WWII Audey Murphy—what a great story.
I’m with you Fred, sorry ladies out there.
While great strides have been made introducing women into combat and they’ve indeed done many heroic deeds I couldn’t even do, men die at a rate 1000 times more in war so it only comes down to numbers and how many of those men deserve the medals first?
Perhaps its the time to create a special category for women’s achievements in the military and recognize them as well in that fashion….just like the Women’s Baseball Hall of Fame…same thing for the Military….Just a thought..
Actually Ray, it’s not about male/female.. Female troops are as eligible for the MoH as males, as long as they meet the criteria…
In today’s global war on terror there are many women in positions that subject them to enemy fire and attacks..
That said, this is simply about MILITARY vs CIVILIAN, and the MoH is, or should be, a MILITARY award…
Civ. Police Sgt (not military Sgt) Kimberly Munley should be honored with appropriate shield of honor from law enforcement for her sacrifice. We have had CIA, FBI, etc., sacrifice their lives in critical situations which we neither knew about or even want to know about. They have been appropriately honored. But they did not receive the Military Congressional Medal of honor.
Also, this nonsense of awarding the Congressional Medal of Honor would also be quite inappropriate even for a military person in this same situation as the Medal is reserved to the military for an extraordinary heroic action (as detailed in Texas Fred’s narrative and not for doing one’s job, risking one’s life, and dying - which occurs a myriad upon myriad of times for servicemen and women). Running to the sound of gunfire when it is one’s duty is not an extraordinary heroic act. It is a trained and expected reaction to the the rare situations upon which we called to do. Dying is not heroic act - it just is part of the process which many of my comrade experienced - and I still morn them - and will one day join them. Is the young man with my same name on the Vietnam Memorial Wall a hero? He is to me - but does he deserve the Congressional Medal of Honor? No. [but He deserved a lot more honor and recognition that dishonored John Kerry and John Murtha - sorry this just slipped out and is written in a cleaned up version - any Vietnam Era veteran will understand].
I was was sick when then President Bill Clinton insulted all military by awarding the Congressional Medal of Honor to Marines who lost their lives in a peace keeping operation (a mission which should never of occurred and was a mistake). All Marines as well as all other service persons know the difference.
Texas Fred is right - Civ. Sgt Munley should NOT receive the Congressional Medal of Honor!
That being said, Clinton failed to understand the distinctions for the Medal of Honor. Do we expect the Teleprompter to grasp this truth? Or, will he seek to gain favor while his government covers up what most every one knows was a FUBAR in allowing a person to continue as an medical officer who by all elementary evidence was an Islamic terrorists. It was both Dr. (Jihadist) Hasan and Political Correctness (PC) that killed our comrades in arms and accompanying civilians, like Sgt Munley, at Ft. Hood.
Ozark Guru
Served My Country in Uniform (USAF: 1966-1988)
Still serving my Country!
p.s., Sometimes, people starting various FaceBook Groups, Causes are immature or just plain ignorant of the military and its traditions. As military, we even sacrifice for these people.
Ozark Guru… Thank you Sir for that service and your excellent comment on this thread…
Perhaps Bob Lewis ‘Nam ‘68 B52s doesn’t know how REAL Officers feel, and for damn sure, he has NO idea regarding the Medal of Honor…
Congressional?? Yeah.. Right…
I am an Infantry E-5/SGT in the United States Army National Guard. I am also a full-time P.O.S.T. certified Police Officer in south Louisiana, and have been for over 3 years. I am a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedon III and have been involved in a police shooting. With that being said, my opinion is as follows:
I do not believe that Sgt. Kimberly Munley deserves to be awarded the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is reserved for members of the Armed Forces (not civilian police) who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, risking their own life, and often, not surviving.
My training as a Fire Team Leader in the Army tells me that if I come into contact with a greater force, I should break contact, regroup, and try to coordinate a well calculated counter-attack using available resources. Medal of Honor recipients have not always done things this way.
Nowhere in my training was I ever told to flop down on a hand grenade, or charge a machine gun nest by myself. These types of things are just done. I would venture to say that, most of the time, they were done out of desperation, meaning, that the recipient was going to die one way, or another.
My training as a police officer tells me differently. As a police officer, if I come into contact with an “active shooter”, I am to engage the shooter and shoot to stop his aggression.
I would call for extra units (officers) in the process, but I would stay engaged with the shooter until either he’s dead, I’m dead, or someone else gets there and we resort back to the first part of this sentence.
Sgt. Munley did what she is trained to do. She is not fighting a war, nor is she going above and beyond what she is supposed to do.
Another topic I would like to briefly address is the Charles
Lindbergh issue. Yes, the Medal of Honor was awarded to Capt. Lindbergh. At that time, civilians could be awarded the Medal of Honor.
In my opinion, someone must have realized that there needed to be separate awards for Military personnel and civilians. I believe that they saw things the same way as Fred does, that it takes away from the military personnel that the Medal of Honor has been awarded to.
Okay, now I’ve been able to get through the whole article instead of just reading the title. As usual, you are right and I rescind what I previously posted. Yes, she is highly trained and very brave but the whole special-ness of the MoH is the going above and beyond that which you are trained for-in the military.
Sorry, Fred-like I said on FB, the internet connection here at work sucks so I generally just skim titles. It’s rare I’m able to actually get into your site without getting bounced (and that’s here at work, not at home, so no, it’s not your site, but the boss’ equipment).
I thought there was a question about her not being the shooter who actually fired most of the hits? Wasn’t there a guy that was there who did, or did the PC Police squash that because it si more copelling with her being female?
and NO, she should NOT get the MOH for what she did. If anything, award it to those who DIED trying to save others. THEY are the heroes, not her. Bravery maybe, but it is in the basic job description. There was no above and beyond here that I can see.
Regarding another shooter or PCness over her being female, that has nothing to do with this post, it is supposition and theory…
I DO appreciate your 2nd comment though… And agree…
Fred,, I am usually 100% with you on almost everything you say here. I guess the live Oprah interview with Sgt. Mark Todd AND Sgt. Munley and the NYT article (including the witness corroboration) are “supposition and theory” too. I don’t use these two sources as my new references, but there is enough there I believe to question if “supposition and theory” really is accurate here.
see Second Officer Says He Brought Fort Hood Gunman Down - NYTimes.com
A medal from the State of TX and/or her dept. yes! MoH for this? No way, we didn’t do this for the fire fighters in NYC during 9/11 who showed extreme courage and many died while doing do.
The MoH isn’t a crackerjack prize to be handed out to all and sundry.
Texas Bred, I am NOT trying to be rude, honestly, that is not my intention, but you are interjecting supposition and theory into a post where it doesn’t belong, please, don’t attempt to steer this comment thread in a new direction…
The *He said, she said* is out of place in this particular discussion… And the part about PCness and her being a female IS supposition..
She was brave, no doubt. Did a great job, no doubt. Pulled the military fat out of their own fire, no doubt.
But she NOT currently in the military and the criteria do not apply.
It is as SIMPLE as that. Period.
She should NOT receive the Medal of Honor. This is an inane suggestion.
BZ
Fred - Agree that LEO Sgt Hunley should not be considered for the CMH for all the reasons previously stated. What should happen though is that all the soldiers at Ft Hood who were wounded or killed be awarded the Purple Heart. Each and every one of them was a casualty of war. The War on Terror, in which the raghead Dr. is an enemy combatant.
She is not military, she is not eligible to receive the Medal of Honor.
Mr. Lewis is wrong. Sgt. Munley, while brave and effective, did not perform above and beyond. If she receives the MoH, it will, in fact, be a dilution or denigration of that most prestigious of medals.
Although, not much more denigrating the first “lady” showing up for a MoH award ceremony in a bloody sun dress.
Cary, what do you expect from President Ghetto Rat’s 1st Ho??
Actually, I was surprised she showed up at all!
Hmmm….
Having been involved in this sort of thing on more occasions than I really care to remember; The lady is not military, period. So no, no MOH, period. The departments that I worked around or with certainly would honor her with a medal of Valor, as well as one that notes her injuries. But… well? It doesn’t even really make the grade for a Police / Sheriff MOH.
Grant her what is her due recognition, but that does not include the Army Medal of Honor.
Not withstanding the fact that Sgt. Munley was born and raised in the next town over from me, here in NC, I am of the opinion she should not even be considered for the MoH. Sgt. Munley is a true “Steel Magnolia” and we’re damned proud of her for doing her job in an exemplary manner.
JDL
MoH awarded to a civilian cop doing her job? No way. Should she receive an award from the State of Texas, Killeen Police force, Fort Hood Army base, and the United States of America for taking down a terrorist, hell yes. But it has to be a civilian award.
Minuteman26, full agree on the PH being awarded.. And Munley should be honored with the highest award a CIVILIAN should receive too…
Hasan needs some METAL too… Not medals, METAL, as in LEAD in his ass…
I have a great admiration for all law enforcement, male and female, but I have to agree, she is not eligible for the MoH.
I still find it absolutely amazing that a post full of trained military men and women had to rely on the local police to stop a murderous piece of excrement.
I have to agree with the majority on here….No MOH for Sgt. Munley. She is civilian and not military. I’m not even sure if she was military that her actions could warrant a MOH. I do think that several service men and women there should get at least a Bronze Star for their actions. Maybe even a coouple get a Silver Star…but not the MOH. If it gets handed out so easily to anyone…then it de-values it’s worthiness to those that actually earned it.
I too served in Vietnam ( 67-71 ) and I thought a lot more of my friends should have gotten a little more recognition for their brave actions and sacrifice than just an accommendation.
As someone has already mentioned…do we really know whose bullets hit the scumbag??? The jury is still out on that one…but for sure there should be no MOH for her.
She’s a civilian who works for the Army and as such isn’t entitled to the Medal of Honor. That Medal is for the men and women who wear the uniform of the US Armed Forces. She’s an extraordinary brave woman and there are awards for civilians who perform to her level but the Medal is only for military personnel.
Speaking of the Medal of Honor. Has anyone noticed that since we’ve been in this War on Terror, there hasn’t been one living recipient of the Medal of Honor; all have been posthumously. With the extreme bravery exhibited in Iraq and Afghanistan by our many of our troops, why no MOH to any living recipient.
Also, if Sgt Munley had been carrying a .45 instead of the 9mm, Hasan would be maggot food right now.
I agree COMPLETELY with Fred’s entire post. Simple ‘nough said.
However; Question etc. Now correct me if I am wrong, (and I know you will
) but Charles was in fact an Army reserve officer up to and DURING his amazing flight yes? Well the answer is YES so I guess that isn’t a question after-all is it?
So we have established that YES he WAS a Captain in the Reserves and that the US considered him ‘on duty’ for his historic flight. Now did he deserve it? Well that is def worth an argument regardless of what one thinks. Me, I dunno it is up in the air. (no pun intended) By todays standards would he get it…HELL NO. But, look at the other MoH recipients for that 15 year period of history…hmm…if we go by comparison, half of them lose theirs or Chucky gets to keep his. Now If you add that comparison with the understanding of people at the time, the technology, the mood, etc. One can see how and why he was awarded the MoH even if they do not agree with him getting it. His flight at the time in the eyes of the world was literally the equivalent of us landing a man on mars . . . twice. And he certainly put his life in great danger. There was also severe danger from other countries and pilots some of which swore to kill him in flight. Now that never happened I’m just jabbering away now with a story. But you get the drift.
Now Fred your Foe also screwed up regarding civilians being awarded the Medal of Honor, Until World War II, the Medal of Honor was also authorized to be awarded for extraordinarily heroic actions by ACTIVE OR RESERVE Service members made DURING PEACETIME as well as IN COMBAT, NOT for civilians. However civilians DID in fact get the award on a handful of occasions since the civil war, many posthumously, and HALF of those were revoked in 1916 and more were revoked in 1989. Several were re-issued and several were issued because the ‘civilian’ in question was determine to be part of the military due to their job function and duties they performed.
I also agree with OzGu on the Clinton Marines thread, however there is actually more to that as well. I know, not the place or time…but dig around and look through the history of the MoH and the red-tape Bullshit it went through just prior to and during that.
Now once again I agree the Sgt. Does NOT deserve the MoH. NO WAY. Hell even if enough people thought she deserved it, she is ineligible. A comparable award would be The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Safety_Officer_Medal_of_Valor)
I do not think she meets the requirements for that award either however. I do not think this was an act deserving of the MoH nor the comparable civilian award which would be the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor.
If this dolt on FB has any class or respect he will either change the name and goal of his FB group or at this point simply delete it entirely.
Slainte’
Mad
Mr Lewis is a fool! NO MoH for this police officer. MoH is for military members - period.
As others have said, various other citations of recognition are available to her. To give her the MoH would cheapen the MoH recipients of the military (and yes, I know one or two…lol)
Be that as it may, I know that GWB gave families of fallen first responders (civilians) who lost their lives on 9/11, a Medal of Valour (okay Valor…lol) in recognition of their service and sacrifice.
I guess in this case it depends whether you want this police officer to be recognised on a state level, or a national level..
Either way, NO MoH!
Carry on, Fred!
Aunty Brat you are right, Mr. Fred is right- I posted my 2 cents worth on the website page and as I said- I hope Sgt Kim Munley gets a high award for her actions doing her job, but I do not want to see the Congressional Medal of Honor turned into another Nobel Peace Prize.
These are some great comments and enjoyed reading them as my knowledge on this subject is limited. Today didn’t go by without me learning something new. Thanks to all the above contributors.
H/T Northstar96c best line of the thread
” I do not want to see the Congressional Medal of Honor turned into another Nobel Peace Prize.”
Nice.
As a Veteran of both the US Navy and US Army, I have to agree with Fred that this is not worthy of the Medal of Honor. As a former Police Officer, from I read, she did what she is paid to do. I know Police Officers that have responded to the same type of situation that have received nothing for their actions nor, have they asked for anything. I honestly feel that WE as Soldiers are taught to use many different weapons throughout our career and yet we are not allowed to have them upon returning from the “Field” for training. This Sgt., whether male or female did what she is paid to do, nothing more nothing less. As a Combat Veteran, I feel that it is a disgrace for this to even be considered as something worthy of the “Medal of Honor”. As a Medal of Honor recipient, you have proven that you have gone above and beyond in Duty, Honor and, Sacrifice. I have met several MOH recipients and I would think that each one of them would disagree with this fellow Veteran, Mr. Lewis. If anyone thinks they deserve the MOH, then allow your actions to be investigated and then presented to the respective authorities and see if you deserve the nations “Highest Honor”. If this Sgt., were an actual Soldier, and this were actions that took place on a “True Battlefeild”, it may be different but, to allow a Civilian Employee to receive the MOH is disrespectful to all who have “Earned” the award. This is a Military HONOR, lets keep it that way. I agree with Fred, allow the Department of the Army, State of Texas and or Department of Defense present her with an award suitable for her actions. Honestly, she was only doing what she was Hired, Trained and, expected to do in this situation. God Bless America and God Bless us all. Happy Thanksgiving.
I’m with ya on this one Fred. While what she did was heroic in standing that terrorist scumbag down and was injured in the line of duty - it was not heroism that rises to MoH level. Mr. Lewis is an idiot and was probably a paper pusher - if he indeed did serve. Sounds like he didn’t otherwise he wouldn’t be trying to push this medal on her. There are young men and women dying in combat situations every day in Afghanistan and Iraq doing much more than what she did. To give this woman the MoH would be the same as P-BO receiving the Nobel Peace Prize - it would denigrate and minimize the medal and would diminish its meaning for all those in the past who have received it.
The MOH is awarded to US Military personnel… period. I fully agree with TF. I also agree that police are doing their job when they are protecting citizens. I do think since Sgt Munley was wounded by the Islamic pig, it would be a good thing to honor her and all the armed police and responders, as they stepped up to the plate and risked their lives doing their duty, and that is to be commended. My question is… isn’t there a Medal of Freedom awarded by the President to “citizens” for these acts of courage?????
I bet the Islamic sympathizer in the White House will be too busy making the assertion that the perp was “mentally disturbed” and “this isn’t terrorism”… to think about the brave people who stopped the pig!!! Just my thoughts.
Her being a civilian engaged in civilian LEO operations makes the entire suggestion a moot point.
If the law, and various awards manuals, changed, and civilians became eligible, I would still say she wouldn’t rate that award. Would we award the Medal of Honor to every member of the military that returned enemy fire? Better start stamping them out on an assembly line!
I’m not trying to take anything away from this brave peace officer, but the MOH? This Lewis guy is a bit slow.
You are correct, Fred, Sgt. Munley cannot be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
She is a brave woman who did her duty under the most stressful of circumstances, and put her life on the line to do her duty, and for that she deserves special recognition. But not the MoH.
There are civilian awards, like the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal, for example, to recognize civilian excellence, which certainly would be appropriate for Sgt. Munley’s brave action.
Idiots should not be allowed to play on the internet. Sgt. Munley is not elegible for the Congressional Medal of Honor. That is an award set aside for our Military only. The right call is the Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is, along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress, the highest civilian award in the U.S. It recognizes those individuals who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
Folks, I really appreciate the comments and info, ALL of it… I have 2 or 3 very ignorant people on Facebook that are extremely pissed off at me because I am not calling for Munley to be canonized… All 2 or 3 of those people are the idiots that Gawfer so appropriately refers to…
Even if she were active duty military, what she did doesn’t qualify for the Medal of Honor. She was doing her job; what she is paid to do. The Medal of Honor is for actions above and beyond the call of duty.
What Mr. Lewis is doing is “feel good” stuff.
Didn’t Obama award Dr. Joe “Medicine” Crow and some other marxists The Presidential Medal of Freedom? If I was Sgt Munley, I think I would decline that one if offered as Obama has made a sham of the award. That being said, she does deserve some meaningful recognition for her actions.
Minuteman26-Are you stupid? Or do you just shoot off your big mouth without looking up anything? How dare you comment on another Hero’s commendation’s? Here is a real Hero-
Joseph Medicine Crow (or Joe Medicine Crow, full name Joseph Medicine Crow-High Bird, born October 27, 1913) is a Crow historian and author. He is also an enrolled member of the Crow Nation of Native Americans. His writings on Native American history and reservation culture are considered seminal works, but he is best known for his writings and lectures concerning the Battle of Little Big Horn. He is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Légion d’honneur. He is a founding member of the Traditional Circle of Indian Elders & Youth.
Dr. Joe Medicine Crow is the Crow Tribal Historian and the oldest living man of the Crow tribe. In 1939, he was the first member of the Crow tribe to obtain a master’s degree. His Master’s thesis, “The Effects of European Culture Contact upon the Economic, Social, and Religious Life of the Crow Indians”, remains the most widely read source on Crow culture. He has received honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Southern California and Rocky Mountain College.
Medicine Crow is the last traditional Plains war chief, having achieved the war deeds necessary to be declared a “chief” during World War II. He served in Europe, and earned the Bronze Star, a US Forces individual military decoration for acts of bravery or merit, or for meritorious service. Medicine Crow was also honored for his service to France during World War II when he received the National Order of the Legion of Honor from the French government on June 25, 2008. He was recognized for leading a war party that, under fire, retrieved dynamite to use to attack German guns. He also overcame a German soldier in hand-to-hand combat on a street in France (sparing his life), and captured fifty SS horses at a farm where German officers were staying. Joe Medicine Crow has also been nominated for the Congressional Gold Medal. Interviews with Dr. Medicince Crow were included in the 2007 Ken Burns PBS series “The War.” In those interviews, he describes some of his World War II experiences.
For his war deeds and “contributions to the preservation of the culture and history of the First Americans” and his “importance as a role model to young Native Americans across the country,” and other services to America, Joe Medicine Crow will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, on August 12, 2009.
Dr. Medicine Crow is a guest speaker at Little Bighorn College, the Custer Battlefield Museum, and several other colleges throughout the nation. Also an author, his books include, A Handbook of Crow Indian Laws and Treaties, and From the Heart of the Crow Country. He lives on the Crow Reservation in Lodge Grass, Montana.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is, along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress, the highest civilian award in the U.S. It recognizes those individuals who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” The award is not limited to U.S. citizens and, while it is a civilian award, it can also be awarded to military personnel and worn on the uniform.
“Minuteman26-Are you stupid? Or do you just shoot off your big mouth without looking up anything? How dare you comment on another Hero’s commendation’s?…”
Northstar96sc, I don’t think minuteman said anything inappropriate. He merely indicated that Joe ‘Medicine’ Crow was awarded the MoF along with some Others who were Marxist, and that devalues the merit of the award in his opinion. Are you saying he doesn’t have the right to an opinion? Who has bestowed to you the power to decide who gets to have an opinion?
By the way, cutting and pasting a wiki page does not an authoritative comment make.
Northstar96sc - With all due respect, you’re a flaming idiot. There are a whole lot of servicemen who were awarded the Bronze Star or higher during WW2 and I don’t see any Medals of Freedom being given out to any of them. He was given that medal by Obama because he is an Indian with a socialist agenda. By the way, I too have been awarded the Bronze Star for service in Vietnam along with the DFC, and 26 Air Medals, one of wich is for valor. Didn’t see my Medal of Freedom in the mail. Screw you and Joe “Medicine” Crow.
So you think he should be downgraded because he was recognized by nobama? You do not think he deserved the medals he was awarded? I wasn’t there, but this sure doesn’t seem right to me. I still thank you for your service but i guess we will have to agree to disagree. I will see if I can find more about Joe Crow’s socialist agenda.
Northstar96sc - I am a hater of left wing commie mfers no mater what their ethnicity. There won’t be any reperations for indians no matter what Van Jones and Obama say. No problem with old Joe Crow’s WW2 decorations. He served honorably. Big problem with marxists trying to destroy this country. Obama doesn’t recognize anyone unless they’re usefull to his agenda.
“Obama doesn’t recognize anyone unless they’re usefull to his agenda.” BINGO!!!
Minuteman- YOU ARE RIGHT! I also agree with Everything in this comment. I guess I should have known there was something other than what it appears to be whenever Nobama is concerned.