D5
SALUTE TO VETERANS
THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2020
Air Force medal
Army medal
Distinguished Service Cross
H Distinguished Service Crosses are the second highest military decoration awarded for extraordi- nary heroism. H “Actions that merit the Distin- guished Service Cross must be of such high degree that they are above those required of all other U.S. combat decorations but do not merit the Medal of Honor,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Medal of Honor H The Medal of Honor is the highest military honor awarded by the U.S. government. H It is presented by the president and given only to members of U.S. Armed Forces who “distinguish themselves through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense. H The medal, which dates to 1861, takes three forms — one for the Army , one for Air Force and one for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard . H The first Medal of Honor action came from Bernard J.D. Irwin , an assistant surgeon in the Army. In 1861, Irwin voluntarily led a command of troops to surround a detachment of the 7th Infantry. He didn’t receive the medal until 30 years later. H The first to receive and wear the medal was Pvt. Jacob Parrott for his actions in “The Great Locomotive Chase” in April 1862. He received the medal the following year. H The most recent medal awarded went to Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia for conspicuous gallantry while serving in support of Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah, Iraq. WAR MEDALS A quick look at medals awarded for war service
Navy medal
3,524 TOTALMEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS Includes 19 double recipients
Silver Star H The Silver Star is the third-highest combat decoration that can be awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and is awarded for gallantry in action. Despite its name, the medal mostly is gold.
H Some well-known recipients of this medal are Gens. George S. Patton and Douglas MacArthur and former Sens. John Kerry and John McCain . A controversial recipient was Pat Tillman , the Arizona Cardinals football player who became an Army Ranger. He died as a result of friendly fire in Afghanistan. H The medal first was awarded in 1932 , replacing the Citation Star, given for gallantry from the Spanish-American War to World War I. H It’s estimated more than 100,000 people have been awarded a Silver Star.
Bronze Star H The Bronze Star has been awarded since 1941 to any person in the Armed Forces who dis- tinguishes themselved by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participa- tion in aerial flight. There are three types of this medal — achievement, merit or valor. H Civilians also can earn a Bronze Star. Joe Galloway , a photojournalist for United Press In- ternational News, was awarded a Bronze Star for valor for rescuing a badly injured soldier during the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam in 1965. H There were 395,380 Bronze Stars awarded
PURPLE HEART HISTORY H In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an ex- ecutive order allowing Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel to receive the Purple Heart. The order also allowed the medal to be awarded posthumously to those killed on or after Dec. 7, 1941, and about a decade later, it was extended to April 5, 1917.
Presentation and text by The (Lynchburg) News & Advance
Purple Heart H The origins of the Purple Heart date to George Washington and the Revolutionary War . Washington, wanting a way to bolster morale, created the Badge of Military Merit. It was described as a heart in purple cloth given to soldiers in instances of unusual gallantry, extraordinary fidelity and essential service. H It fell into disuse after the revolution, only to be revived on the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birth . On May 28, 1932, 137 World War I veterans were conferred Purple Heart medals in a ceremony in New York. H Over the years, the criteria for receiving the medal has expanded to include people injured in acts of terror and those wounded or killed when acting as part of a peacekeeping force outside the U.S.; wounded or killed in friendly fire; prisoners of war wounded in capture or captivity; and those wounded or killed by certain kinds of domestic terrorism. H An estimated 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932.
to World War II veterans; 30,359 for Korea ; 170,626 for valor and 549,343 for achievement/ service for Vietnam (the first time valor medals were tracked separately); and 2,459 for valor and 99,886 for achievement/service for Operation Iraqi Freedom .
SOURCES: WOMEN’S MEMORIAL FOUNDATION; NATIONAL PURPLE HEART HALL OF HONOR; THE MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART; THE INSTITUTE OF HERALDRY; THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY; RALLY POINT; STARS AND STRIPES; AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
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