Ken, I think you hit the nail on the head!

The commendation was verified by the White House before the award was handed out. It's easy to trample on someone's accomplishments, after the fact. It's altogether another thing to face the fields of fire and save but a single life in the process. This kid saved several lives.

He and all the other young men & woman that we put in harm's way over there deserve a thousand...no....a MILLION medals for their bravery.

This shouldn't even be a story. SHAME on whoever besmirched this DECORATED Marines' reputation.

Semper Fi, Sgt Meyer, and THANK YOU!

Congratulations Sgt Meyer and thank you. Semper Fi.

J.M stanley...I couldn't agree more, this so called journalist was probably shivering with his face in the dirt and didn't see anything but his own tears of fright. Shameless and BAE is a racket of thieves and the 1%......

Did you read the article?

The commendation was verified by the White House

How do you know - simply because they said so? And the military has never exaggerated a story? ahem, something about somebody named Pat Tillman?

The Marine Corps acknowledged that eyewitness accounts might differ but said that was typical in the confusion of combat...

So the Marine Corps got it right and the eyewitnesses got it wrong? Just who was the unimpeachable Marine Corps that was so right? Wouldn't that have been just another eyewitness?

Of course they were right. They managed to get it awarded. they can't rescind such a high honour without getting more egg on their face. The military needs to use somebody as their propaganda lackey. No disrespect toward him but much disrespect for the intentions of the military.

Stuff it, Marxist. Your name implies it all. If he hated the military as much as you jabber, he wouldn't have awarded the medal. And you couldn't find one single word to say IN PRAISE about the soldier????? BAH!!!

stop

and everyone hates you! what a A#S HOLE!

Ken, that was the very thought that came to my mind.

This hero speaks up about what he feels is an injustice done to our military and all of a sudden he is fired from one job and can't get one he had before it all started where the people liked him for his pre-military work record there.

I will go on record that the fact that one group has better equipment than our own military is not necessarily the fault of the manufacturer of both sets of equipment (optical sights for weapons in this case), but rather it is the fault of the military for setting the standards for the sights they did want lower than some other group did.

But I think someone is out to discredit this man in any way possible for some reason, and that person or group should be found out, exposed and dealt with harshly.

Oh, and for the journalist, Jonathan Landay - what were you doing during all of this? Did you lift a hand to try to assist even ONE of the fallen troops or were you more concerned about the f-stop on your camera and the chances you'd get a Pulitzer out of your writeup about the firefight?

The thinker, yeah coz journalists never lie or embellish do they? Just ask Dan Rather.

Idiot comments about Obama are nothing but the political lunatics. Read the article. This is nothing but an attempt by a small reporter to make a name for himself. God bless our troops.

This actually sounds like a Karl Rove attack. Since it was awarded by Obama - Rove's theory is to attack the basis for it. This comes right out of his playbook. It was posted on the internet (and still can be downloaded) by one of Rove's interns - who got sick of the 'the other side is bad' philosophy.

Stop and True

You really disgust me and I am sure you disgust a lot more than me. First, this had NOTHING to do with our president and to make the comments you made are truly repulsive. As such we now know, if we didn't before, that anything you say should be ignored. Were you paid to do this, or are you just independently despicable?

A brave man gets our highest honor and you people see fit to turn it into a vile attack on the president. You are not real Americans!!

No Marxist, it is the wingnut right who hates the military and wants to use them as pawns to fatten the pockets of the 1%.

Charleslennon - I certian Stopthe Marxist read the article.

I read the article but I agree with Stop the Marxist and know it to be true. They hate him worse than they did Clinton.

Ken, I tend to agree that someone has a bone to pick.

But an exhaustive assessment by a McClatchy correspondent who was embedded with the unit and survived the ambush found that the Marines’ official accounts of Meyer’s deeds — retold in a book, countless news reports and on U.S. military websites — were embellished. They’re marred by errors and inconsistencies, ascribe actions to Meyer that are unverified or didn’t happen and create precise, almost novelistic detail out of the jumbled and contradictory recollections of the Marines, soldiers and pilots engaged in battle.

Either the war correspondent who believes his account is more accurate because he is a "journalist" and an educated man - or maybe fueled by the money grubbers who make profit by wars who may have paid this "journalist" to publish his MORE ACCURATE account of the events.

Either way it stinks.

You may or may not be right. I don't know, but usually where there is smoke, there is fire. There are just too many people coming forward that were involved in the fire fight questioning what really happened. That includes his own driver. I don't know what happend that day. Only he and the witnesses that were there know. If they could get answers from the 9 or so Afghan soldiers there might be a better picture. Until then, it is unknown.

Its all Bush's fault!

I believe this Marine was a hero, but not necessarily deserving a Medal of Honor.

My father was involved in the Rapido River massacre in Italy in WWII with the 36 division "T Patchers" from Texas. He was wounded and went, sent to a medical unit, went awol so that he could return to battle with his friends in combat. It is in his records, but that did not qualify jim or any of the other men for the Medal of Honor, but they all were, without a doubt heroes. They walked into a know ambush; the Nazis were on a high ridge and picked them off as they tried to cross the river.

I tend to believe that it was a deliberate embellishment, so that someone could be awarded the Medal of Honor. It has been a long time and it DOES look good for the White House and the Marines.

It is sad that this man could not be honored without lying about the true facts. For whether he saved one person or 30, he IS a hero.

When the bullets are flying and the stuff hits the fan, who do you want on your side: a marine or a journalist ?

If the stories were stretched a little and and only a few lives were saved, so what. I mean, if we can get into wars by stretching the truth, can't we fight them that way too ?

We all need hero's in our lives. Personally, I prefer some clean cut Marine to the multi-million dollar self indulgent prima-donnas prancing across our sports fields and courts.

Easy for all you mouthy bloggers, who probably never once set foot in harm's way. You all need to shut the f*&k up. What this young man did regardless is heroic, he put himself out there, which is more than any of you a-holes have done I'm sure.

And before you all go there, as the handle implies "Coastie" (Coast Guard) I have put myself out there numerous times!!!!! Anybody who volunteers to serve in the service is heroic and should be respected, not disrespected with this kind of s*#t!!!

SHAME ON ALL OF YOU, WHO DOESN'T SUPPORT AND STAND UP FOR THIS COURAGEOUS SOLIDER.

It's called the Congressional Medal of Honor. Wikipedia defines it below;

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States."

Sgt. Dakota Meyer, just by being there is a hero.

If you were not there when this action took place, you should STFU and not speculate as to his actions on the battlefield.

I'm sure the reporter will write a book to make money off this self made, self promoted controversy. And we all know that controversy sells. No matter what it takes or who is ran over in the process! An example, look at the A$$hole that wrote about Seal Team 6 where he disputed how the Bin Laden Operation went down. He wasn't there but has full knowledge of the operation and wrote a book to sell you about it, I mean tell you about it. Gimme a break!

I would take no one's word for this other than the Marine Corps. These Medals are few and far between. They certainly are not given absent authenticity. The Corps says Sergeant Meyer is deserving, then He is deserving.

After making the statement above I googled the story written by Jonathan Landay, "a journalist who was accompanying Meyer's unit and witnessed the 2009 battle in the Ganjgal Valley."

No where in his article did he say that it was him, Jonathan Landay, who witnessed this battlefield action. All the controversy is created by the interpetation of documents written after the battlefield action. Pretty damn weak stuff!

If you have ever been in harm's way on the battlefield, in a car wreck, robbered at gun point or first person witnessed any type of similar action, then wrote about it, even an hour later and there was a video or pictures of that same incident (that you were not aware of). Then compared your written statement to the video or photos of what actually happened, I can be sure that there would be a difference in the testimony. I stand by my prior statement and now it includes the so called reporter of the story, Jonathan Landay;

Sgt. Dakota Meyer, just by being there is a hero.

If you were not there when this action took place, you should STFU and not speculate as to his actions on the battlefield.

The article can be found here

Ken-1773437

I'll bet this all is a nasty form of revenge by Dakota Meyer's former employers at BAE Systems defense contractor for suing them.... he might have been difficult to work with (they accused him of being a crazy alcoholic I think) but to try and backhandedly destroy his deserved heroic reputation STINKS....
abcnews.go.com/US/video/medal-honor-recipient-dakota-meyer-sues-defense-contractor-15050084

If that turns out to be the case...good luck submitting a bid on your next DoD contract...roflmao

Sgt. Meyer "rush(ed) into the heart of an ambush to retrieve fallen comrades, save 13 fellow Americans, kill eight Taliban insurgents and ... rescue two dozen Afghans."

Sounds like a hero to me.

If the record is embellished, does that mean he saved only 3 Americans, killed only 2 so-called 'taliban', and rescued a mere 4 Afghan civilians?

Because that still sounds like a hero to me.

What a shame they had to even print this story. Every military member who fought and shed blood in those wars deserves a medal and the highest praise and respect. Sgt. Meyer deserves that medal hands down. He risked his life and saved lives. Not many people including myself can ever say that unless we put ourselves in harms way. Sgt. Meyer is an American hero. He is the best of us.

Link to article www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/12/14/133134/medal-of-honor-inflated-story.html

Mac Forrester

I would have to agree with you. While I have not seen the after action report and do not know the details, the Marine Corps does not award medals freely, to get even the Silver star requires going above and beyond your duty. I suspect this medal is deserved, this would be to big a chance for it to come back and haunt the president and the Corps to make up a story just to award the medal. Journalists sell stories and the more sensational or nasty they can make it, the better it sells.

Even if some of the details are unconfirmed, it would appear that he was deserving of the Medal of Honor.

If people want to complain about Medal of Honor awards, they should focus on the terrible injustice at Wounded Knee and the 20 soldiers that were awarded the Medal of Honor after what was little more than a massacre of defenseless men, women and children.

Obama is desperate to try and win any support from the Military. It is true, 90% of our serving men and women despise Obama but they respect the chain of command none the less. Now that Obama and his crony marxist Democrats want to gut the military to pay for their vote bribes and other entitlement programs, not to mention the staggering interest on all the money he is printing and borrowing like it is going out of style (which it is, that is the plan), the military is ready to make a collective vote of no confidence in Obama in the form of insurrection. It is already rumored that Obama tried actually tried to stop the operation that killed Bin Laden, now what is important is not whether that is true or not, but that it is entirely believable. And why.

1) He was a MARINE ! "soldiers " are in the Army. As a Marine I respect anyone who willingly served , but there is a very important distiction there.

2) The vast majority of active military despise owebomma and most of what he supports.

3) The CMH is no joke. Until recently, the vast majority of recipients have been awarded this medal posthumously. Hate to say it, but a S.Star seems more appropriate.

Isn't this the same gang who trashed Jessica Lynch earlier?

Brian Comstock Obama is desperate to try and win any support from the Military. It is true, 90% of our serving men and women despise Obama but they respect the chain of command none the less.

Your first two statements are lies, so it isn't hard to imagine that the rest is B.S. You have the audacity to state that the POTUSis conspiring with the USMC to just award a CMH to win support? Your second statement is so ridiculous that even the most hateful person on earth would laugh in your face, so why don't you have someone read the article to you, because it's obvious you didn't.

I find it pretty funny. So he saved 8 people not 12? OMG. Its so much worse? I think its a campaign to destroy his credibility by BAE. Thats all. These animals in BAE are out to discredit him for there own means. Who are the people making the accussations? Are they sworn officers of the war? The jounarlists will sell there own mothers to make a buck. The journalists will say just about anything to get on the front page of the newspaper.

He killed 4 taliban rather then 8? Does it matter? He was in a fire fight with taliban that hide wear no uniform and use the general populace as cover? These taliban kill and cut off noses of babes and rape each other all in the name of god. They must have banker genes in them.

He was under fire. What the hell do you want? I think this fine soldier is being singled out my some nut jobs at BAE who hate his guts. They just cant stomach that they are never going be or get to be famous like him. I guess if your not rich you do not deserve an award for bravery?

Gandyy,

"the cast majority of active military despise owebomma and most of what he supports.

You claim to be a "MARINE!" Then act like one! President Obama is YOUR commander in chief. It is one thing to have your own personal political opinion and quite another to go online and post a slur on him claiming to know what the "vast majority" of the military think of him. You are lucky if you can speak accurately for even your own squad. I've also noticed that once people are out of the military and they start thinking for themselves again, consider the needs of ALL Americans as opposed to their Service's needs and wants, hear more than the approved opinions from on high, and start seeing that a president is responsible for more people than just those who serve in the military, their opinions often change. Mine did. Why? Because I finally had a chance to take my time and investigate for myself before spouting off.

*singled out by some nut jobs at BAE. If you speak out about giving technology to the enemy , you will be taken down. Thats what the corporations do. They will hunt you and find away to cast doubt on you. The funny think is that they dont put the names of the BAE a-HOLES. Filthy P+ces of sh+t.

abcnews.go.com/US/video/medal-honor-recipient-dakota-meyer-sues-defense-contractor-15050084

Why does every topic turn into Repub vs Dem, Conservative vs Liberal, Obama sucks vs Obama is great with you people? This is a non-political story...I hate Obama but c'mon...this isn't Obama trying to drum up support for the war...there is a process for awarding a MOH and, as someone with 23 yrs military experience and who has worked with hundreds of Marines, I can tell you...they followed the process. Even if some parts have been embellished, I don't care. The fact that this young man did save a life or lives is good enough for me. If he only did a fraction of what they say he did, in my book, he is worthy of the award and I'm proud to call him my "Brother in Arms!"

Semper Fi, Marine and a Navy Bravo Zulu to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merlin, I got out around the time Clinton was elected... I do however still have children , and many friends in the military. Everyone I have asked pretty much has the same opinion of him...

Jwilso, I believe he is worthy of some award just for serving, As stated earlier, SS seems more appropriate to me .

Agreed. The government and politicians ruin everything they get their hands on. I wouldn't put it past the Marine Corps or the government to inflate a story so they get a "war hero" but that makes up for all the others that they've screwed over.

Shame perhaps? Cynicism?

SEMPER FI sgt meyer! yes are a true hero!

SEMPER FI

SGT DANNY P

RETIRED

I think that the only one who could deny his heroism would be Sgt. Meyer himself. And I'm sure his honor as a Marine soldier would be enough for my approval.

To "the thinker" and anyone else that thinks eye witnesses tell the true story let me tell YOU something. As a former State Trooper in the United States for many years,one of the first things that I learned is that an eye witness is positively the WORST witness. Take any number of several so-called "eye witnesses"to the same incident and if there are five or ten witnesses,there will be five or ten different stories or descriptions,despite the fact that all positively and truly believe that what THEY saw was actually the way it happened.

Throw in multiple gunfire, confusion, helicopter noise, humans yelling and screaming and explosions and seeing only bits and pieces of that wild scene and I guarantee every "witness" there could come up with a different "true" account of what happened and every one of them will honestly "swear" their version is correct

As a former Viet Nam vet I say good on Sgt. Meyer. If only 50% of all that story is true, I would be proud and honored to shake his hand.

This Capt. would be honored if he retuned my salute.

The media doesn't award the MoH it's congress, but you knew that right?

Yes, Congress decides, but since they are SO wrapped up in themselves, negative reports BY THE MEDIA sway too many of them.

Delusional...One jerk of a reporter and you blame the whole media. But any excuse to bad mouth who the right wing decides to bad mouth. Unbelieveable!

No, the Congress does not decide. It is the White House that decides.

The media is "MSNBC", "FOX" and "CNN". They are a huge problem... all three of them and if you can't see that then you should lock yourself in a basement and never come out because you are dangerous to yourself and others.

raddave

I didn't know the president decides on who gets the CONGRESSIONAL Medal of Honor........hm.......

To clarify my point, it's the fear of massive scrutiny by the media that stunningly few Soldiers/Sailors/ Airmen/Marines have even been considered for the CMoH. Much like candidates for presidential pardons, potential CMoH recipients must be vetted extensively, with their actions in combat making up only a fraction of their eligibility. They have to be altar boys--perfect soldiers with humble beginnings and a feel-good American back story. To put things in perspective:

Congressional Medal of Honor recipients by conflict:

Civil War - 1,522
Indian Wars - 426
Korean Expedition - 15
Spanish-American War - 110
Samoan Civil War - 4
Philippine-American War - 86
Boxer Rebellion - 59
Mexican Expedition - 56
Haiti (1915–1934) - 8
Dominican Republic Occupation - 3
World War I - 124
Occupation of Nicaragua - 2
World War II - 464
Korean War - 135
Vietnam War - 246
USS Liberty incident - 1
Battle of Mogadishu - 2
Iraq War - 4
Afghanistan War - 6
Peacetime - 193
Unknown soldiers - 9

The Philippine-American War had nearly nine times the CMoH recipients than the 17 combined years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Think about that for a minute.

Here we go again, Congress reviews all the recommendations and approves or disapproves the Medal of Honor and makes the decision. The President awards the Medal of Honor. The official name is Medal of Honor.

Congressional Medal of Honor I believe is the right name

It is not a "congressional" award. The statute reads "The President may award, and present in the name of Congress, a medal of honor of appropriate design . . . ."

The recommendation(s) and selection process is controlled by the branch of service, which is then totally reviewed by Pentagon staffers. When sent to the President by the Army or Air Force chief of staff, the chief of naval operations, or the commandants of the Coast Guard or Marine Corps, then the White House completes further determinations.

Today, Dec. 15, 2011, the Marine Corps officially responded http://www.marines.mil/unit/hqmc/Pages/MARINECORPSSTATEMENTONCPLMEYERSMEDALOFHONOR.aspx

Wouldn't worry too much about that. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society on their web page has no issues with calling it the Medal of Honor or MOH. If that's good enough for them then it's good enough for me.

No, Ferrosynthesis It is the Medal of Honor. It is mistakenly called the Congressional Medal of Honor by PFCs (Poor F'ed up Civilians).

Bassai, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society calls it the Medal of Honor because that is its name.

Raddave

OK, you're right that it is officially the Medal of Honor, but it is bestowed by congress. The President just presents it in the name of congress. I stand corrected.

Although my old copy of the Blujacket's manual (from the 1950's) refers to it as the Congressional Medal of Honor

By the way Raddave your PFC reference is offensive. Have a nice day.

If the PFC reference offends you, stay in mommy's basement. Do not under any circumstances procreate.

Again Ferrosynthesis, it is NOT bestowed by Congress, It is awared by the President of the U.S. "in the name of Congress" It is the President's signature that adornes the orders.

And you know he deserves it because you read it in a news release. OOPS, I misread your comment, "if anyone is spreading dirty rumors..." That makes it okay because the rumors aren't dirty - just contradictory accounts.

Well, the thinker, you tend to believe journalism too...coz you read it in a news report. You are not a thinker, are you?

I second that gloria and I am a vet

The problem is how can any of us know what actually did or didn't happen because we weren't there. I read the article that mostly said he deserved to be considered for this honor, BUT, the details of the events aren't anywhere near close. IMO, that does matter. The stories are miles apart. As president I am not awarding any medal until these huge discrepancies can be ferreted out for the truth because in the event facts show up later that call into question the events, the entire ceremony is then damaged now and in the future.

Sgt. Dakota is not a kid he is a grown man and just the fact that he was in the military gives a broader expereince on life than most of you. I.E. maturity.

AW thomasyuma don't be so dam picky.Compared to me he's a kid.

I know he's a grown man,because if he wasn't he wouldn't be in the Military or Wearing that Medal now would he?

So lighten the Hell Up!

Creeping, there is nothing in the article that says Republicans are criticizing Obama or Meyer.

Or, as in this case (you only show your blinders-on bias by bringing it up), by liberal members of the media.

Wow, I think that given the nature of the medal that the story should be checked out. Remember Jessica Lynch who, we were told, slayed half of a regiment before her gun jammed and was taken prisoner? She was honored with a medal and then the truth came out.

Regardless of Bush, Johnson, or Obama being president, I think that we as a nation have drunk enough Koolaid.

gary and dc

Not in the article and nobody said they did. just the right wing losers on this blog again.

People like you need to stop spreading your negative bull

Marty, there is a huge difference between the Bronze Star that PFC Lynch received and the Medal of Honor that Sgt. Meyer was awarded.

JustaGrunt, you are correct, however Especially as the Medal of Honor stands for so much more, we should be certain to never tarnish it by having it bestowed unjustly.

And by the way, I know what a grunt is. And if you sir, are a grunt, than I´d like to thank you for your service to our country. All the best to you and yours this holiday season.

Thank you Marty. I would like to think that the USMC would not recommend this fine example of a Marine for the MOH if he did not truly deserve it.

I am a Grunt, although in the Army rather then the Marine Corps.

I know this may sound meaningless coming from a faceless moniker on an MSNBC comment thread, but I sincerely thank you for all that you have done for our country. Thank you.

Tommy - Would die defending your Honor and the Honor of ALL troops. Welcome Home and Job Well done. Vietnam 66-69.

From one Vet to another, thank you Tommy.

Tommy all of you guys/girls are heroes in my book. Thank you for all that you have done! Most of "us" have no idea what you guys go through in times of war...Thank you and may you have a good life back here in the USA.

You got it Tommy. The military uses us like cheap whores and when they have no further use for us they cast us to the streets. Wasn't it great to be working for a pimp that goes by the name of Uncle Sam. If we hadn't been injured you can bet they would have permitted (required) us to serve just a little longer as in one more tour, one more tour, one more tour, etc.

Welcome to the reality of the military - where you sign away your rights and earn them back as privileges.

Tommy-

I could not agree with you more. Lets take care of our soldiers and Vets. Do we really need to trample on every damn thing.

The MOH is not taken lightly, The Marine Corp would have investigated thoroughly.

LS-1 White.

It is the Marine Corps!

The Mcklatchy newspapers was the ones that made the report and insinuated those things. Say what you will about msnbc but you are clearly placing this specific blame in the wrong place.

This wasn't MSNBC's doing they're just reporting what the McClatchy Newspapers said in their rag.

The Marine Corps decided he deserved the medal and they don't make such a decision lightly.

So basically becasue he was the most credible candidate he deserved the honour. Doesn't it seem odd that there were a couple of MoH winners shortly after there was a large public outcry that there hadn't been any at all since VN.

If there really was a person deserving of such a high homour, why the need to do so much verification and why so much doubt? Wouldn't it be obvious?

Thinker, you are wrong, there have been MoH winners since Vietnam. MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randy Shughart received the award in the Battle of Mogadishu.

I read the article. I read what Sgt Rodrifuez (his driver) said. There's a lot of politics involved here. Yhe Marines were looking for a hero. I believe they embelished the story to get a medal for a marine.

The Marines are well known for NOT giving awards out like candy. If he got a MoH from the Corps, he deserved it.

I agree Andres Mercado. It is by blindly believing what the govt and military tell us is what got us in the war to begin with.

You should do exactly that - contact the IG, however because your experience with medals is tainted does not mean this young man does not deserve this award. I could care less that he saved 1 or 14 men, the main gist of the story remains true which is he saved soldiers and killed Taliban AND saved some Afghani civilians all while being told not to. Kudos to him - and thank you for your service from another veteran - though I did not serve during this series of wars, but during Desert Storm (even then I was stationed in Korea)

I'd do it Fred. After all, you are the one staring into the mirror each morning. If its the truth and you can live with it, do it. You'll be a better person for it.

SGT Meyer might deserve his medal and I congratulate him fofr his bravery but citation do get embellished-I am a living witness to that.Thank you for your service too.

saved soldiers...while being told not to.

So we have come to the point of rewarding military members with medals for DVOs rather than subjecting them to the UCMJ. How do I get back in?

A BSM can be awarded for reasons other than Valor in combat. When awarded with the V device for Valor it is very different and the V is quite obvious on a BSM....for those of us who know.......

Believing in the process used to be something we all did, but today, it is not always right. If you believe in the process then read this. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/world/middleeast/united-states-marines-haditha-interviews-found-in-iraq-junkyard.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all?smid=fb-share

"OMG who cares if it was completely made up?"Spoken like someone who has never served.

That was Bush's govt. that lied about the Pat Tillman incident.

inorbit - yea right EVERYTHING is Bush's fault & the current admin. never lies! - as i said yea, right!

Big Jhon, in that case with Jessica, yes it was bush's fault, as he was the CinC at that time. And all admin. lies, it isn't just one party. BFD. Same as Pat Tillman, Obama wasn't CinC at that time. Get your FACTS correct.

I am missing something here. How is it that it is bush's fault or obama's fault that the military lied? Is it simply because he (either one) was the CinC at the time the lie was told by the military? There are many reasons that commanders lie - one being the collateral praise ("look what great leadership he had", "look at the great training she received", etc).

The unfortunate part of being the supreme leader is that there are just that many more under you that can make you look like an ass. These are just some of the instances where the CinC is getting to enjoy the taste of crow and spit feathers while trying to convince any onlookers that he is having a delicious meal.

The statement didn't mention the name of any president, it just said its the same government meaning the US government. Does it matter if Bush was CnC or not. So Sally Ann, stop the Hatred for Bush he's been gone for three years.

I didn't mention one name in my post, because the US Govt itself lies all the time. I am not holding any issues against the reporter or newspaper who has dug up info on this guy at all, because that is what a free press is allowed and supposed to do. I don't care if this guy only drug one life into cover, that is one life that the guy put his own life on the line for to save, and that to me is more important. If it turns out in 5 years this was a lie, I won't be surprised, if in 5 years, it turns out to be true, again I won't be surprised. I just do not trust much that the US Govt puts out these days, because they like to lie

As far as the media being the reason for not as many medal of honor winners, someone earlier posted a stat showing how many for wars and all that, and it is not surprising that since WW2 the numbers have dropped, but you cannot blame the media for that. I place the blame for it more ont he fact that the wars the US were in from WW2 on, were not "popular" wars. Korea we were involved because we were in the UN, that was a UN War. Vietnam, I can give you 10 people I know who were involved who were spit on, called baby killers, murderers, etc when they returned to the US in uniform from Vietnam. My own stepdad risked getting in trouble with his superiors because he refused to wear a uniform the second he was told he was going home and refused to wear it while in Hawaii, or in LA because of the treatment his own brother got 1 month earlier when he came home, then you had. I bet there were way more than 464 deserving soldiers from WW2 as well. Also remember this, most of the time, it is awarded when the person died earning it, rarely is it given to a living person(as this is the first guy since the Vietnam War).

Critically we have this excerpt below. That is the fact jack. We always have more people deserving of these honors though politics inside the army is part of the problem as in all areas with people. These taliban persons are insane and show themselves at the most inopportune moments. In this fight ,as in all fights, the enemy resorts to anything to win. They use women and children as shields in battle and readily kill anyone who they think is not a zealot.Then they all claim its in the name of god. If they do it. I am sure that BAE A-holes will go to any lenghts to destroy this fine american. The taliban nut jobs are not only afghans. There are psychopaths right here, BAE. hello.

other U.S. troops who were there that night, stated that Meyer probably acted heroically enough to deserve the Medal of Honor even if the available evidence don’t match the narrative Obama cited during the ceremony.

Odds are the reporter was in a hole with his hands over his head screaming like a little girl the whole time rounds were flying.

Kinda like a lot of the soldiers.

There were no soldiers there, unless you meant the Afghanistan Soldiers.

According to the deiver he never left the turret!!

ok. This is the youtube video. This guy is dumb enough to do it. Everytime I see the corporations with the big money. THey can dirty anyone. BAE, I know you are funding this campaign with other right wing nutjobs who pay others to do the dirty work . Though its good that the free press can speak out and we have the newsvine to rebutt it. I think i have over reacted. The lesson is that if you speak out against helping the enemy and someone loses a buck. You will get insidious personal attacks by Anonymous men in suits behind the scenes. These are the corporate elites that character assassinate so many others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZxQilWb7Ig&feature=related

It is really the media who needs to take care here. The reporter, Jonathan Landay, is the one who is making these accusations, not the republicans.

Uh, get a grip, Nancy - the paper breaking this story is a liberal rag. It has nothing to do with the Republicans.

Oh, and btw, Kerry deserved to get "swift-boated". If Rompin' Roy Hoffman called him a fraud, he was a fraud - tho' I did take the time to read the service record. Let's just call it a bit of "overstatement" when it came to his heroism.

I'm outraged by this cheapshot story, too, but your attempt to turn it to political advantage, in disregard of the facts, Nancy, is every bit as foul as the story.

Are you unable to read or you just hate Republicans so much you have to make things up? Where in the article does it say 'Republican'?

As for swift boating; John Kerry is a self-promoting jerk who used his fellow soldiers and his brief time in the military to build himself up for political reasons. The men who turned on him knew him for what he was and went after him for that. Don't try to turn it into a bunch of evil Republicans ganging up on Kerry.

It was Mclatchey news sevice that printed this story. What the hell does the Republican party have to do with this?
Hope you didn't jerk your knee hard enough to sprain it.

Amen, Al. Mr. Kerry's service record is available for review. Feel free to "Google" it and to read his citations. He went over there to punch his ticket, grab some medals, and come back and run for office. When he got back, however, military honors were in low esteem, so he publicly threw away the medals he'd collected and then accused his fellows of behaving like "Chenghiz Khan". Voila', he gets the political career he wanted.

Let's take ONE example (I forget if this was Kerry's first or second Bronze Star): He's OIC on a swift boat, tooling upriver in company with several others. Suddenly, they take fire from the shore, at which Kerry (and the other boat commanders) kick 'em in the @ss and roostertail out of there. Unfortunately, Kerry's boat has some SF type lollygaggin' on the fantail and he falls off when Kerry hits the gas. At some point thereafter (the other OIC's say the shooting had already stopped, but the SF says there was still active fire going on), Kerry returns and picks him up out of the water. That's it. Kerry writes himself up for a medal and gets it.

Now, I've known guys who got the Bronze Star. I've known guys who didn't but should have. I'd be ashamed to receive a Bronze Star for that "exploit". Kerry wasn't. That's what he wanted - to be a hero, so he could come back, a'la Kennedy, and run for office. When you toss off the term "swift-boating", at least know why he got "swift-boated".

oldefart

I read thje recorfd and funny how it didn't look anything like what you said. By the way it was the silver star, and that's not given lightly. One of the "witnesses" against Kerry who said there was no firefight going on also received a commnedation for the same battle. So was this "eyewitness" lying when he received his medal or was he lying when he condemmned Kerry.

Kerry had the courage of his convictions. You right wing losers perhaps don't understand that sort of thing.

Kerry's service is not the problem, coming back and stabbing all others in the back with inflammatory rhetoric to get elected is.

If you read the record, then you know that that's exactly what went down. Oh, and his Silver Star was for beaching his boat to trudge off into the grass to finish off a wounded Cong. SO, I think maybe you had better work on your reading comprehension, Ferro - That or quit lying about having read the record.

The truth is that I detested Bush. I opposed the Iraq adventure (when 80% of you folks were all for it). I was even prepared to support Kerry, given that I considered Bush a draft-dodger and fake, who got us into stupid, needless wars and then forgot about it while he went off and diddled about. It was Kerry's record which turned me against him. Your implication that I am attempting to use his record to explain an opposition I'd adopted a priori is a calumny. Mr. Kerry deserves my contempt. He earned it.

Perhaps MSNBC can explain how substantial portions of my recitation in Msg. #18.7 suddenly disappeared? Did I touch a nerve?

I did read the record

Oh, well, Ferro, you and I can go back and forth all day doing the "did too" - "did not" routine. I'm 100% certain of my position, but it's easy enough for anyone interested to test the proposition. Go ahead and "Google" it. Kerry's record, his citations, his fitness reports. It's all there. I'm confident it will bear me out. And, in truth, my version is actually kinder to your man - I'd hate to think that Kerry would write himself up for a Silver Star for fishing a guy out of the drink, but if you say that's what it was for, well, how could I argue? It's still the lamest thing I ever read. In fact, I didn't realize that I was a hero until I read it. Hell, I jumped in the water to drag my guy out (landlubbers falling off swift boats was kind of an occupational hazard). If you think that's worth a Silver Star, well, heck, I'm just thrilled. The only thing I got on my uniform was water...