Sgt. Dakota Meyer is the first living marine to receive the Medal of Honor in 38 years. The ceremony was held in the White House. Meyer’s fellow marines and sailors were also honored. Yesterday Meyer had a beer with his Commander in Chief.
Prior to the ceremony, Meyer said he was no hero. America begs to differ. Semper Fi.
From the Washington Post:
The Pentagon has recommended that the White House consider awarding the the Medal of Honor to a living soldier for the first time since the Vietnam War, according to U.S. officials.
The soldier, whose nomination must be reviewed by the White House, ran through a wall of enemy fire in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley in fall 2007 in an attempt to push back Taliban fighters who were close to overrunning his squad. U.S. military officials said his actions saved the lives of about half a dozen men.
It is possible that the White House could honor the soldier’s heroism with a decoration other than the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor. Nominations for the Medal of Honor typically include detailed accounts from witnesses and can run hundreds, if not thousands, of pages. The review has been conducted so discreetly that the soldier’s family does not know that it has reached the White House, according to U.S. officials who discussed the nomination on condition of anonymity because a final decision is pending.
Pentagon officials requested that The Washington Post not name the soldier to avoid influencing the White House review. Administration officials declined to comment on the nomination.
This is a great mystery. There is something about having to die to be given the Medal of Honor that just isn’t right. If the White House agrees to the Pentagon request, would that make the tradition permanent? Who sets up the guidelines?
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