Question about Army Col. Ralph Puckett Jr who was awarded the Medal of Honor yesterday

[Norbert]

One poster said they heard he waited until the former guy was out of office before accepting it. Is this true.

For the record I thought it was very moving.

Link to tweet

[Aristus]

1. I love the new 'old-style' pinks-and-greens Army uniforms.

I wonder if Col. Puckett's uniform is his original, or if they gave him a new one for the ceremony.

[sarge43]

4. The P&Gs are coming back

https://www.army.mil/uniforms

His uniform doesn't look tailored. As a retiree he had to keep a service uni on call, either the one issued at retirement or the current issue. Point of pride to keep the original (if you can still fit into it).

I wish the AF would bring back the silver tans.

[bluecollar2]

9. No way I'd fit into

My original issue crackerjacks..

[sarge43]

11. I can just get into mine.

However, that took years of giving the fridge an hourly rest.

[bluecollar2]

15. I weighed 150 lbs at 21...

I'm 63 now and weigh 25 lbs more...

Those crackerjacks looked like they were painted on at the time.....

Now they're on a hanger...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. I think I prefer my old dark green uniform, matching trousers and jacket.

Spill coffee on the new "pink" pants, the stain will show. The dark green hid a lot.

His old WWII-era uniform would have been eaten by moths after all these years. The one he wore was probably the same one he wore earlier this year for his grand-daughter's promotion ceremony.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=15453933

[Hoyt]

2. I can believe that. He sure doesn't look like a trumpster in this photo:

[Mr.Bill]

3. Trump probably would have

invited Kim Jong Un to be at the ceremony.

[oldsoftie]

6. I want to know what the hell took so long???

He deserved this decades ago

[whistler162]

18. So apparenly did Leonard Kravits

no not the singer but his uncle. Until President Obama presented it to his family in 2014.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_M._Kravitz

[Grins]

7. Is this true...

“...he waited until the former guy was out of office before accepting it. Is this true.”

No. 94-year old men don’t wait for anything.

The process for his recognition began almost 17-years ago, a scandal that it took this long. One of guys who contacted the DoD on Puckett’s behalf - John McCain. And you know how ole’ Bone Spurs felt about McCain!

[GeoWilliam750]

8. For reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Puckett

The awards and decorations are pretty impressive

[Klaralven]

13. Lacking in good tactical judgement though.

On 25 November 1950, Puckett and his company became famous when they captured and held Hill 205, a strategic point overlooking the Chongchon River. Initially, they had to brace for attack from all sides, as the company of only 51 strong was over a mile from the nearest friendly unit and vulnerable to being completely surrounded.

During the course of the battle, he was wounded several times, once by grenade fragments and then twice more when two mortars landed in his fox hole. After his wounds rendered him barely conscious, Puckett ordered his Rangers to leave him behind and abandon the position. Two of Puckett's Rangers, PFCs David L. Pollock and Billy G. Walls, ignored his orders and initially carried him and subsequently dragged him down the hill as they received ineffective small arms fire. Puckett was medically evacuated from the hill and would be hospitalized for a year due to the wounds he suffered that night.

So how many of his company were killed and wounded in the fruitless attempt to take and hold the hill?

On the other hand, I guess they did kill a lot of Chinese.

[BannonsLiver]

14. If only you had been there to lead them, things might have been different.

[Marrah_Goodman]

16. Not sure you understand how this works.

He didn't decide that they needed to take that hill. He was told to. And he did his job. He did it well and with honor. As for killing the chinese... I am pretty sure South Koreans are happy to not be living under KJU.

[Klaralven]

17. Their efforts had no effect on the outcome of the battle, which was a defeat of the US 8th Army

During the hill battles on the afternoon of November 25, the Eighth Army Ranger Company of Task Force Dolvin suffered heavy losses against the Chinese defenses,[119] and the task force stopped its advance at dusk.[118]

While the US 25th Infantry Division was advancing, the opposing PVA 39th Corps was waiting for instructions from the PVA High Command.[120] But the PVA still conducted a series of probing actions against the American positions on the night of November 25. The Chinese patrols soon destroyed the rest of the Ranger Company,[121] while numerous Chinese reconnaissance teams disguised as Americans infiltrated Task Force Dolvin's positions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ch%27ongch%27on_River

[Marrah_Goodman]

20. And? I still don't get your point in regards to this man.

[oldsoftie]

21. China should've been told they'd be bombed if they got in.

No, not with an A-bomb.
This was the first step in the hand-tying of the military to do whats needed to WIN. WW2 was the last time every available option was used.
Would heavy bombing of China's supply lines and troop movements turned the tide? I dont know. But it certainly would've made it a lot harder for the Chinese to rescue NK

[MarineCombatEngineer]

19. How was HE lacking in good tactical judgement?

HE was ordered to take the hill, HE didn't just decide to take the hill on his own, so the blame would lie with his superior officers, not HIM and his men.

It's easy to sit behind a keyboard and criticize him.

Unless you've been there, done that, you have no clue about actual combat.

[Raven]

10. I watched that over and over. Yesterday I

watched the whole ceremony. It was wonderful. At one point toward the end, the President asked his wife to come up on stage...he called her "Jilly". It just warmed my heart.

[MustLoveBeagles]

12. K&R