Marines Revoking 11 Purple Hearts That Officials Say Were Given In Error

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBNAOX905E.html

ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) - Marine Cpl. Travis Eichelberger received a Purple Heart after he was crushed under a 67-ton Abrams tank in Iraq.

Now, nearly two years later, the honor is being revoked because his injuries weren't caused by hostile or combat action, as required under military rules. Eichelberger is among 11 Marines who were notified recently that their Purple Hearts were awarded by mistake and were being taken away.

Charles Mugno, head of the Marine Corps Awards Branch, said Eichelberger and the other Marines were among the first wave of casualties to return from Iraq. There was a rush to honor them, but there was also confusion about whether the Marines were wounded in a combat zone or by hostile action, he said.

Eichelberger, 22, was sleeping in a shallow foxhole in the sand on the second day of the Iraq war when a tank driven by another American accidentally rolled onto him.

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[WindRavenX]

1. Support our troops huh?

:eyes:

[RPM]

2. i thought they were going to start with Kerry's...

seems thats not the case :-)

[Mend]

5. this is a not so subtle slap at Kerry

the follow-up to the swift-boat liars that Kerry wasn't a hero. It validates that crap that medals can be undeserved. Smells like rove to me.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

9. General on Hardball tonight said that "mistakes" are made

early in a war and these medals were awarded for injuries in the first 2-3 days of the conflict before all of the reports were in. Translated - Bushy needed for the generals to start handing out medals as soon as possible to play the "God, Mom, apple pie and love of country" photo op card. They were just using these guys for their own purpose. It was only later that some of the military men realized what this did to the honor of receiving the Purple Heart. I think all of these medals were given out while the injured soldiers were still in the hospital just days after their injuries. One of the soldiers said he was so doped up he wasn't sure what was going on for awhile. Also, said he questioned why he was getting a medal - he was RUN OVER by an Abrams (sp?) tank and lived to tell about it. "Unfortunately," for him, it was "just" an accident not a result of enemy action.

Think that Chimpy has done enough to undermine some of this nation's highest honors by handing them out by the handful to war criminals and thugs. Maybe the Pentagon had had enough of the wholesale awarding of medals for press relations sake.

I understand maintaining the integrity of the Purple Heart but my heart just bleeds for these poor kids who put their life on the line, get all of this news coverage about being a war hero and then have it taken back because they didn't earn it. They didn't ask for the medals and they didn't ask to have the striping of the medal to be so darn public.

Personally, anyone who has to serve under this Chimp in Chief deserves one of every medal they got at the Pentagon.

[jbane]

3. This guys CO needs to back him...

Why should he have to give the medal back, that's bullshit. Let the Marine keep the medal, he was injured in the theatre of operations during a time of war.
I would never give up the medals I have. They were presented to me and that is that.

[DistantWind88]

12. They are letting them "keep"

the actual medal; but, more importantly, the award has been stricken from their records. It's not the marines choice to "give up" the nedal or not.

[NV Whino]

4. So, the question is...

Are they running out of purple hearts?

I bet there's a bunch of bandaids left over from the convention.

[uppityperson]

6. "Excuse me, we made a mistake, your problem."

If you don't fit the specs to get one, you shouldn't get one. But if you're given one, you shouldn't have to give it back. Fix the way they are awarded and if you screw up giving them out, too bad.

[deminks]

7. *&%$***&^##@&

I can't say even here what I am thinking. This brave man and the others were probably not counted in the "official" wounded numbers either. :grr:

They need to be able to keep these medals. I don't care what side of the war you are on, this is beyond ridiculous.

[DemoTex]

8. Don, is there a past practice of this that you have found? Vietnam?

Stripping Medals. Bad practice. I never heard of such egregios shit in all my military days!

250+

[NNN0LHI]

14. I didn't serve Mac, but I still never have heard of this before

This story struck me odd as hell.

Don

[noshenanigans]

10. Why do the Marines hate America? n/t

[Rainscents]

11. Bunch of Idian givers!!!

[Disturbed]

13. The Military is so stupid.

these medals were given out by a 4 star General. Now to have those medals revoked means that a 4 star General was stupid to have given them. They are also stupid and cold to strike them after two years because it makes for real crappy PR and lowers recruitment which is falling as it is.

[vincent_vega_lives]

15. A Purple Heart is not something you Win

It represents wounds received while in action with the enemy. I would not want to wear a medal that I knew was issued to me by mistake. It was disgraceful how the Marines awards were revoked however. That is what they are complaining about.