This is one bad ass soldier...

[walkerc]

 

[MT Mike]

atriot:

 

[Darky]

And just a Distinguished Service Cross? He got jipped.

Look up Audie Murphy by the way. Originally laughed out of the Marine recruiter's office for looking like a 12 yr old boy, went on to sheer awesomeness.

Hell, check this out...Some Finnish guy named Hayha gets shot in the face with an exploding bullet after sniping 500+ Nazis, and is disappointed that the war is over when he regains consciousness a couple weeks later.

 

[ECKSJAY]

And just a Distinguished Service Cross? He got jipped.

Yeah, he only had 3 of them during WWII. Short-changed, for sure. He was the first to receive 7 awards at once, though. Distinguished Service Cross with two oak leaf clusters, the Silver Star with one oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. 29 awards total during his career.

Look up Audie Murphy by the way. Originally laughed out of the Marine recruiter's office for looking like a 12 yr old boy, went on to sheer awesomeness.

MSG Chilson was second for most-decorated only to 1LT Murphy. Chilson should have received the MOH also...but, it is what it is.

 

[jbmoose]

i always wondered what it be like to see something like this happen in real life, where the enemy can actually aim. He ran towards the enemy with a nade, just after his bike got blown the f up by a flak gun !! Don't get any badasser than that! (Stallone still rocked it on the enemy PT boat).

 

[5-90]

And just a Distinguished Service Cross? He got jipped.

Look up Audie Murphy by the way. Originally laughed out of the Marine recruiter's office for looking like a 12 yr old boy, went on to sheer awesomeness.

Hell, check this out...Some Finnish guy named Hayha gets shot in the face with an exploding bullet after sniping 500+ Nazis, and is disappointed that the war is over when he regains consciousness a couple weeks later.

DSC? Sounds more like Army Cross material - if not Blue Max!

Isn't Audie Murphy the youngest officer ever commissioned by the Army? Or am I getting wires crossed?

 

[ECKSJAY]

DSC? Sounds more like Army Cross material - if not Blue Max!

Isn't Audie Murphy the youngest officer ever commissioned by the Army? Or am I getting wires crossed?

Yeah, wrong on all counts.

"Army Cross" is the DSC, which is second to the MOH.

 

[5-90]

Yeah, wrong on all counts.

"Army Cross" is the DSC, which is second to the MOH.

"Most decorated," not "youngest commissioned." Crossed there.

And, it looks like the DSM has replaced the DSC in current precedence, because I'm not seeing it (unless I need new specs again...) I wonder if I have a WWII-era precedence listing anywhere?

 

[ECKSJAY]

And, it looks like the DSM has replaced the DSC in current precedence, because I'm not seeing it (unless I need new specs again...) I wonder if I have a WWII-era precedence listing anywhere?

DSM = non-valor, government merit award for military and civilian senior service positions (here's your gold watch, thanks for your service)

DSC = Army valorous merit award given to soldiers in "extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force" (holy crap, I'm speechless...you just...wow...against all those guys?)

 

[RTFM]

I suggest you read ALL of his awards here:

The man was a MACHINE!

http://www.ww2awards.com/person/35010

 

[Darky]

Yeah, he only had 3 of them during WWII. Short-changed, for sure. He was the first to receive 7 awards at once, though. Distinguished Service Cross with two oak leaf clusters, the Silver Star with one oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. 29 awards total during his career.




MSG Chilson was second for most-decorated only to 1LT Murphy. Chilson should have received the MOH also...but, it is what it is.

Reading through some of his citations, I'm surprised he was never awarded the MOH. His actions seem to be in line with some of the more recent MOH awardees.

 

[Wallyman]

Not that the more ribbons/ medals one has = the better they were over other. Also the lack of prestigious medals does not mean anyone was any less badass. They are what they are and are not easy to achieve, i am not meaning to diminish the awards one bit. It only seems that in order to receive one, you have to be essentially witnessed in action by someone (an officer or senior NCO) and then you are submitted to the awards board.

I have noticed by my own browsing of MOH recipients, most any enlisted man gets awarded the MOH posthumously where officers generally lived to actually wear them. I don't know the statistics, this is from me looking at memorials and observing, and glancing through the website dealing with such.

On the note of medals being issued to individuals for actions less thanwhat would be required, i tend to agree. Back during Kosovo as i was in the USMC Corporals course at Camp Lejeune i recall there being a story or a crew of Army soldiers that essentially got lost suring a convoy and were captured. They shot noone, were captured and then returned. for this some of them received the purple heart. For being captured bacause they goofed up? Or because one of them was a young female and the Generals needed good press?

Just my thoughts....

 

[Darky]

You talking about Lynch? IIRC, she was pulled from a hospital. Lynch was hurt and received the Purple Heart for injuries. It's not a valor medal, it's for being wounded.

It is pretty amazing how many died to received their MOH's though.

 

[5-90]

You talking about Lynch? IIRC, she was pulled from a hospital. Lynch was hurt and received the Purple Heart for injuries. It's not a valor medal, it's for being wounded.

It is pretty amazing how many died to received their MOH's though.

"A Purple Heart proves you were smart enough to come up with a plan, dumb enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive it." (Murphy's Laws of Combat, I think.)

The Purple Heart was, as I recall (which is now suspect...) the first award "For Military Merit," and was initially issued for valour. It was changed later to a medal for wounds received, and other medals for valour were introduced.

I find the comparison between officers and enlisted with the MOH interesting - consider the Bronze Star: it has a special attachment to indicate an award of the medal for valour. Enlisted men can only get the BSM for valour, while officers can be awarded it for administrative achievements and suchlike. To me, this cheapens the medal even more than "overawarding" does!

 

[ECKSJAY]

I find the comparison between officers and enlisted with the MOH interesting - consider the Bronze Star: it has a special attachment to indicate an award of the medal for valour. Enlisted men can only get the BSM for valour, while officers can be awarded it for administrative achievements and suchlike. To me, this cheapens the medal even more than "overawarding" does!

What's your source on this? I mean, the Bronze Star is a combat award... Please don't backpedal and say, "golly gee, I guess I'm old and got bumped on the head too many times over the years and don't quite remember like I used to."

Cite your source, please...or stop talking about things you don't understand.

 

[coldoath]

Damn dude! Sounds like a video game....minus no respawns. He was probably hacking. Either that or we found our first account of Captain America...