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Title: Semper Fi: Marine Who Saved 36 in Afghanistan Receives Medal of Honor
Source:
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URL Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201 ... to-marine-who-saved-36-forces/
Published: Sep 15, 2011
Author: Ap
Post Date: 2011-09-16 15:30:19 by Mad Dog
Keywords: words are such, small, things
Views: 35576
Comments: 69
President Obama on Thursday bestowed the nation's highest military honor on Dakota Meyer, a young and humble Marine who defied orders and barreled straight into a ferocious "killing zone" in Afghanistan to save 36 lives at extraordinary risk to himself. "You did your duty, above and beyond," Obama told Meyer after reciting his dramatic story. Though the corporal and a fellow Marine were going against orders -- commanders considered their effort too dangerous -- they were doing what they thought was right, Obama said. The president placed the Medal of Honor ribbon around Meyer's neck, patted his back and shook his hand as the audience in the White House East Room applauded. At age 21, Meyer charged through heavy insurgent gunfire on five death-defying trips in an armored Humvee to save 13 Marines and Army soldiers and an additional 23 Afghan troops pinned down by withering enemy fire. Meyer killed at least eight insurgents despite suffering a shrapnel wound in his arm as he manned the gun turret of the Humvee and provided covering fire for the soldiers, according to the military. He had been supporting a patrol on Sept. 8, 2009, into a village in the Ganjgal Valley on the day of the ambush. Meyer and the other Americans had gone to the area to train Afghan military members when, suddenly, the village lights went out and gunfire erupted. About 50 Taliban insurgents on mountainsides and in the village ambushed the patrol. As the forward team called for air support that wasn't coming, Meyer, a corporal at the time, begged his command to let him head into the incoming fire to help. Four times he was denied his request before Meyer and another Marine, Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez, jumped into the Humvee and headed into the fray. For his valor, Rodriguez-Chavez, a 34-year-old who hailed originally from Acuna, Mexico, would be awarded the Navy Cross. "They told him he couldn't go in," said Dwight Meyer, Dakota Meyer's 81-year-old grandfather, a former Marine who served in the 1950s. "He told them, `The hell I'm not,' and he went in. It's a one-in-a-million thing" that he survived. Meyer and Rodriguez-Chavez began evacuating wounded Marines and American and Afghan soldiers to a safe point. Meyer made five trips into the kill zone, each time searching for the forward patrol with his Marine friends -- including 1st Lt. Michael Johnson -- whom Meyer had heard yelling on the radio for air support. With Meyer and Rodriguez-Chavez ready to test fate a fifth time, a UH-60 helicopter arrived at last to provide overhead support. Troops aboard the chopper told Meyer they had spotted what appeared to be four bodies. Meyer knew those were his friends and he had to bring them out. "Dakota, I know you've grappled with the grief of that day, that you said your efforts were somehow a failure because your teammates didn't come home," the president said. "But as your commander in chief and on behalf of everyone here today and all Americans, I want you to know it's quite the opposite." Meyer chatted informally Wednesday evening, on a patio outside the Oval Office, over a beer. In the ceremony, Obama praised Meyer's humility and work ethic, noting that he would not even take a call from the president during his shift at a construction job because he was working. He's now out of the Marines. So they two arranged to talk over his lunch hour. Obama jokingly kidded him with thanks for taking the call. The deaths of Meyer's comrades prompted an investigation into events that day, and two Army officers were later reprimanded for being "inadequate and ineffective" and for "contributing directly to the loss of life." Along with Meyer's friends, a fifth American -- Army Sgt. Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, of Shiprock, N.M. -- was fatally wounded in the ambush. Meyer had said he would be humbled by the memory of his fallen comrades as he received the award Thursday. There were to be separate memorial events, including one at a Columbus, Ga., cemetery for gunnery sergeant Johnson, a father of three who served nearly 13 years in the Marine Corps. Will Duke, one of the organizers of the tribute, said the memorials spoke volumes about Meyer. "I can tell by his actions, not only the actions he took in earning the Medal of Honor in Afghanistan but also the actions he is taking now. Essentially by requesting these memorial services for his fallen comrades, he's saying this is about them," Duke said.
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#3. To: Mad Dog (#0)
If I were him, I would have requested someone of "MY" choosing to present the award to me....
You aren't him, And when I read crap like this, I'm thankful...he has a sense of honor... Learn from that...
And when I read crap like this, I'm thankful...he has a sense of honor... Learn from that... I guess you respect people that don't respect you???? Is that why you vote for them??? The Marine has all the honor in the world, return the favor and show him some too!!! Let someone present it who has some honor and integrity, not some fool!! Obozo is more interested in playing golf than honoring our military traditions!!!!
If you knew anything about the military...obviously you don't...at a minimum, you respect the rank... That said, Obama is head and shoulders a far more respectful to the troops CIC than Dumb Dumb ever was.
That said, Obama is head and shoulders a far more respectful to the troops CIC than Dumb Dumb ever was. Looks like you don't pay a lot of attention to what people post on here, do you! Respecting the rank is mandatory, respecting the person is not.... Not all CMHs have been presented by seated US Presidents, so that means someone else could have presented the award!!!! If the Marine was agreeable to having that award presented to him by that zero then it was his decision and I respect that...... But that doesn't mean I can't have a different opinion..... So if you don't like that then too bad...... You don't seem to respect our politicians for whatever reasons, so why should I???
The Medal is presented by the Commander in Chief. You don't seem to respect our politicians for whatever reasons, so why should I??? Again underscoring what you don't understand, The CIC presented the Medal.
Not always.....
Without even knowing this man, you want HIM to make YOUR political statement. Make your own goddam statement.
Make your own goddam statement. You forgot the "n" in goddamn..... I've already made my "Political" statement about the "Zero", it's about time more people started doing the same thing...... I've honored my country by serving it in the military just like millions of others..... It's about time the "Zero" learned just what that means.....
Your service has ziopla to do with the bullshit that you are posting here. You want this soldier to make YOUR political statement for you. He's done enough for you already. Honor him...enough of this bullshit...
You want this soldier to make YOUR political statement for you. He's done enough for you already. Honor him...enough of this bullshit... And your nonservice has you talking about things you don't know about, you just think you do..... Here, I will put it in plain and simple terms for you........ "Demanding" respect for accomplishments/incompetance that do not "Command" respect is about as bullshit as it gets.... Especially when during the course of these accomplishments/incompetance all vestiges of honor, loyalty, courage, duty, country, unselfishness, integrity and repect get kicked to the curb!!!! Those items that I listed above about honor, duty, loyalty....etc....etc... (and many more) is what is expected from every last service member every single day (on and off duty) of his career...... Yet your boy who is supposed to be their CIC displays none of those traits!! Why is that???? (I'd give even money that he thinks those traits are B.S.)... So if you think he should be respected for acting like a putz then you might as well go elsewhere, cause you aren't going to get any here and you have some learning to do.... And oh by the way your Messiah gets blown off everyday, most of it doesn't make it to the front pages because the MSM doesn't want him looking bad..... but never the less it happens...... So I'm not the only one who feels this way..... in fact more and more people are seeing what I see... so get used to it..... I will honor/respect the CMH winner because his accomplishments "Command" honor/respect, and will withold those same things from the "ZERO"...... end of story.....
Take your self serving rant and shove it up your ass. Obama has done more for the troops than your bitch Bush ever did.
What!!! No fuck you!!!! I'm Hurt!!!! Sounds like it's that time of the month... Here this might help....
#43. To: CZ82 (#40)
Why would a picture of a box of Midol help?
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestPresident Obama on Thursday bestowed the nation's highest military honor on Dakota Meyer,
#7. To: CZ82 (#3)
#9. To: war (#7)
(Edited)
You aren't him,
#10. To: CZ82 (#9)
(Edited)
#11. To: war (#10)
If you knew anything about the military...obviously you don't...at a minimum, you respect the rank...
#13. To: CZ82 (#11)
Respecting the rank is mandatory
#16. To: war (#13)
The Medal is presented by the Commander in Chief.
#18. To: CZ82 (#16)
Not always.....
#22. To: war (#18)
Without even knowing this man, you want HIM to make YOUR political statement.
#25. To: CZ82 (#22)
#33. To: war (#25)
Your service has ziopla to do with the bullshit that you are posting here.
#34. To: CZ82 (#33)
#40. To: war (#34)
Take your self serving rant and shove it up your ass.
Replies to Comment # 40.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 40.
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