Medal of Honor

[caveplay]

Today the collegian ( penn state news paper )
had a peice about Michael Muphy U.S. NAVY and
Medal of Honor recipient


I sent the the writer Alyssa Owens a email
she called it the congressional medal of honor

[83XLX]

That's what it is commonly called.

http://www.cmohs.org/medal.htm

[donniej]

I've always heard it reffered to that as well. I believe because it is awarded via an act of Congress.

PS. I've also heard that the recipient, as part of the award, is entitled to ~$50,000 per year for life, tax free. I have nothing to back that up though, just hearsay.

[747 FlightEngineer]

I have also heard it called CMOH and just MOH but in the end it only goes to real American Heroes.

[sfxtech]

I just watched a thing on History Channel about Pearl Harbor. They interviewed John Finn he is the only living survivor of Pearl Harbor that received the Medal of Honor. He said in the special, he doesn't think of himself as a hero, he still wears it to this day, not to show it off, but to honor all the soldiers that did not survive. And that survivors got purple hearts, MOH, and all sorts of other awards, and "the only thing the others got, was dead."

edit: Link to show on History Channel (http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=203544)

[dagsportster]

Historically, there are separate Medals of Honor (Army, Navy, Air Force) with the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard sharing the same design. Now they're collectively referred to as just the Congressional Medal of Honor, but depending on branch, the design of the medal may be different.

The medal is for the bravest of the brave and no matter what you call it, I'm humbled by the sacrifice made by those so honored.

[chieftd]

The current VA monthly stipend for MOH receipients is $1104 per month. It also increases with yearly cost of living increases. So for 2008 it will go up 2.3%. Regards, chieftd

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/special1.htm

[donniej]

The current VA monthly stipend for MOH receipients is $1104 per month. It also increases with yearly cost of living increases. So for 2008 it will go up 2.3%. Regards, chieftd

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/special1.htm

Thank you for the link. I was always curious as to what cash award the recipient got...

[klinesamuel]

In 1991 I was stationed at Fort Hood, TX. They were celebrating the 50th anniversary of WWII and I believe it was for the 2nd Armored Division. Anyway, they invited back anyone who served with the division which of course included the Medal of Honor recipients.
There must have been dozens of these old timers walking around with there medal proudly hanging around their neck.
My most vivid memory of this was watching the post commander LT General Graves calling everyone to attention when one of these heroes passed us on the street. He turned and gave the finest salute I ever saw coming from his hand. I worked for the guy and that was the only time I ever seen anyone outrank him so, that's why I remember that so well.
Thanks for the memories,
Sam

[LDO]

Actually,
Although commonplace, the term "Congressional Medal of Honor" is not correct. It is sometimes referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor because the President presents the award "in the name of the Congress."

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society is so named because that is the name it was given in an act of Congress signed into law by President Eisenhower on August 5, 1958.

Here's a good link on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor

S/F!

[wizend]

In 1991 I was stationed at Fort Hood, TX. They were celebrating the 50th anniversary of WWII and I believe it was for the 2nd Armored Division. Anyway, they invited back anyone who served with the division which of course included the Medal of Honor recipients.
There must have been dozens of these old timers walking around with there medal proudly hanging around their neck.
My most vivid memory of this was watching the post commander LT General Graves calling everyone to attention when one of these heroes passed us on the street. He turned and gave the finest salute I ever saw coming from his hand. I worked for the guy and that was the only time I ever seen anyone outrank him so, that's why I remember that so well.
Thanks for the memories,
Sam

I met LTG Graves at an Army Navy game around the same time. That was long after I got a letter of reprimand from MG Graves. He was'nt the same Graves but it made for good conversation.

MSG Gordon from Blackhawk Down lived down the street from me in Fayetteville. Did'nt know him, but his wife stayed in the area for awhile afterward, she may still be there. Anyway, seeing her around always made me think...and proud. I met Durant during a SERE seminar but never asked him if he was in contact with Gordon or Shughart's family.

[klinesamuel]

I met LTG Graves at an Army Navy game around the same time. That was long after I got a letter of reprimand from MG Graves. He was'nt the same Graves but it made for good conversation.

Hey, what a coincidence I also got a letter of reprimand from the old man. HAHA!

MSG Gordon from Blackhawk Down lived down the street from me in Fayetteville. Did'nt know him, but his wife stayed in the area for awhile afterward, she may still be there. Anyway, seeing her around always made me think...and proud. I met Durant during a SERE seminar but never asked him if he was in contact with Gordon or Shughart's family.

The post office in Newville, PA is named after Randall D. Shughart. This is where he is originally from. Every October 3rd I like to ride up there (I live in York so it's only about an hour away) and "visit" him.
Sam

[mray55]

This is a link to WV's only living Medal of Honor winner. I have had the honor of talking with Woody about 3 years ago, at the VFW state convention. To make a long story short. Although he is a hero his opinion is the real heros are the ones that gave there life's that day. Such Is the same from some silver and bronze star winners I know.

www.shadowwolf.org/woody.html

Pray for our Troops.

[Crash03]

The current VA monthly stipend for MOH receipients is $1104 per month.

It doesn't matter how much it is. Murphy got his medal posthumously...


Murphy was a Navy SEAL team leader and a Penn State grad.

Here's the Navy press release...


"Murphy was the officer-in-charge of the SEAL element, which was tasked with locating a high- level Taliban militia leader to provide intelligence for a follow-on mission to capture or destroy the local leadership and disrupt enemy activity. However local Taliban sympathizers discovered the SEAL unit and immediately revealed their position to Taliban fighters. The element was besieged on a mountaintop by scores of enemy fighters. The firefight that ensued pushed the element farther into enemy territory and left all four SEALs wounded.

The SEALs fought the enemy fearlessly despite being at a tactical disadvantage and outnumbered more than four to one. Understanding the gravity of the situation and his responsibility to his men, Murphy, already wounded, deliberately and unhesitatingly moved from cover into the open where he took and returned fire while transmitting a call for help for his beleaguered teammates. Shot through the back while radioing for help, Murphy completed his transmission while returning fire. The call ultimately led to the rescue of one severely wounded team member, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, and the recovery of the remains of Murphy and Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson.

Eight more SEALs and eight Army “Nightstalker” special operations personnel comprising the initial reinforcement also lost their lives when their helicopter was shot down before they could engage the enemy. The entire battle, the culmination of Operation Redwing, resulted in the worst single day loss of life for Naval Special Warfare personnel since World War II.
The sole surviving SEAL, Marcus Luttrell, wrote a book about the battle after he departed the Navy this summer. In his book Luttrell credited all three of his teammates for their heroism, including Murphy’s sacrificial act that eventually led to his rescue."

[caveplay]

Bath, Maine (CNN) -- Under clear, blue skies, a ship dedicated to fallen Medal of Honor recipient and Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy was christened Saturday by his mother, Maureen, at Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine.

"I feel not only Michael's presence, but that ship embodies the spirits of Michael and his teammates," Murphy's father, Daniel, told CNN.

Following tradition, Murphy's mother cracked a bottle of champagne against the hull of the USS Michael Murphy.

"Happy Birthday, son!" Murphy's mom said on what would have been her son's 35th birthday. His life was cut short in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2005.

Dr. Josh Appel, an Air Force Reserve flight surgeon, helped retrieve Murphy's body after a firefight that claimed the lives of 18 other troops, including 2 SEALs from Murphy's team.

Appel called the christening "a symbolic gesture that brings Michael's spirit into the ship."

Murphy's team -- on a mission to go after a Taliban leader -- was ambushed when the troops were outnumbered by Taliban fighters. Murphy was honored for his courage by running into a clearing to call for help despite exposing himself to enemy fire. He was hit with two bullets in his back, but continued to seek help on the call. His final words to his command belied the deadly attack under way: "Thank you," he said.

"We can never repay, but must never ever forget," said Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, in front of more than 2,000 people at the shipyard.

The ship's dedication comes during a week of honors for Navy SEALs. Members of the elite special ops force killed Osama bin Laden during a 38-minute operation early Monday in Pakistan.

"You're going to have good days. You're going to have bad days," Rear Adm. Garry Bonelli told CNN. "What we're trying to do is defend freedom and follow out the president's orders. That's what we're all about."

The destroyer will be moved to a dry dock for several months while workers put the final touches on it. The lettering on the stern of the ship doesn't need any more work. It says, "Michael Murphy," but among its admirers, it's already being called "the Murph