Jessica Lynch - should she be the 2nd woman to get the medal of honor?

Page 4 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Analog

Lifer
Jan 7, 2002
12,755
3
0
Originally posted by: Pastfinder
Here is the ultimate American fighting machine:

MURPHY, AUDIE L.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 1 5th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January 1945. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Tex. G.O. No.. 65, 9 August 1945. Citation 2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit
and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The
enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and
organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

Audie Murphy rules. Not bad for a 130# guy!
 

Kilgor

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
3,292
0
0
This guy has a few too, but no CMO. http://www.hackworth.com/awards.html

Distinguished Service Cross (with one Oak Leaf Cluster)
Silver Star (with nine Oak Leaf Clusters)
Legion of Merit (with three Oak Leaf Clusters)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal (with "V" Device & seven Oak Leaf Clusters)(Seven of the awards for heroism)
Purple Heart (with seven Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Medal (with "V" Device & Numeral 34)(One for heroism and 33 for aerial achievement)
Army Commendation Medal (w/ "V" Device & 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Good Conduct Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal (with Germany and Japan Clasps)
National Defense Service Medal (with one Bronze Service Star)
Korean Service Medal (with Service Stars for eight campaigns)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal (2 Silver Service Stars = 10 campaigns)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal

:)
 

tk149

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2002
7,256
1
0
Originally posted by: Pastfinder
Here is the ultimate American fighting machine:

MURPHY, AUDIE L.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 1 5th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January 1945. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Tex. G.O. No.. 65, 9 August 1945. Citation 2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit
and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The
enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and
organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

Wow! It makes me feel good to know that guys like these MOH winners exist. Thanks for the info, I've heard of Audie Murphy before, but never knew what he was famous for.
 

Zugzwang152

Lifer
Oct 30, 2001
12,134
1
0
Originally posted by: tk149
Originally posted by: Pastfinder
Here is the ultimate American fighting machine:

MURPHY, AUDIE L.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 1 5th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January 1945. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Tex. G.O. No.. 65, 9 August 1945. Citation 2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit
and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The
enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and
organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

Wow! It makes me feel good to know that guys like these MOH winners exist. Thanks for the info, I've heard of Audie Murphy before, but never knew what he was famous for.

:Q thats right out of a war movie :Q amazing!
 

Led Zeppelin

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2002
3,555
0
71
Originally posted by: NorthRiver
She does not deserve the MOH. She did her job, and what she was trained to do. She did not go above, and beyond the call of duty. Now if she shot Saddam, and ended the war, yes, but she did not do anything that incredible. She got lucky, period!

rolleye.gif


Easy for you to play monday morning quarterback sitting safely in your computer chair in your nice warm house. What would you have done bud? You'd be screaming like a little b!tch. I don't care how much training you have, you don't know how you're going to react to something like that until it happens. We should all be praising her for the bravery and will she displayed in fighting, and for not giving in to those bastards that ambushed them out of nowhere. To say she didn't do anything that incredible shows what kind of an ignorant moron you are, and I have absolutely no respect for you whatsoever. Dumba$$.
 

McCarthy

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,567
0
76
No. If the story is accurate she doesn't deserve the MOH. Nothing against her, but what she did was as others have said, what a soldier is trained and expected to do.

I have a feeling there's a lot more media creationism to this story than truth. When I first heard a POW was rescued I hit the news sites and read on one of them that she was the driver. But when I went back later to find the story for someone I was talking to about it that one was nowhere to be found, but stories about her heroism had replaced it on every site.

We don't KNOW anything about what happened. Could be she was driving, took a wrong turn, ran into an oil well and broke her legs and arm when she hit the dash. Could be someone else got lost and she was the only one who did fight when they were ambushed. Could be anything.

I know it's crass and some will probably mistake it as anti-Lynch or something. Not meant to be that. It's the media's lack of reporting that I'm taking issue with. If they don't know something they can sure make things up to fill time.
 

jteef

Golden Member
Feb 20, 2001
1,355
0
76
no. If she fought her way out of captivity and saved the rest of her co-pow's in the process, then I would say yes. It is unclear whether or not her actions saved anybody besides herself. Until the details come out its hard to award her anything other than a purple heart. Maybe a bronze star is in order too.
 

Dark4ng3l

Diamond Member
Sep 17, 2000
5,061
1
0
If she gets the medal of honnor i'm pretty sure there are 100 guys out there in iraq and thousands in WW2-korea-nam who deserved it more then her and did not get it, I mean whats special about her? the only difference is that the media got knowlege of her case, tharere are porbably many others who far surpass this.....
 

Dacalo

Diamond Member
Mar 31, 2000
8,780
3
76
Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I think we need to wait and get more details of what hapened and see if there is anyone who can verify it.
I am not saying that what she is saying isn't true. That's a high honor and it shouldn't be given out willy nilly.

 

bbkat

Senior member
Mar 7, 2001
825
0
0
Originally posted by: tk149
Originally posted by: Pastfinder
Here is the ultimate American fighting machine:

MURPHY, AUDIE L.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 1 5th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January 1945. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Tex. G.O. No.. 65, 9 August 1945. Citation 2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit
and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The
enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and
organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

Wow! It makes me feel good to know that guys like these MOH winners exist. Thanks for the info, I've heard of Audie Murphy before, but never knew what he was famous for.
Wasn't Audie Murphy the name of ____ Dillon's character in "Platoon"?
 

MichaelD

Lifer
Jan 16, 2001
31,529
3
76
You guys don't have the slightest idea what the MOH is about. She should NOT be given the MOH. She will get a Purple Heart and she deserves the PH. Just b/c you get shot and shot back doesn't entitle you the MOH.

The enlisted people in the past that have gotten the MOH did things like lose a leg and an arm and kept shooting back, then they dragged 2 people from a burning foxhole, while getting shot in the neck...you get the idea.

She shot back, she got shot. She did HER JOB. She deserves the Purple Heart for Combat-Related injuries. Nothing more!
 

tranceport

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2000
4,168
1
81
www.thesystemsengineer.com
Originally posted by: RgrPark
No way she should get it. If it was a special ops operator who got ambushed and got captured, no one would even think about giving him a MOH...the only reason some of you think she deserves it is because she's a young female supply clerk. Let's view the standards objectively...<STRONG>everything she did (fighting until she ran out of rounds) is what a soldier is SUPPOSED to do</STRONG>. I give her props for doing what a well trained soldier is supposed to do but that in no way deserves a MOH. <STRONG>She will get a POW medal, a purple heart and "maybe" something like a bronze star but i think that's even too much.
</STRONG>
Bottom line, she performed her duties as expected of a well trained soldier. <STRONG>She did not go "above and beyond the call of duty".</STRONG> Do you think she would volunteer to do something like Shugart and Gordon (they volunteered to give their lives to attempt to protect the downed pilot in Somalia and paid the ultimate price), i think not. MOH is the HIGHEST award given and should not be given out lightly. I am in no way putting down the Pfc. <STRONG>She performed exactly the way a soldier should have performed and i respect her for it, but we're talking about the MOH here.</STRONG>

WELL SAID.
 

Analog

Lifer
Jan 7, 2002
12,755
3
0
Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
Originally posted by: tk149
Originally posted by: Pastfinder
Here is the ultimate American fighting machine:

MURPHY, AUDIE L.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 1 5th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January 1945. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Tex. G.O. No.. 65, 9 August 1945. Citation 2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit
and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The
enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and
organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

Wow! It makes me feel good to know that guys like these MOH winners exist. Thanks for the info, I've heard of Audie Murphy before, but never knew what he was famous for.

:Q thats right out of a war movie :Q amazing!

I was watching the movie (to hell and back - about Mr. Murphy) on the history channel, and they said that the scenes with him fighting were actually tamer than the real thing. Now isn't that the opposite of embellishment?????

Hats off to him. RIP. (I think he died in a plane crash in the US).
 

CoolTech

Platinum Member
Jul 10, 2000
2,345
3
0
we have some idiots in our midst. What she did was not above and beyond the call of duty. Despite the fact that she is a supply clerk, she is in the armed forces and ultimately it is her job to fight if provoked to do so. I could see if she saved a lot of lives by dragging people out of a burning building. I could also see if she did something even closely reminiscent of the Vietnam scene in Forest Gump, or was a one person show otherwise in some kind of decisive effort to save a lot of lives. But she was not, and like many others have previously stated, she got media attention. This is the only thing that separates her from another soldier who was fighting and was hurt. People want to feel sorry for some young female because according to the media, we should curry favor because women are supposedly weaker physically and mentally than men. Congressional medal of honor, I think NOT!
 

Bulk Beef

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2001
5,466
0
76
Going from what has been told of the incident, NO, she should not get it. Take a look at what past MoH recipients have done to earn it.

Being cute is not among the criteria.

BTW - Good job, Private Lynch.
 

Mookow

Lifer
Apr 24, 2001
10,162
0
0
Short answer: no.

This got a silver star:
On his second tour in Vietnam, on Sept. 16, 1969, he was riding atop an armored personnel carrier when it struck a 500-pound mine and erupted into flames. Hathcock was knocked briefly unconscious, sprayed with flaming gasoline and thrown clear. Waking, he climbed back aboard the burning vehicle to drag seven other Marines out. Then, "with complete disregard for his own safety and while suffering an excruciating pain from his burns, he bravely ran back through the flames and exploding ammunition to ensure that no Marines had been left behind

Think about it. A 500lbs mine detonates, you get set on fire and thrown off the vehicle you were riding on, and rather than sit there dazed and uncertain after you wake up from being knocked out, you run towards the flaming vehicle and pull not one, not two, but 7 of your fellow servicemen out. THAT wasn't good enough for a MOH, I don't think getting shot (which, now they are saying she wasnt shot) and returning fire stacks up compared to ^^^
 

Sepen

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
3,189
0
71
Originally posted by: sward666
Going from what has been told of the incident, NO, she should not get it. Take a look at what past MoH recipients have done to earn it.

Being cute is not among the criteria.

BTW - Good job, Private Lynch.

 

mastertech01

Moderator Emeritus Elite Member
Nov 13, 1999
11,875
282
126
She will probably end up with a Purple Heart, and maybe a Bronze Star.
 

AndrewR

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,157
0
0
Originally posted by: tranceport
Originally posted by: RgrPark
No way she should get it. If it was a special ops operator who got ambushed and got captured, no one would even think about giving him a MOH...the only reason some of you think she deserves it is because she's a young female supply clerk. Let's view the standards objectively...<STRONG>everything she did (fighting until she ran out of rounds) is what a soldier is SUPPOSED to do</STRONG>. I give her props for doing what a well trained soldier is supposed to do but that in no way deserves a MOH. <STRONG>She will get a POW medal, a purple heart and "maybe" something like a bronze star but i think that's even too much.
</STRONG>
Bottom line, she performed her duties as expected of a well trained soldier. <STRONG>She did not go "above and beyond the call of duty".</STRONG> Do you think she would volunteer to do something like Shugart and Gordon (they volunteered to give their lives to attempt to protect the downed pilot in Somalia and paid the ultimate price), i think not. MOH is the HIGHEST award given and should not be given out lightly. I am in no way putting down the Pfc. <STRONG>She performed exactly the way a soldier should have performed and i respect her for it, but we're talking about the MOH here.</STRONG>

WELL SAID.

Agreed. If she gets the MOH, then every other person in uniform out there who has had contact with the enemy deserves one, too. Fortunately, the requirements for this nation's highest military honor are a bit higher.

Interestingly, the requirements weren't always that high. When it was used in the Civil War, it was often given for just showing up. 300 men of the 27th Maine actually received the MOH because they remained in Washington, D.C., after 1863 instead of returning home when their enlistments were up -- mind you, they didn't fight, they just stayed to "protect" the capitol!
 

PELarson

Platinum Member
Mar 27, 2001
2,289
0
0
Interestingly, the requirements weren't always that high. When it was used in the Civil War, it was often given for just showing up. 300 men of the 27th Maine actually received the MOH because they remained in Washington, D.C., after 1863 instead of returning home when their enlistments were up -- mind you, they didn't fight, they just stayed to "protect" the capitol!

Remember though that many of those medals where taken back. Even if deserved as in the case of Dr. Walker.

Pfc. Lynch, doubtful that what she did, while brave and couragous, merits a Medal of Honor. Bronze or Silver Star and a promotion is a start to thanking her for her sacrifice.

 

datalink7

Lifer
Jan 23, 2001
16,765
6
81
Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
Originally posted by: tk149
Originally posted by: Pastfinder
Here is the ultimate American fighting machine:

MURPHY, AUDIE L.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 1 5th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January 1945. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Tex. G.O. No.. 65, 9 August 1945. Citation 2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit
and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The
enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and
organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

Wow! It makes me feel good to know that guys like these MOH winners exist. Thanks for the info, I've heard of Audie Murphy before, but never knew what he was famous for.

:Q thats right out of a war movie :Q amazing!

Wow... you can literally say that guy is the biggest badass in the history of badasses :Q