dougs@tekecs.UUCP (03/31/84)
According to an AP report by Fred Hoffman in the morning Oregonian, the U. S. Army awarded a total of 8,612 medals to "our boys" for their role in the liberation of Grenada last October. The maximum number of Army troops in the occupation force was less than 7,000. About 50 medals were awarded to personnel who never left the vicinity of the Pentagon. Some were given to support personnel as far away as Fort Lewis (in Washington state). An Army spokesman defended its awards system as a "valuable and effective leadership tool to build unit morale and esprit". Indeed. What I want to know is, where's mine? I helped engineer the 4050 Series terminals (renowned (at the time) for being the only terminal that could fit down the hatch of a submarine), and I'm just sure there must have been a submarine somewhere nearby. If that isn't support, I don't know what is. Not afraid to stand up for our boys in blue, especially if there's something in it for me,
wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (04/03/84)
[] The reporter who wrote the story about the plethora of medals in the Granada invasion failed to detail just what those medals were. Whenever a person in the service is sent to someplace outside the country, they are given a medal to show that they served in some theater of operations. The greatest proportion of the medals for Granada were campaign medals or ribbons as we used to call them. They only mean that you were there. If you serve in West Germany, you get a medal. If you serve in Japan, Korea, Nam, or any other foriegn area, you get a medal. You don't have to do anything other than be there to answer roll call. As for the medals given out to those who never left the states, they are most likely "good job" medals. One of these medals and 20 cents will get you a cup of coffee. I am sure some of the other extra medals were for actions while in a combat situation. I doubt, however, that there were too many of those. Please do not jump to conclusions about the medals being handed out just because some two-bit reporter failed to tell the whole story. The reporter was probably one of those nerds who tried to twist the students stories to fit his/her preconceived ideas about the Granada invasion. T. C. Wheeler
ped@bunkerb.UUCP (___) (04/03/84)
Yes a purple heart is SUPPOSED to be given to the family if someone dies in action.
sef@druxu.UUCP (FarleighSE) (04/03/84)
. More than likely this highly reputable reporter works for the National Enquirer, Star, Globle, etc.. Scott E. Farleigh AT&TISL Denver
ped@bunkerb.UUCP (___) (04/04/84)
In regards to the comment " one of those medals and twenty cents will get you a cup of coffee". The medals must be improving in value most places coffee is 40 or 50 cents