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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHey Tea Party Arseholes...here's what a real Patriot looks like:
Well done, Sir.
Florida man shocked to learn of Medal of Honor
"Melvin Morris was commanding a strike force on a mission near Chi Lang, South Vietnam, when his Special Forces group came under attack and a fellow commander was killed near an enemy bunker.
Despite massive enemy fire directed at him and his men, hitting him three times, the 72-year-old Morris told The Associated Press on Friday that he was able to get to his fallen comrade and recover the body. He also retrieved a map that included strategic information that would have been trouble if it fell into enemy hands.
More than four decades later, as a way to try to correct potential acts of bias spanning three wars, President Barack Obama will bestow the Medal of Honor on the Florida man and 23 other veterans. They come after a decade-long congressionally mandated review of minorities who may have been passed over for the U.S. military's highest honor because of long-held prejudices.
Morris became one of the first soldiers to don a "green beret" in 1961 and volunteered twice for deployments to Vietnam during the war. After his Sept 17, 1969, ordeal, the then-Staff Sgt. Morris received a Distinguished Service Cross in 1970. He said he never realized that being black might have kept the higher honor from him..."
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/u-s-world/florida-man-shocked-to-learn-of-medal-of-honor
1000words
(7,051 posts)Not sure how it makes him a "patriot," however.
dballance
(5,756 posts): a person who loves and strongly supports or fights for his or her country
By the above definition he sure seems like a patriot to me.
1000words
(7,051 posts)One would have to view the Vietnam War as a legal and just cause. While it in no way diminishes his heroic actions, it can easily be argued it was not in the country's best interests.
dballance
(5,756 posts)He performed an act or acts of individual heroism in service to his country. Presumably believing all the while that his nation was engaged in a legal and morally defensible war. So, to me, his actions are patriotic. We should not be arm-chair generals over four or five decades after the fact and try to judge the "shoulda" and "coulda" by the individuals in these instances of heroism.
By your logic, every person awarded any citation in the Iraq war should not have been awarded anything because, now, we know it was all a big lie.
Just because our despicable "leaders" led us into unjust conflicts it does not negate the individual acts of heroism performed by our service members in those conflicts who fully believed their commanders sent them into just and legal conflicts.
You may argue the overall conflicts were not in the best interests of our country and I'd agree with you. I fail to see how you can argue that individual acts of heroism (e.g. saving another service member under fire) are not in the best interests of our country.
1000words
(7,051 posts)I happen to think those who protested the wars are patriots. Heroes, even. Some paid with their lives, or freedom.
rustydog
(9,186 posts)it is when you are willing to stand up and be heard regardless of the outcome (arrest, jail) because you believe what you are doing is right. you are heroic and patriotic.
Sadly, Mitt Romney's protests supporting drafting brave young men to fight and die because he didn't want to join the military makes my statement a tad weak.
dballance
(5,756 posts)I feel the people who protested the war are definitely patriots. Their patriotism was especially difficult to display in a different way from the soldiers. Especially since the media and politicians were hyping things as such a just war, speaking of Iraq.
by the way, thanks for a sane discussion without name-calling or hair on fire kind of stuff.
1000words
(7,051 posts)Trying not to make DU suck.
bahrbearian
(13,466 posts)cliffordu
(30,994 posts)Kinda disgusting.
1000words
(7,051 posts)Love your signature line, btw.
Narraback
(648 posts)nt
AAO
(3,300 posts)Faygo Kid
(21,482 posts)before they acknowledge he's not Kenyan. And even then, they will say it's forged.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)cliffordu
(30,994 posts)Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)stagmeyer
(7 posts)Not bad for a subhuman mongrel.