New medal for modern warfare sparks strong reaction

[earthside]

3. Combat!

I remember in the old 'Combat!' television series (still one of my all time favorite programs), Sgt. Saunders, played by the great Vic Morrow, won't ever accept a medal. Whenever an officer (like Lt. Hanley, played by Rick Jason) would put him in for a medal, Saunders would decline saying that they were all in in together and they all did their part.

I always thought that that sentiment portrayed the most profound kind of courage and humility ... of course, it was just a television show. And, of course, WWII was a completely different kind of war -- most of the World War II vets that I knew were more like that: they did what had to be done and weren't trying to hang on to their war days as a big part of the rest of their lives.

The idea that someone would be given a medal for watching a video screen and hitting a button in the safety of a 'bunker' in Virginia or Colorado and remotely killing a possible enemy is, well, kind of disgusting.