PFC Lynch for the CMOH?

[Argyll]

From a political and moralistic point of view ,if all accounts of her actions are true could she be the 1st ever female recipient if the Congressional Medal of Honour?.........shades of "Courage under Fire" here!!
If the reports are accurate she deserves something dont you agree?

[ilxAudrey]

There was a female recepient of the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Civil War. It was later retracted.

If this was the Vietnam war I think her actions would be more in line with a bronze (or even silver) star.

[...]

If it was the Vietnam war she would of got a pat on the back and a atta boy(girl).

[Duke]

Not the CMH, the scuttlebutt is that she will either most likely receive the Bronze Star w/V or the Silver Star w/V. Depending on the POW survivors from her unit she may recieve the DSC. Remember, as cold as it sounds, she needs witnesses to recieve the DSC. The CMH is reserved for obviously extreme heroism, but also for disobeying orders, to some degree, by placing yourself in a precarious position.

[Cpl Stumps]

Here is a question for you Army personnel, shouldn't she also get the coveted CIB. Doesn't her actions, if she engaged the enemy til all ammo was exhausted, kinda equal Combat Infantry? I read during Operation Just Cause there was a blow up because a female MP was involved in direct combat with some Liberty Battalion individuals and some felt she should have received the CIB. Just wondering if someone could shed light on this.

Wasn't the last POW to receive the CMOH from Vietnam. Didn't he receive for attempting suicide among other actions to deny the enemy any information he might have had???


Semper Fi
Cpl Stumps

[Duke]

Cpl
CIB is for only infantryman.

[Apogee]

Duke is on the money. You have to have an 11- series or 18- series MOS. Which basically means you must be infantry or SF to get it. As heroic as a person's actions may be, they must fall within those regulations to get it.

[budanski]

Personally, I don't see PFC Lynch a hero or anything. I'd rather give the Iraqi that made the rescue possible the medal or a medal.

[Zoomie]

I do think she does deserve some medal, like a Star, but not the MOH. If you look at most of the MOH recipiants are awarded it posthumously (I may be incorrect, but that's what I recall) and were awarded it for giving their life in order to protect the others in the area.

[front]

Argyll?

The first woman recipient of the Medal of Honor was Dr Mary Walker, a surgeon during the American Civil War. She was award the Medal in 1865.

http://www.undelete.org/military/mil3walker.html

Dr. Walker's Medal of Honor was rescinded in 1917.

"For whatever reason she refused to return the Medal of Honor and wore it until her death in 1919. Fifty-eight years later, the U.S. Congress posthumously reinstated her medal, and it was restored by President Carter on June 10, 1977."

Tough, tough woman by all accounts:

"Even in uniform Dr Mary Walker was controversial - she added trousers under her skirt, wore a man's uniform jacket and carried two pistols at all times."

To further "Dukes" 'CIB is for only infantryman.' point above see this link for the full skinny:

http://www.americal.org/awards/cib.htm

In "Sand Against The Wind" Barbara Tuchman notes that General Stilwell always wanted the CIB. He considered it one of the highest awards but never qualified in the regs. for it. A few days before his death it was pinned to his pillow... in recognition of his achievements. "Sand Against The Wind" is a great book. I recommend it.

cheers

front

[SFontaine]

What did she do to earn a CMH? Men have died to receive that medal.

[Mark Sman]

WALKER, DR. MARY E.

Rank and organization: Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon (civilian), U. S. Army. Places and dates: Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861; Patent Office Hospital, Washington, D.C., October 1861; Chattanooga, Tenn., following Battle of Chickomauga, September 1863; Prisoner of War, April 10, 1864-August 12, 1864, Richmond, Va.; Battle of Atlanta, September 1864. Entered service at: Louisville, Ky. Born: 26 November 1832, Oswego County, N.Y. Citation: Whereas it appears from official reports that Dr. Mary E. Walker, a graduate of medicine, "has rendered valuable service to the Government, and her efforts have been earnest and untiring in a variety of ways," and that she was assigned to duty and served as an assistant surgeon in charge of female prisoners at Louisville, Ky., upon the recommendation of Major-Generals Sherman and Thomas, and faithfully served as contract surgeon in the service of the United States, and has devoted herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded soliders, both in the field and hospitals, to the detriment of her own health, and has also endured hardships as a prisoner of war four months in a Southern prison while acting as contract surgeon; and Whereas by reason of her not being a commissioned officer in the military service, a brevet or honorary rank cannot, under existing laws, be conferred upon her; and
Whereas in the opinion of the President an honorable recognition of her services and sufferings should be made:
It is ordered, That a testimonial thereof shall be hereby made and given to the said Dr. Mary E. Walker, and that the usual medal of honor for meritorious services be given her.

Given under my hand in the city of Washington, D.C., this 11th day of November, A.D. 1865.
Andrew Johnson,
President
(Medal rescinded 1917 along with 910 others, restored by President Carter 10 June 1977.)
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohciv2.htm
----------

Also I would like to note that the preferred way to refer to this medal is the “Medal of Honor” and not the Congressional Medal of Honor or CMH. The latter two terms will be widely understood to mean the same medal though.

I would suggest the Institute of Heraldry, but their website is down. I hope it comes back up soon.
https://www-perscom.army.mil/tagd/tioh/tioh.htm

In their absence, the U.S. Army Center of Military History is a good place to learn stuff, and they do go by the acronym CMH.
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/

Thanks for your time,
MS

[JTFazz]

I think everyone is jumping the gun a bit. We know very little about the circumstances of PFC Lynch's capture. While it has been rumored that she dilligently fought capture, it is still only rumor.

Unfortunately, there may be no one but herself to corroborate the events since here colleagues are all suspected to be KIA or executed later.

The last two MOH recipients were the Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon who requested they be inserted to protect Durant's Blackhawk crew in Mogadishu.

There were some pretty brave actions in that conflict that I believe certainly warranted higher commendations than what were received.

Politics is certainly a consideration in these things where the MOH is concerned. Unless I hear something dramatically differently than what is rumored, I think MOH by the dozens would rise from their graves to protest the awarding of the medal to Lynch based only on what is now known.

But I certainly believe that a bronze star with a long shot at silver may be possible. On the low side, a Purple Heart and an ACM.

[Knave]

Usually, the Medal of Honor is bestowed upon someone who takes the fight to the enemy on a scale far greater than the expectations of a single man in combat, or puts himself in grave danger to protect or assist comrades who are wounded or retreating; usually volunteering to do so, and usually being grievously wounded or killed in the attempt. As brave as the young woman is, the Medal of Honor is not really appropriate.

[nathan_w_l]

The two individuals to whom you reffer are Gary Gordon and Randall Shugart as they attempted to deffend the crash sight of super six four and no they aren't the last two soldiers to recieve the Medal Of Honor. The most recient recipient of the Medal Of Honor is Captain Hubert "Rocky" Versace who was captured while serving with a CIDG force in the vietnam war. Cpt. versace was execute by his captors in 1965 after all there attempts to break his will failed. president bush said as he awarded him the medal posthmously "Cpt Versace spoke english, vietnamese, and french and told his captor to go to hell in each regularly.

[Ratamacue]

Alright, well in that case, Shughart/Gordon performed the most recent action for which the CMOH was awarded.

We really need details on what happened to Lynch before judgments can be made as to if or what she will be awarded. My grandpa basically said that she'll likely receive a Bronze or Silver Star, and I concur with that assessment.

[Royal]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a Royal Marines sgt was recently awared the MoH in a private ceremony for his actions at Mazar i Sharif...

[Chops]

Yep, ceremony happened early in January this year. Award ceremony was kept under wraps due to the SBS angle.

Rgds

Chops

[JTFazz]

The two individuals to whom you reffer are Gary Gordon and Randall Shugart as they attempted to deffend the crash sight of super six four and no they aren't the last two soldiers to recieve the Medal Of Honor. The most recient recipient of the Medal Of Honor is Captain Hubert "Rocky" Versace who was captured while serving with a CIDG force in the vietnam war. Cpt. versace was execute by his captors in 1965 after all there attempts to break his will failed. president bush said as he awarded him the medal posthmously "Cpt Versace spoke english, vietnamese, and french and told his captor to go to hell in each regularly.Sorry for my semantics being in error... I will take care to be more correct next time. :roll: :bash:

As to the Brit being awarded the CMOH, I cannot find any confirmation of this. The rumored awarding of the CMOH to an SBS senior NCO has been discussed on many forums and mentioned in non-mainstream media web sites. I can't find any official information on this.

I read somewhere that he would be the first living recipient, but also read that it takes an act of Congress to award the medal to a foreign national.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

[Royal]

It was in the UK mainstream press - remember seeing it in The Times - can't remember exactly when & their online archive only covers the last 7 days...

It was also a topic of discussion in the Corps - mainly the usaul stuff we have about not wearing foriegn awards, decorations and medals (except for some reason jump wings - although thinking about it, that's probably against dress regs - we don't wear them other than on para smocks and '95/tropical shirts).