Author Topic: Networks soplight Medal of Honor recipients under Obama, ignored heroes during Bush  (Read 882 times)

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rangerrebew

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Networks Spotlight Medal of Honor Recipients Under Obama; Ignored Heroes During Bush




By Matthew Balan | March 19, 2014 | 00:30

On Tuesday, all three broadcast network evening newscasts devoted full reports to President Obama honoring 24 members of the military – only three still living – with the Medal of Honor. CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley trumpeted how the President "righted a historic wrong. He presented the nation's highest military award to 24 Americans, after a review determined that they had been passed over because they were Hispanic or African-American or Jewish." [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]

   However, during the fifth year of former President George W. Bush's presidency, the Big Three channels furiously covered the allegations against several U.S. Marines, who were accused of killing civilians in Iraq in November 2005. Between May 17 and June 7, 2006 – a three week period – ABC, CBS, and NBC devoted three and a half hours of air time to the accusations of misconduct. These same networks aired only 52 minutes of reporting on 20 military heroes from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq during a five-year period between September 2001 and June 2006.



Pelley teased correspondent David Martin's report by underlining how "twenty-four men were denied the Medal of Honor because of prejudice. Today, justice was done." Martin detailed the heroics of two out of three living veterans:

DAVID MARTIN (voice-over):  At 68, Santiago Erevia is well past the age when he should be trying on an army uniform....Erevia is one of 24 Americans who today received the Medal of Honor. Erevia, Jose Rodela, and Melvin Morris are the only ones still living – and they all served in Vietnam....

In May 1969, Erevia took out not one, but four enemy bunkers that were raking his unit with fire....His company commander immediately put Erevia in for the Medal of Honor. But instead, he was awarded the nation's second highest medal, the Distinguished Service Cross....A review of Army records found 24 soldiers who deserved to have their Distinguished Service Cross upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Jose Rodela was a sergeant with the Green Berets in September 1969, when a Viet Cong machine gun opened up on his unit....When their machine gun jammed, they fired on Rodela with their rifles.

   JOSE RODELA: Finally, I got up close to them, and I got all three of them.

   MARTIN (on-camera): So, you took out the machine gun?

   RODELA: Oh, yes, I did.

On ABC's World News, host Diane Sawyer pointed out the "recognition of courage and sacrifice long overdue. At the White House today, President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to 24 veterans – heroes who served in Korea, Vietnam, and World War II. And most of them were overlooked for decades because of their race or heritage." During his report, correspondent Jonathan Karl interviewed the third living veteran who received the Medal of Honor on Tuesday:


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JONATHAN KARL (voice-over): He volunteered twice to go to Vietnam, and there, performed above and beyond the call of duty. Nearly half a century later, Melvin Morris received a long-overdue phone call....Today, Sergeant First Class Morris was one of 24 soldiers, who were denied the nation's highest military honor – most because of discrimination. Only three are still alive.

One of the first to wear the Army's Green Beret, Morris charged into enemy fire repeatedly – armed with as many grenades as he could carry....

   KARL (on-camera): What gives you the ability to do that – to run in the direction of enemy fire?

   MELVIN MORRIS, SGT. FIRST CLASS, U.S. ARMY (RET): We don't join the military to back out when it gets tough. We got to do what we've got to do.

   KARL (voice-over): As for the long delay, he harbors not a hint of bitterness.

   KARL (on-camera): Twenty-four individuals, who should have received this medal years and years ago, now receiving it.

   MORRIS: It's better late than never.

Anchor Brian Williams introduced correspondent Jim Miklaszewski's report on NBC Nightly News by documenting how "the President, on behalf of a grateful nation, presided over the largest single group of recipients of the Medal of Honor since World War II....In many cases, they were denied the nation's highest military award because of their race or religion. And of the twenty-four, from three separate wars, only three men survive, and they stood together today. Sons and daughters accepted for the deceased heroes, and for many, the ceremony was overpowering. Several were comforted by the President."

   Miklaszewski also zeroed in on Sergeant Morris, but also mentioned Rodela, who was also a member of the Green Berets:

MIKLASZEWSKI: The President presented the nation's highest military honor to the families of those who dedicated their lives to their country.

As one of the original Army Green Berets, Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris volunteered twice for Vietnam. A battle in 1969 was almost his last.

   MELVIN MORRIS: And I went in – I threw hand grenades everywhere.

   MIKLASZEWSKI: Under relentless enemy fire, Morris was gravely wounded – shot three times while retrieving the body of his team sergeant. That same year, specialist Santiago Etevia was pinned down by enemy fire – the soldier next to him shot dead.

 Surprisingly, Morris doesn't believe he was the target of discrimination on or off the battlefield.

   MORRIS: It didn't matter. We – we – we all bled the same blood.


Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2014/03/19/networks-spotlight-medal-honor-recipients-under-obama-ignored-heroes-#ixzz2wPDCfPge

Offline EC

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With respect to the recipients, it's a bit of ribbon and tin. Earned and well deserved, sure. Won't dispute that and will be proud to salute them first.
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Offline musiclady

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The media ignored everything Bush did that showed who he really was.

That's part of how they got his approval numbers down so far.
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

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Online Slide Rule

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I watched this for a bit this morning.  The words read about the acts of the servicemen seemed heroic.

Still, I wonder if receiving the award from this president somehow tarnished the situation, their person and other hero's.  Easy for me to say, not having served, but I would have declined.  Certainly my father who was a WWII vet would not have made himself a spectacle for a photo opportunity or video opportunity.  Especially for someone that degrades the military and its men at every opportunity.

I would decline as everyone who knows me would know a metal changes nothing.  Hero's are hero's whether the president had his photo with you as a prop or not.

Al


White, American, MAGA, 3% Neanderthal, and 97% Extreme Right Wing Conservative.

Recommended

J Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson
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R Feynman, The Feynman Lectures on Physics
R Penrose, The Road To Reality & The Emperor's New Mind
K Popper, An Open Society and Its Enemies & The Logic of Scientific Discovery
A Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago, & Everything he wrote

Offline LottieDah

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The media ignored everything Bush did that showed who he really was.

That's part of how they got his approval numbers down so far.

I totally agree.  Even the women's magazines ignored Laura Bush.  They didn't even publish a cookie recipe of hers.  They certainly filled their pages with Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Offline musiclady

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I totally agree.  Even the women's magazines ignored Laura Bush.  They didn't even publish a cookie recipe of hers.  They certainly filled their pages with Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton.

It's frightening how easily the media/entertainment propagandists can manipulate people.

They treat Michelle like a celebrity, Hillary like the smartest woman on earth, and Laura like a re-do of Mamie Eisenhower, not worth their time.

And look at the way they adore Chelsea (who has serious issues to say the least), and ignore Barbara and Jenna Bush, who are both strong women doing remarkable things.

btw, we all know that the only reason Obama did this was the race factor.  He despises the military.  This was just for show.
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline Howie66

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My take on this is simple. I care not a whit that Obama is "C-I-C". He should not be anywhere near a ceremony that is sacred or of honor. He is not worthy enough to be in the presence of those who have performed in a selfless and heroic manner.

I know that the function of president requires him to be there, but he is only a "place holder" as far as I am concerned.
I come in peace, I didn't bring artillery.  But I am pleading with you with tears in my eyes:  If you bleep with me, I'll kill you all.

Marine General James Mattis, to Iraqi tribal leaders (Note: Mattis did NOT say "BLEEP". He threw the F Bomb)

I didn't enlist in the Corps just to watch my country become a Third World Communist Shit-hole. Don't know anyone who did.

Offline EC

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My take on this is simple. I care not a whit that Obama is "C-I-C". He should not be anywhere near a ceremony that is sacred or of honor. He is not worthy enough to be in the presence of those who have performed in a selfless and heroic manner.

I know that the function of president requires him to be there, but he is only a "place holder" as far as I am concerned.

Straight up question from one brother to another. Do you bother with your "I was there ribbons?" I don't.
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