FormerHorseGuard
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From the Toronto Sun 29 Jan 2007
By PETER WORTHINGTON
In his publication The Rice Paddy, aimed mostly to "entertain and inform" Korean War veterans, Winnipeg publisher/editor Mike Czuboka (himself a Korean vet), compares the merits of the Victoria Cross with the U.S. Medal of Honour.
Both are the most prestigious valour awards given by each country -- though the VC is harder to win and more highly regarded.
Czuboka reprints a Time magazine story questioning why so few Medals of Honour have been awarded in the Iraq war which, for Americans, has now lasted longer than World War I.
In World War II, 464 Medals of Honour were awarded, while in Iraq only two have been given so far. If the same restrictive standards of Iraq had applied to the 16 million Americans who served on the Armed Forces in World War II, only 30 Medals of Honour would have been awarded in World War II, according to Time.
As for America's second highest bravery award -- the Distinguished Service Cross -- 8,716 were awarded in World War II, and so far only 26 in Iraq.
Canadian veterans have long noted the U.S. has traditionally been more generous (if not lavish) with valour awards than Canadian or British forces. This seems to be changing in the U.S. for the highest awards.
Where it comes apart is in the "minor" or mid-level valour awards in Iraq. An extraordinary 52,000 Bronze Stars have been awarded -- including 30 to the first Canadian battalion of the Princess Pats to serve in Afghanistan -- four of them (with the "V" for Valour insignia on the ribbon) to our snipers who served with the Americans, and the rest of the Bronze Stars going to senior officers and NCO (Non-Commissioned Officers) of that battalion, with none to the rank and file.
Medals are a curious fixation among soldiers.
It was the Duke of Newcastle in 1855 who noted: "The value attached by soldiers to a little bit of ribbon is such as to render any danger insignificant." Napoleon, too, remarked on how "little bits of ribbon" could motivate soldiers to fight bravely.
On a per capita basis, twice as many Medals of Honour were awarded in World War II as VCs. Canadians won 16 VCs, three of them earned in British forces.
Some 1,354 VCs have been awarded since the medal's inception in the 1856 Crimean War. Three have won the VC twice -- two medical officers who rescued wounded under fire, one an infantry officer -- and New Zealander Charles Upham in Crete and North Africa in World War II.
Fourteen have won the Medal of Honour twice -- one of them was Tom Custer in the U.S. Civil War (brother of Gen. George Custer of Little Bighorn infamy), who won his before he was old enough to vote.
MOST DECORATED SOLDIER
Of 3,461 Medals of Honour that have been awarded, 1,522 were given in the Civil War, when standards were lower; 124 were awarded in World War I, 131 in Korea (where two VCs were awarded), 245 for Vietnam, and 426 during the Indian wars in the American west, including 20 for the massacre at Wounded Knee (for shame!)
Audie Murphy was America's most decorated soldier in World War II, winning every American bravery award.
In Korea and Vietnam, when the bar was lowered, Lt. Col. David Hackworth, who died at age 74, had two Distinguished Service Crosses, 10 Silver Stars, eight Bronze Stars and eight Purple Hearts. Talk about diluting bravery!
Canada is traditionally chary with valour awards.
In Afghanistan, our soldiers have been awarded more American decorations than Canadian. As far as I know, only two Canadians in Afghanistan have been awarded the new Star of Courage, our second highest valour award (next to our VC which has never been won).
When it comes to service medals, few countries can match Canada. In total, we award -- not counting World War I, World War II or Korea -- over 120 medals and decorations. We still have a way to go match the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, where the U.S. army awarded more decorations than there were soldiers who invaded.
Today, some balance has returned -- depending on the medal.
"We still have a way to go match the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, where the U.S. army awarded more decorations than there were soldiers who invaded."
this made me wonder a lot, guess some staff officers needed something to polish besides boots?
Canada earns medal for being tight-fisted
By PETER WORTHINGTON
In his publication The Rice Paddy, aimed mostly to "entertain and inform" Korean War veterans, Winnipeg publisher/editor Mike Czuboka (himself a Korean vet), compares the merits of the Victoria Cross with the U.S. Medal of Honour.
Both are the most prestigious valour awards given by each country -- though the VC is harder to win and more highly regarded.
Czuboka reprints a Time magazine story questioning why so few Medals of Honour have been awarded in the Iraq war which, for Americans, has now lasted longer than World War I.
In World War II, 464 Medals of Honour were awarded, while in Iraq only two have been given so far. If the same restrictive standards of Iraq had applied to the 16 million Americans who served on the Armed Forces in World War II, only 30 Medals of Honour would have been awarded in World War II, according to Time.
As for America's second highest bravery award -- the Distinguished Service Cross -- 8,716 were awarded in World War II, and so far only 26 in Iraq.
Canadian veterans have long noted the U.S. has traditionally been more generous (if not lavish) with valour awards than Canadian or British forces. This seems to be changing in the U.S. for the highest awards.
Where it comes apart is in the "minor" or mid-level valour awards in Iraq. An extraordinary 52,000 Bronze Stars have been awarded -- including 30 to the first Canadian battalion of the Princess Pats to serve in Afghanistan -- four of them (with the "V" for Valour insignia on the ribbon) to our snipers who served with the Americans, and the rest of the Bronze Stars going to senior officers and NCO (Non-Commissioned Officers) of that battalion, with none to the rank and file.
Medals are a curious fixation among soldiers.
It was the Duke of Newcastle in 1855 who noted: "The value attached by soldiers to a little bit of ribbon is such as to render any danger insignificant." Napoleon, too, remarked on how "little bits of ribbon" could motivate soldiers to fight bravely.
On a per capita basis, twice as many Medals of Honour were awarded in World War II as VCs. Canadians won 16 VCs, three of them earned in British forces.
Some 1,354 VCs have been awarded since the medal's inception in the 1856 Crimean War. Three have won the VC twice -- two medical officers who rescued wounded under fire, one an infantry officer -- and New Zealander Charles Upham in Crete and North Africa in World War II.
Fourteen have won the Medal of Honour twice -- one of them was Tom Custer in the U.S. Civil War (brother of Gen. George Custer of Little Bighorn infamy), who won his before he was old enough to vote.
MOST DECORATED SOLDIER
Of 3,461 Medals of Honour that have been awarded, 1,522 were given in the Civil War, when standards were lower; 124 were awarded in World War I, 131 in Korea (where two VCs were awarded), 245 for Vietnam, and 426 during the Indian wars in the American west, including 20 for the massacre at Wounded Knee (for shame!)
Audie Murphy was America's most decorated soldier in World War II, winning every American bravery award.
In Korea and Vietnam, when the bar was lowered, Lt. Col. David Hackworth, who died at age 74, had two Distinguished Service Crosses, 10 Silver Stars, eight Bronze Stars and eight Purple Hearts. Talk about diluting bravery!
Canada is traditionally chary with valour awards.
In Afghanistan, our soldiers have been awarded more American decorations than Canadian. As far as I know, only two Canadians in Afghanistan have been awarded the new Star of Courage, our second highest valour award (next to our VC which has never been won).
When it comes to service medals, few countries can match Canada. In total, we award -- not counting World War I, World War II or Korea -- over 120 medals and decorations. We still have a way to go match the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, where the U.S. army awarded more decorations than there were soldiers who invaded.
Today, some balance has returned -- depending on the medal.
"We still have a way to go match the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, where the U.S. army awarded more decorations than there were soldiers who invaded."
this made me wonder a lot, guess some staff officers needed something to polish besides boots?
