Army Sgt.1st Class Paul Ray Smith honored

[sho-dan]

:wave: how u doin
go ahead beat me up,it doesnt hurt ;)
on Monday,Paul Ray Smith's 11 yr.old son standing only chest-high to President Bush,accepted the highest award for valor for his late father,who exposed himself to enemy fire in Irag and saved at least 100 of his fellow U.S. soldiers
the Medal of Honor,outstanding.
full story here
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2005/20050405_493.html
and here,clic all the links
http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/index.html

[hypnotizeminds]

Very honorable. IMO, every soldier overseas right now deserves the Medal of Honor. Bush deserves a slap in the face from every relative of every one of those soldiers for sending them there in the first place if you ask me. :disgust:

Thanks for the links, sho-dan.

[dammit]

Well deserved..... but I can't help thinking..... did he not think about his family.... :upset: Should have been first I think?

[uripyores]

Makes me feel proud...[strange as I'm not an American]

[Vercades]

I wonder if those civilian truck drivers should be getting some kind of an award? Ahhh they get tons of money at the end of the year. I think that's plenty for them.

[oink]

did he not think about his family.... :upset: Should have been first I think?
I'm sure part of his heart was being torn apart, knowing he was risking not being there for his family and not seeing them again on this earth, all while he was doing what he felt he had to do at the time, for his country and brother soldiers. That is courage.

[hypnotizeminds]

That is courage.
IMO, that is courageous, but entirely not his responsibility. I don't feel anyone with a family should be over there fighting. I don't feel anyone should be there, but if someone's got to scratch Bush's itch (seeing as how he can't do it himself, so tied up with meeting with the leaders of all these countries were "helping" and all), I think it should be single bachelors, and NO mothers or fathers.

[Nick Grana]

Well deserved..... but I can't help thinking..... did he not think about his family.... :upset: Should have been first I think?
I must say that is the most (I can't even describe the words) statement I have ever seen/heard.
I was a combat vet in 'Nam. Although I do not agree with this war in Iraq, a soldier does his duty instinctively. When the bullets are flying, you stay in the moment. You can't take a moment to think about home. That second can mean life or death. If Sgt. Smith thought about anything but what he was doing at the time, he and a lot more soldiers would have been killed sooner.
I guess one has to be there to really understand what it is like.
I've been there and done that. I wouldn't shirk my duty and neither did Sgt. Smith.
Courage is overcoming the fear and doing what is necessary. Running away is not an option under those conditions.
Give the Medal of Honor to everyone? No sense there. There has to be something reserved for the best of the best, I expected no medals but a friendlier welcome home would have been my honor. All my medals were not worth that.

Seen the movie "To Hell and Back"? Real story of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WW ll. Google Audie Murphy and see what it takes to win the Medal Of Honor or just read the links referring to Sgt. Smith. He, and other Medal of Honor winners deserved that award. I'd prefer the medals handed to the individual personally and not posthumously but **it happens in war. FUBAR :raphael:

[uripyores]

I expected no medals but a friendlier welcome home would have been my honor. All my medals were not worth that.
All vietnam vets deserved better, and they would 've got better if it was up to me. These soldiers should be treated with great respect. [IMO]

[DELTREE]

I am a Vietnam Vet. 1 Inf. Div. 2/28 Inf. 1966.

First Sgt. Paul Ray Smith (TOP) had to do what he had to do!

GOD BLESS HIM and HIS FAMILY

I also know someone who gave his life and received the MOH.
These are the real heros.

[Nick Grana]

I am a Vietnam Vet. 1 Inf. Div. 2/28 Inf. 1966.
(Sgt. Smith was :fyi: Sergeant First Class, E7. "Top" was First Sergeant E8.
But I'm darn sure you knew this but misspoke. I have brainfarts all the time.;) )

Me too, grunt. Same time, same place. We, and thousands more, know exactly what our motto, 1st Infantry Division, stood and still stands for:
No Mission too difficult. No sacrifice too great. Duty first.
Sgt. Smith performed to this very high standard.
From the article: Smith “lived the Army values and was the embodiment of the warrior ethos. Paul Smith always placed the mission first (No Mission too difficult). He never accepted defeat; he never quit (No sacrifice too great); and he never left a fallen comrade (Duty first). He made the ultimate sacrifice to be true to his self.

My heart goes out to everyone killed in this war. (War???) What war?
Tell that to the fallen, Bush.
Yeah, I know we won the war and now trying to win the peace. B/S

Mission Accomplished
May 1, 2003
President Bush addressed the nation from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, late this afternoon and declared that America and her allies have prevailed in Iraq.

Keep telling that to Sgt. Smith's family and all the other fallen and wounded.

Hey people, it's almost May 1st, 2005. How much longer is this war, I mean, peace mission gonna last? As long as it takes? Another, B/S.

[DELTREE]

CORRECTION: SGT.FIRST CLASS he is still a HELL of a man!!

WAR IS HELL! AND IT WILL TAKE AS LONG AS IT TAKES!!

I HATE WAR! BUT WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO!!

Darth what unit where you with? I still keep in touch with a lot of the old BLACKLIONS.:wave: