Vietnam, Iraq wars contrasted 60s medal recipient weighs efforts, By RON MARTZ

Vietnam, Iraq wars contrasted 60s medal recipient weighs efforts, By
RON MARTZ

(EXCERPT) The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 02/25/04

When retired Army Col. Jack Jacobs looks at the war he fought in
Vietnam and the war now being fought in Iraq, he sees major
differences.

Jacobs, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for combat actions in
Vietnam nearly 36 years ago, sees differences in intent, intensity and
the soldiers fighting the war.

The soldiers of today are better educated, better trained and better
equipped than their fellow soldiers of the 1960s, Edwards said.

But the two groups are alike in one respect: "They are ordinary people
who have found themselves in extraordinary situations," he said.

That is also how Jacobs refers to the 116 Medal of Honor recipients,
including himself, whose stories are told in the book "Medal of Honor:
Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty" by Peter Collier.

Jacobs, 59, has been on a speaking tour in Georgia this week promoting
the book, which was published last year but already is in its fifth
printing. He will speak tonight at 7 to the UGA Club at the Atlanta
Financial Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Jacobs, a native of New York who now lives in New Jersey, was awarded
the Medal of Honor for...

U.S. and friendly nation laws prohibit fully reproducing
copyrighted material. In abidance with our laws this report
cannot be provided in its entirety. However, you can read it
in full today, 26 Feb 2004, at the following URL. (COMBINE
the following lines into your web browser.) The
subject/content of this report is not necessarily the
viewpoint of the distributing Library. This report is provided
for your information and discussion.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/0204/26honor.html

---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com

>Subject: Vietnam, Iraq wars contrasted 60s medal recipient weighs efforts, By
>RON MARTZ
>From: Otis Willie




Prior to World War II, many career officers never received a single medal, and
some officers viewed individual awards for commissioned officers as
inappropriate.

Even during the years of heavy fighting of World War II, medals were awarded
sparingly. Unfortunately, post-war demobilization led to intense competition
for retention in the active force. Officers quickly learned the value of awards
and began to "work the system" to get their tickets punched. This inflation of
awards exploded during the Korean War where it became routine for officers to
earn numerous awards for just doing their job.

Some rear-echelon officers would visit the front and write each other valor
awards for the trip. This led to disillusionment among enlisted men, who
suspected that some aggressive attacks were planned to justify awards for their
officers. Read the book "About Face" by Colonel David Hackworth for numerous
examples.

Award scandals became common during the next four decades. Although just
one general officer was killed in direct combat during the entire Vietnam war,
they awarded each other hundreds of medals for valor. After the 1983 Grenada
invasion, the Army awarded more medals than the total number of soldiers who
landed on the island. During the Persian Gulf war, the Navy awarded the Combat
Action Ribbon to every sailor aboard ship near Kuwait, while every GI ashore
earned a row of ribbons. Three soldiers who got lost in Kosovo and were taken
prisoner for a couple of months each received six awards. The corruption
reached a new low during the last year of the Clinton administration when the
Secretary of Defense awarded a medal to the President and his wife.

"DLovick195" wrote in message
news:20040226212054.20206.00000570@mb-m27.aol.com...
> >Subject: Vietnam, Iraq wars contrasted 60s medal recipient weighs
efforts, By
> >RON MARTZ
> >From: Otis Willie
>
>
>
>
> Prior to World War II, many career officers never received a single medal,
and
> some officers viewed individual awards for commissioned officers as
> inappropriate.
>
> Even during the years of heavy fighting of World War II, medals were
awarded
> sparingly. Unfortunately, post-war demobilization led to intense
competition
> for retention in the active force. Officers quickly learned the value of
awards
> and began to "work the system" to get their tickets punched. This
inflation of
> awards exploded during the Korean War where it became routine for officers
to
> earn numerous awards for just doing their job.
>
> Some rear-echelon officers would visit the front and write each other
valor
> awards for the trip. This led to disillusionment among enlisted men, who
> suspected that some aggressive attacks were planned to justify awards for
their
> officers. Read the book "About Face" by Colonel David Hackworth for
numerous
> examples.
>
> Award scandals became common during the next four decades. Although
just
> one general officer was killed in direct combat during the entire Vietnam
war,
> they awarded each other hundreds of medals for valor.

According to Stantons Order of Battle 12 General Officers lost their lives
in Vietnam. 7 due to hostile causes, 5 due to non-hostile causes

Army-Hostile
Major General - 2
Brigadier General - 2

Army Non-Hostile
Brigadier General - 3

Marines-Hostile
Major General - 1

Air Force-Hostile
Major General - 1
Brigadier General - 1

Air Force-Non Hostile
Major General - 1

Navy-Non Hostile
BG/Commodore - 1


--
Nigel Brooks

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 21:06:29 -0600, "Nigel Brooks"
wrote:

>Marines-Hostile
>Major General - 1

Major General Bruno A Hochmuth, formerly the CG of the Marine Corps
Recruit Depot, San Diego.

While in boot camp, I and another recruit were on field day, cleaning
up the company area when I heard somebody behind me ask how I was
doing. I turned around and there was General Hochmuth.

When I saluted, I was fortunate that I didn't slice the top of my head
off. In a voice that could be heard in Chicago, I replied, FINE
SIR!!!! After repeated attempts at a normal conversation, Gen Hochmuth
retired from the company area, leaving a thoroughly shaken recruit in
his wake.

>Subject: Re: Vietnam, Iraq wars contrasted 60s medal recipient weighs
>efforts, By RON MARTZ
>From: "Nigel Brooks"

In a courteius manner Nigel Brooks corrected Dlovicks bad stats.

Mea culpa. I probably should have done a better cross reference and wish I
could remember the reference website.

I didn't check with Shelby but took the 5 non hostiles as medical
(cardiac/stroke)
With a number of deaths in Iraq being contributed to chopper or motor
accidents. I just assumed that a number of death of Vietnam generals could have
been the result of human error. Blindly I accepted that only one died due to
direct combat.

FWIW
as for Art of War, what Stanton wrote about my unit could be summed up simply
....... not quite right, never happened and we were never there.

"DLovick195" wrote in message
news:20040227015311.20524.00000464@mb-m28.aol.com...
> >Subject: Re: Vietnam, Iraq wars contrasted 60s medal recipient weighs
> >efforts, By RON MARTZ
> >From: "Nigel Brooks"
>
> In a courteius manner Nigel Brooks corrected Dlovicks bad stats.
>
> Mea culpa. I probably should have done a better cross reference and wish
I
> could remember the reference website.
>
> I didn't check with Shelby but took the 5 non hostiles as medical
> (cardiac/stroke)
> With a number of deaths in Iraq being contributed to chopper or motor
> accidents. I just assumed that a number of death of Vietnam generals could
have
> been the result of human error. Blindly I accepted that only one died due
to
> direct combat.

The actual records show the following - three deaths as a result of non
hostile air crashes (I assume accidental), two deaths as a result of
illness/heart attack - and the rest (7) as a direct result of enemy action
(small arms or air crash)

BG Bond - Army - Hostile - Small Arms
BG Burdette - AirForce - Hostile - In Captivity -Air Crash
BG Casey - Army - Non Hostile - Air Crash - Posthumous Promotion
BG Girard - Army - Non Hostile - Illness
BG Moody - Army - Non Hostile - Heart Attack
07 Robinson - Navy - Non Hostile - Air Crash
BG Tillman - Army Hostile - Air Crash
MG Crumm - Air Force - Non Hostile - Air
MG Dillard - Army - Hostile - Air
MG Hockmuth - Marines - Hostile - Air
MG Ware - Army - Hostile - Air
MG Worley - Air Force - Hostile - Air

Source http://www.no-quarter.org/

Nigel Brooks