Readers of this blog are likely familiar with the famous Deuce Four unit out of Fort Lewis, WA.
One of their own, PFC Oscar Sanchez of Modesto, California, died just over a year and a month ago defending his post from a truck bomber in Mosul.Â
Sanchez shot at the driver of the oncoming truck, apparently forcing the bomber to detonate his explosives before he reached his target. Even that near-miss blast was powerful enough to wound more than a dozen soldiers. Had Sanchez not thwarted the attack, the butcher’s bill would likely have been far worse. Sanchez died the same day from wounds sustained in the explosion.
“At only 19-years old, with a young bride waiting at home for his return, Oscar Sanchez had everything to live for,†Kurilla told soldiers. “With everything to live for, Pfc. Sanchez laid down his life for his friends so that they may live.â€
–comments from Sanchez’ commander, Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla
According to this report, the Blue Star Mothers are pushing for PFC Sanchez to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Sounds right to me.
BTW…the correct term is simply the Medal of Honor. I realize that’s the way the story cited it, but that just proves that they need proofreaders who are more knowledgeable.
While, from the stories I’ve read, PFC Sanchez in my opinion, deserved more than a Bronze Star with V Device (if that, indeed, was for the action in which he was killed), I don’t think it meets MOH standards. Silver Star for sure, possibly Distinguished Service Cross.
I say this as someone who, in the process of teaching the Army Values to new recruits, has read plenty of citations for the MOH and DSC. In my opinion, even many of the deeds which earned DSCs were beyond what PFC Sanchez did.
I can’t say that I’m familiar with many 20th-century Medal of Honor citations (although I’m sure I’ve run into some over the years while reading about WWII, Korea, Vietnam) but a few years back I got about halfway through a book collecting Medal of Honor citations from the Civil War. The standards for the Medal may certainly have tightened since the 1860s, but I recall that a lot of those accounts showcased a similar level of bravery to PFC Sanchez’ actions.
Some of the Blue Star Mothers’ push seems to have a political motivation: their letter to the author of the report indicates that there’s only been one MOH awarded in the Iraq war, and they think there should be at least one more to silence the critics.
Mmmmm….. I hate to rain on anyone’s parade, but I can’t in good faith push for a MoH for this soldier. Silver Star with “V”? Sure. Medal of Honor? I dunno….. There’s a site dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients (sorry, don’t have the link handy right now) and if you read it name by name, it’s a list of actions that defy rational thinking. We’re talking people who were wounded and still managed to take out half of Hitler’s army single-handedly.
They guy was brave, no doubt about it, and I don’t want to piss on anyone’s parade. But the one MoH winner in OIF (SFC Smith) took out over fifty terrorists while saving his entire platoon from death. Anything less than that, I don’t know if I can agree with. The MoH is damn special.
I think some of the problem with the older MOH citations is just that they aren’t all that descriptive. I remember looking up the citation for a Navy officer whose grave I saw in a military cemetary in France. Last name was Osborne, don’t remember the first name. Noted on his gravestone were the MOH, the DSC (which, by reg, means one amazingly heroic action, and one separate one that wasn’t quite as heroic) plus the Croix de Guerre from the French. Turns out the dude was a dentist, of all things, assigned to the Marines. But the MOH citation was only about 5 sentences.
Compare that to the citation for MSG Roy P. Benevides, a Green Beret in Vietnam.
Oh, and there’s no such thing as a Silver Star with V. V device attachments are only done for Bronze Star and below. Silver Stars automatically must be for valor in combat. I seem to remember something in the recent past about some officer getting caught wearing one that way, when it didn’t exist.