About

Welcome to Licentia Loquendi, founded January 2009. L2 is a team blog that focuses primarily on political, military and Constitutional issues with a Conservative Christian slant. We are two college students, a Navy corpsman, an Army sniper and a Vietnam era Army veteran.

Each writer has free reign over postings. One writer's views are not necessarily the views of all writers.

26 March 2009

The Medal of Honor

"After Army Sgt. Travis Vendela was wounded in Iraq and lost his legs, the community came together to give the soldier and his fiancee, Tiffany Black, a free $30,000 wedding in Loveland" (Military Times).
It makes me happy to know that not only do we still have a strong sense of community, willing to help others, but also that this happened to a very deserving couple, in my opinion. The Vendelas' story will be featured this week on the Discovery Health channel.
Also, this wedding cost less than a year at my college.

"The number of Medal of Honor recipients from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can be counted on one hand. Each of the five acted spontaneously and heroically to save the lives of comrades. Each exemplified the medal's criteria of 'gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of one's own life above and beyond the call of duty.' And each was killed in action or died from wounds received in action" (Military Times). It is unfortunate that "it remains to be seen whether anyone will ever again earn a Medal of Honor and survive to accept it. With the exception of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, no other major conflict in modern military history has failed to produce a living recipient of the nation's highest award for valor. And no war has ever produced so few Medal of Honor -- or service cross -- recipients" (Military Times).
I firmly believe that Sgt. Rafael Peralta, who is also mentioned in the article, was deserving of the Medal of Honor. But despite the fact that both the commandant of the Marine Corps and the secretary of the Navy approved Peralta's nomination, the Pentagon rejected it (which, according to Military Times, may be due to "Peralta's onetime status as an illegal immigrant").
Though I do not condone illegal immigration, I feel that that should have no bearing on Peralta's (or any other Medal of Honor nominee) receival of the medal. Regardless of his past, the man sacrificed his life for his fellow Marines and his country. We who have not seen war have no right to judge those who have.

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