Murtha threatened commandant to obtain Purple Heart for wounded kid

[Rose Siding]

In a chat, Milbank transcribed Murtha's remarks where he departed from the prepared text:

snip>
There's one other kid lost both of his hands, blinded. I was praising him, saying how proud we were of him and how much we appreciate his service to the country. "Anything I can do for you?"

His mother said, "Get him a Purple Heart."

I said, "What do you mean, get him a Purple Heart?"

He had been wounded in taking care of bomblets -- these bomblets that they drop that they have to dismantle.

< MURTHA >: And he had been wounded and lost both his hands. The kid behind him was killed.

His mother said, because they were friendly bomblets, they wouldn't give him a Purple Heart.

I met with the commandant. I said, "If you don't give him a Purple Heart, I'll give him one of mine." And they gave him a Purple Heart.

http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/003102.html

[TomInTib]

1. I am at a loss for words. Dedicated losers get Freedom Medals

and the soldiers get the shaft.

[sui generis]

2. see. Murtha IS evil. That's all the proof you need.

Someone alert the Swiftboaters and tell them that Murtha personally blew up a kid who asked for a purple heart by using a friendly bomblet.

:evilgrin:

Seriously though, you know some swiftfreak is going to come out of the woodwork and accuse Murtha of fragging someone or some equally nasty thing.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Thanks for posting this, Rose.

[LynneSin]

4. I read that article elsewhere on DU and I started crying

:cry:

[Solly Mack]

5. Good for Murtha!!!

It's not an uncommon story. Wounded soldiers denied Purple Hearts because they were wounded or maimed by "friendly" action.

A soldier I know hit by a HUGE truck in Iraq. He was run over at a check point he was working. He died on the spot, revived by medics. Rushed back to Kuwait, out to Germany and then over to Reed in a matter of hours - the doctors at Reed thought they were carrying in another dead soldier he was mangled so badly. Then he mumbled.

Wounded from head to toe. Both legs mangled, internal injuries throughout, ribs cracked and broken, one arm shattered, the other arm broken. Plates in his head had shifted from the impact of the truck and the landing.

No Purple Heart.

Denied

It was a "friendly" that struck him with the truck.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

6. It's amazing they call it friendly fire

I don't think someone "On your side" would be firing at you. Maybe they're really really stupid, but still, I think they waive the right to be "On the side of their forces" when they start killing their own.

Isn't military training enough, these days, to show people accidentally or purposely what to and what not to fire at?

[Brotherjohn]

7. "I'll give him one of mine" is a threat? (nt)

[Rose Siding]

8. Muscled? Strong armed? Pressured?

But I think "threat" is accurate: If you don't do this, I'll do that :shrug:

[Nordmadr]

9. I'll bet he would give him on of his, and then be very public

about it in an attempt to shame those denying him. Definitely threatening if you are trying to avoid bad press and not look "anti-troop".

Olaf

[Brotherjohn]

10. Yes, in that light, I could see it as threatening.

But perfectly justifiable.

I thought the OP was pointing out that some swiftboaters were trying to say Murtha physically "threatened" a superior, rather than just stood up to a superior in defense of a wounded soldier. If they are trying to smear him with this, good luck!

[Rose Siding]

12. I thought it was admirable, not a smear at all

Sorry for the confusion! :)

[Brotherjohn]

14. My bad. I was reading about the "swiftboating" of Murtha earlier...

...and I thought they were now saying he was "insubordinate".

[achtung_circus]

11. Army regulation here.

<http://www.americal.org/awards/ph.htm>

There seems to be lattitude in the case of situations not specifically covered. Anyone who would not use this lattitude to OK the award should be declared unfit to command anything but a latrine.

[texpatriot2004]

13. Exactly! I absolutley agree. nm