How Jim Webb Won the Navy Cross

[Coexist]

from PM at Daily Kos

The Navy Cross is presented to James H. Webb, Jr., First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company D, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam.

On 10 July 1969, while participating in a company-sized search and destroy operation deep in hostile territory, First Lieutenant Webb's platoon discovered a well-camouflaged bunker complex which appeared to be unoccupied. Deploying his men into defensive positions, First Lieutenant Webb was advancing to the first bunker when three enemy soldiers armed with hand grenades jumped out.

Reacting instantly, he grabbed the closest man and, brandishing his .45 caliber pistol at the others, apprehended all three of the soldiers.

Accompanied by one of his men, he then approached the second bunker and called for the enemy to surrender. When the hostile soldiers failed to answer him and threw a grenade which detonated dangerously close to him, First Lieutenant Webb detonated a claymore mine in the bunker aperture, accounting for two enemy casualties and disclosing the entrance to a tunnel.

Despite the smoke and debris from the explosion and the possibility of enemy soldiers hiding in the tunnel, he then conducted a thorough search which yielded several items of equipment and numerous documents containing valuable intelligence data. Continuing the assault, he approached a third bunker and was preparing to fire into it when the enemy threw another grenade.

Observing the grenade land dangerously close to his companion, First Lieutenant Webb simultaneously fired his weapon at the enemy, pushed the Marine away from the grenade, and shielded him from the explosion with his own body.

Although sustaining painful fragmentation wounds from the explosion, he managed to throw a grenade into the aperture and completely destroy the remaining bunker.

By his courage, aggressive leadership, and selfless devotion to duty, First Lieutenant Webb upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.

Thank you for your service, sir.

:patriot:

[w8liftinglady]

1. Is it a coincidence the veterans are running 3:1 as democrats?

This bravery and altruism is endemic in our party.

[Coexist]

4. is that stat really true?

that is amazing.

[texasleo]

5. same question

[w8liftinglady]

8. it may be more...all but one Iraq war vet is a dem.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1127-07.htm
http://capitaleye.org/inside.asp?ID=207
http://www.awolbush.com/whoserved.html
http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2005/10/iraq_vets_running_for_congress.html

[SouthernBelle82]

11. And don't forget

Vietnam vets too running. We had a guy here in Tennessee in my district run who was a vietnam vet and seemed to be pretty liberal and appeared at anti-war rally's and the like but he got defeated by a more conservative democrat in the primary's. :cry: I really liked the vet since he just kicked ass.

[Coexist]

17. thanks for the links - lets get our support for Webb on the greatest page!

[madokie]

6. The same can be said for honesty

for the most part the Democratic party are much more honest with us.

[blm]

13. Does the GOP have enough Purple Heart bandaids on hand?

Democrats wear the scars of battle - GOPs wear Purple Heart bandaids to mock their service.

[driver8]

22. Everytime I think of that woman with the purple band-aid on her fat face

I get so pissed off!

That was one of the most disgraceful things I have ever seen.

[Coexist]

24. me too.

for some reason I feel a flash of intense dislike when I see how the "support-our-troops-with-magnets" crowd dissing our vets.

[babylonsister]

2. Wow. I hope his constituents know about this. nt

[Squatch]

3. Sounds like something SGT York would do.

[FogerRox]

9. Sgt. York was alone, without any ammo, but that shows Webb has balls 4 sure....

[Coexist]

25. !

[FogerRox]

26. Yup,York bare handedly killed a German, took his gun

Killed more Germans, took their weapons & Ammo, ended up he caught or killed, something like a 80 or 100 Germans. There is an old B&W movie on York, very dry but interesting IIRC he was nearly a pacifist.

[Coexist]

27. oh my goodness, I have seen that movie

and did not know it was true.

He was a pacifist in the movie - but the army wanted him because he was such a sharp-shooter.

[Coexist]

7. kicking for Rush.

[w8liftinglady]

14. speaking of limpballs and the chickenhawks-check out this site

http://www.awolbush.com/whoserved.html

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert - avoided the draft, did not serve.
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey - avoided the draft, did not serve.
Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve (1). "So many minority youths had volunteered ... that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like himself."
House Majority Whip Roy Blunt - did not serve
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist - did not serve. (An impressive medical resume, but not such a friend to cats in Boston.)
Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, R-KY - did not serve (1)
Rick Santorum, R-PA, third ranking Republican in the Senate - did not serve. (1)
George Felix Allen, Republican Senator from Virginia - a supporter of Nixon and the Vietnam war, did not serve. (1)
Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott - avoided the draft, did not serve.


Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld - served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. (1) Served as President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East and met with Saddam Hussein twice in 1983 and 1984.
GW Bush - decided that a six-year Nat'l Guard commitment really means four years. Still says that he's "been to war." Huh?
VP Cheney - several deferments (1, 2), the last by marriage (in his own words, "had other priorities than military service") (1)
Former Att'y Gen. John Ashcroft - did not serve (1, 2); received seven deferment to teach business ed at SW Missouri State

Jeb Bush, Florida Governor - did not serve. (1)


Karl Rove - avoided the draft, did not serve (1), too busy being a Republican.

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich - avoided the draft, did not serve (1, 2)
Former President Ronald Reagan - due to poor eyesight, served in a noncombat role making movies for the Army in southern California during WWII. He later seems to have confused his role as an actor playing a tail gunner with the real thing.
"B-1" Bob Dornan - avoided Korean War combat duty by enrolling in college acting classes (Orange County Weekly article). Enlisted only after the fighting was over in Korea.
Phil Gramm - avoided the draft, did not serve, four (?) student deferments

[Coexist]

16. that is really cool.

[SouthernBelle82]

10. Wow

I'm very impressed. No wonder the rightwingers are smearing him. Is Webb the guy who used to work for Reagan? Or am I confusing him with someone?

[jrandom421]

18. Yeppers, as SecNav, and that's giving

the Republicans total headaches.

[underpants]

12. Damn

That's all I can say.

[w8liftinglady]

15. please rec 1 more time..

the fact that we have so many brave men and women running negates their claims that we are weak.

[blm]

20. got you covered

.

[leftofthedial]

19. I think it's time to question this obviously exaggerated record

Webb probably was never even IN Viet Nam and if he was, he was just there looking for undeserved medals.

Why, I have ten "witnesses" who used to be in the Marines who will swear that nothing like that could ever happen.


:sarcasm:




I admire no Americans more than Democratic veterans. :patriot:

[Coexist]

21. "While George Allen was busy vandalizing his own High School"

from Raising Kaine

"While George Allen was busy vandalizing his own High School, knocking down mail boxes and dragging his sister around by her hair, Jim Webb was literally knee deep in the rice paddies of Vietnam putting his life on the line for his country and showing true leadership and courage. In addition to the Navy Cross, Jim Webb earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts, while fighting for his country."

<snip>
"George Allen recently stole a Department of Defense appropriations amendment written, printed and prepared by Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill), and then announced the amendment as his own, moments before Durbin was prepared to introduce the amendment on the Senate floor."

:patriot:

[Fovea]

23. THat's over the top

and when I say 'over the top' I mean that in a WWI sense.

[Coexist]

28. .