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I am forwarding this from a former USAF source Came across a report from the Gannett News Service that alleges a Medal of Honor recipient (one "earns" the medal, never "wins" it) is in Iraq as part of the pro-Saddam appeaser crowd. (I do READ all sources.) That said, I went to the official list of Medal of Honor holders and find an Angelo J. LITEKY, but no Charles or "Charlie." Could be the same guy, but note the citation reads he was a Chaplain, not a warrior, brave none-the-less, but not a trigger-puller. So. . .a) this guy is NOT the Angelo Liteky that earned the medal and is a liar (and not the first one to claim the Medal of Honor), or b) he is the guy, but one must keep in mind he's a Chaplain, not a warrior, so his appeasement action is no great surprise. (And, by the way, IF he is the guy, and if he uses his identification with the medal as some sort of qualifier, he would be stepped on by all the other recipients who do support military action. Additionally, Medal holders remain out of politics, as a tradition. So if this is the guy, he is tarnishing the history and tradition of the Medal. . .a Medal dedicated to selfless sacrifice. Oh, one last thing. There is NO "Congressional" Medal of Honor. It is the Medal of Honor. Those in the military know this, as apparently news reporters do not, as they always call it the "congressional" Medal of Honor. Congress pays no role in awarding the medal. "The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Generally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress, it is often called the Congressional Medal of Honor." <http://www.cmohs.org/medal.htm> http://www.cmohs.org/medal.htm Thought you might find useful, just to dispel the mistaken impression that he was some Rambo-type that had "seen the light," as it were. LITEKY, ANGELO J. Rank and organization: Chaplain (Capt.), U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 199th Infantry Brigade. place and date: Near Phuoc-Lac, Bien Hoa province, Republic of Vietnam, 6 December 1967 . Entered service at: Fort Hamilton, N.Y. Born: 14 February 1931, Washington, D.C. Citation: Chaplain Liteky distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while serving with Company A, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. He was participating in a search and destroy operation when Company A came under intense fire from a battalion size enemy force. Momentarily stunned from the immediate encounter that ensued, the men hugged the ground for cover. Observing 2 wounded men, Chaplain Liteky moved to within 15 meters of an enemy machine gun position to reach them, placing himself between the enemy and the wounded men. When there was a brief respite in the fighting, he managed to drag them to the relative safety of the landing zone. Inspired by his courageous actions, the company rallied and began placing a heavy volume of fire upon the enemy's positions. In a magnificent display of courage and leadership, Chaplain Liteky began moving upright through the enemy fire, administering last rites to the dying and evacuating the wounded. Noticing another trapped and seriously wounded man, Chaplain Liteky crawled to his aid. Realizing that the wounded man was too heavy to carry, he rolled on his back, placed the man on his chest and through sheer determination and fortitude crawled back to the landing zone using his elbows and heels to push himself along. pausing for breath momentarily, he returned to the action and came upon a man entangled in the dense, thorny underbrush. Once more intense enemy fire was directed at him, but Chaplain Liteky stood his ground and calmly broke the vines and carried the man to the landing zone for evacuation. On several occasions when the landing zone was under small arms and rocket fire, Chaplain Liteky stood up in the face of hostile fire and personally directed the medivac helicopters into and out of the area. With the wounded safely evacuated, Chaplain Liteky returned to the perimeter, constantly encouraging and inspiring the men. Upon the unit's relief on the morning of 7 December 1967, it was discovered that despite painful wounds in the neck and foot, Chaplain Liteky had personally carried over 20 men to the landing zone for evacuation during the savage fighting. Through his indomitable inspiration and heroic actions, Chaplain Liteky saved the lives of a number of his comrades and enabled the company to repulse the enemy. Chaplain Liteky's actions reflect great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army. --- End Forwarded Message --- ---------------------- Dr. Eric Herring Department of Politics University of Bristol 10 Priory Road Bristol BS8 1TU England, UK Office tel. +44-(0)117-928-8582 Mobile tel. +44-(0)7771-966608 Fax +44-(0)117-973-2133 eric.herring@bristol.ac.uk http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Politics http://www.ericherring.com/ Network of Activist Scholars of Politics and International Relations (NASPIR) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naspir/ [ Converted text/html to text/plain ] [ Quoted Message Removed at the Request of Eric Herring ] _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. 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