Medal of Honor and other 'uncommon valor'

Every week I struggle to find a subject for this column that is interesting with a particular focus on military or veteran's issues. Often that search for a subject has led me to the story of one soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or Coast Guardsman who has displayed courage "above and beyond" what is expected. Two things should always be kept in mind when reading these stories. Firstly, these heroes were individuals whose duties took them into horrible situations of danger, death, and destruction and which did not, in spite of the threat to themselves, divert this troop from fighting on or secondly, from the purpose of saving the lives of others. Sometimes those actions are witnessed and documented and a recommendation for an award is upgraded to the Medal of Honor (MOH) as those reports of actions are forwarded through lower commanders and up the chain of command.

The regulations and procedures for the award of the MOH are very specific and there are many members of the military whose actions in combat should qualify them for the award except for a failure in the processes. I see the award of the MOH as an honor to the awardee as well as a reminder to us that courage is displayed much more often than most realize. On the Marine memorial at the military cemetery in Arlington, VA. a quote is engraved to honor Marines killed in action, but it is also descriptive of many other service members whose actions have gone unrecognized.

That quote by Admiral Chester Nimitz specifically referred to the fighting by Marines on Iwo Jima in World War II and it is "uncommon valor was a common virtue." The Marines have adopted this as representative of the Corps, but it is fitting that behind it are hundreds of grave sites of veterans and military members from all branches.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.