Posted on Nov 4, 2020
Details below: would the following actions qualify for a Medal of Honor?
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This is research for a novel, so bear with me, please.
Soldier on an Air Force plane. The airplane is officially doing a bombing run, but the classified portion of the mission is for the Soldier to parachute from the bomb bay after dropping ordnance. Antiaircraft fire kills the pilot and mortally wounds the copilot, among other Servicemembers.
Soldier gives first aid to the wounded Servicemembers while still under heavy fire, and when he feels the plane losing control he runs to the cockpit and takes over the flying — he has a civilian pilot's license. He completes the bombing portion of the mission and flies the plane back to the base, coordinating first aid efforts and working to save the copilot while he flies.
Would he get the Medal of Honor?
Could it be an Air Force Medal of Honor?
What plausibility issues do you see?
What would you change in this story to make it more believable or to ensure the character would get the Air Force Medal of Honor?
Soldier on an Air Force plane. The airplane is officially doing a bombing run, but the classified portion of the mission is for the Soldier to parachute from the bomb bay after dropping ordnance. Antiaircraft fire kills the pilot and mortally wounds the copilot, among other Servicemembers.
Soldier gives first aid to the wounded Servicemembers while still under heavy fire, and when he feels the plane losing control he runs to the cockpit and takes over the flying — he has a civilian pilot's license. He completes the bombing portion of the mission and flies the plane back to the base, coordinating first aid efforts and working to save the copilot while he flies.
Would he get the Medal of Honor?
Could it be an Air Force Medal of Honor?
What plausibility issues do you see?
What would you change in this story to make it more believable or to ensure the character would get the Air Force Medal of Honor?
Medal of Honor
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Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 16
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You're missing crucial information for this decision. Was the Soldiers MEDPRO's green? Are they SSD/DLC complete? Have they completed their 350-1 training? Have they ever walked across the grass? What was their last APFT score? Are they doing community service? Is all their online training done?
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SFC Michael Hasbun
SFC Bill Snyder - by "woke" do you mean not being a racist, misoginyst or extremist?
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SFC (Join to see)
SFC Bill Snyder - Way to revive a year old thread...also what "woke" training did the CJCS "prescribe?" I keep hearing about the military being "required" to take "woke" training but I have yet to be told to attend anything like that. Strange how I only hear about this from retirees or veterans.
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What about the soldier's TS mission, now aborted? Is the window of opportunity missed or will another high risk mission be needed to insert him? Was saving the plane and surviving crew more critical that his mission?
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SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA
Good points there. I'll have to figure that out somehow. Any suggestions? Politics are on his side, in this case.
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Very interesting scenario and if in fact this was a true story, I would would have say yes! Giving first aid to the wounded while receiving heavy fire and then giving first aid to the co-pilot and bringing the plane back safely would be a task very difficult to perform under those circumstances. He not only saved the lives of the wounded soldiers in the plane and the wounded co-pilot, he also took over the plane and flew back to safety! I would consider the MOH to be appropriate under the described scenario.
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SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA
Thank you. This is a fictional account, but further research has revealed that there are a few WW II citations that are similar to what I'm working on.
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CPT Mike McMunn
SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA - If you haven't already take a peak at the Medal of Honor citations for Lt. Walter Truemper and Sgt. Archie Mathies and the story of B-17G "Ten Horsepower." The full story can be found on the internet. Two MOH's on the same crew and it was the most highly decorated B-17 crew in the Eighth Air Force. Not exactly the same scenario but highly dramatic with two non-pilots flying a crippled plane.
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SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA
CPT Mike McMunn - since someone suggested reading AF MoH citations, I looked through all the WW II ones, and those caught my eye. Thank you for pointing them out.
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