Marine Stripped Of His Purple Heart

[Barrett808]

(Merrillville -- January 9, 2005) (AP) -- A marine who earned a Purple Heart after he nearly died in a humvee crash in iraq has been stripped of the medal because the military determined his injuries were not combat-related.

First lieutenant Dustin Ferrell learned last month that his Purple Heart had been revoked because the March 2003 crash has been ruled a simple traffic accident. The 27-year-old says service men and women wounded in combat zones deserve the medals.

In March 2003, the Notre Dame graduate was riding with two Lance Corporals in a humvee driven by a 22-year-old army sergeant when the vehicle hit another humvee on a dark desert road, killing the driver and seriously injuring Ferrell and the corporals.

Ferrell, who nearly died, ended up losing 14 teeth, almost half the vision in one eye and still has pain in his hip.

(more)

http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2784937&nav=0Ra7UzWH

[shoelace414]

1. driving in blackout condtions..

is war related

[DulceDecorum]

28. DoD wants to stick him with the medical bill -- that's all

VA Healthcare / VA General
Based on a public law – the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act – passed last year by Congress, veterans who have earned the Purple Heart medal now receive fast service and save money when they access VA health care. Under the new system, the minimum classification for Purple Heart veterans is priority group 3, resulting in quicker access to health care. Before the change, Purple Heart recipients often were place in priority groups 4 through 7. Additionally, veterans making over $27,000 per year typically have to pay a $50 co-payment per each outpatient visit. Purple Heart recipients must no longer make those co-payments, regardless of income.
http://www.defensehealth.net/updatearchive/9100.htm

Reimburse verified Purple Heart recipients for any medical care co-payments that were made on or after November 30, 1999. This does not include pharmacy co-payments. There must also be verifiable evidence on file that you received the Purple Heart Award before the reimbursement will be made.
http://www.phoenix.med.va.gov/benefits.html

[regularjoe]

37. That policy seems to me to make sure that really (media) visible cases

such as soldiers injured in heroic instances, will always be given adequate care. The less (media) visible cases will be passed over by public view and left to suffer alone. If the system has problems, fix it for everyone, not just people with medals.

[saigon68]

39. Another way to Fuck the troops

Yes indeed you are coreect. More profits for Halliburton and the bush criminals.

[NYC]

43. That explains it.

Thank you.

[Supersedeas]

52. RUMMI is just showing his APPRECIATION

[tjdee]

2. It's their fuckup, he should keep it.

That's why you investigate things right the FIRST time!

[0007]

24. Absolutely!

[spotbird]

3. What's up with that?

Strange.

[underpants]

4. Sorry son after further review O'Neill and Corsi say we have to take it

back. Better luck next time now go get 'em tiger.

[Parche]

33. purple heart

His has been replaced with a purple bandaid, thank the Republicans

[MidwestTransplant]

5. All of these injuries and deaths are a result of Bush's hostile action.

[Prodemsouth]

6. This is to help Bush.. Attempting to make this charge about Kerry not

earning purple hearts look legit. But expect Kerry to only sit there in the Senate and smile stupidly.. He can't be bothered he is playing Chess.

[Ernesto]

7. He must not be a "team player"

I knew a Marine suck ass that got a heart for tripping over a tent stake in Nam. Poor guy scuffed his elbow!

[acmavm]

8. I think it's long past time that we start sending the sons and daughters

of the neos over there. This administration has the gall to take a purple heart from this guy and almost every single one of them took the chickenshit way out when it was their turn. Hell, one of them even went AWOL.

[HawkerHurricane]

9. Must be a registered Democrat.

since anyone who's a Democrat faked his injuries.

[flamingpie2500]

10. So I suppose the dead driver gets no benefits either?

[0007]

25. His family probably has to pay the Army for the destroyed vehicle.

[jonnyblitz]

29. something similar actually happened to somebody in New York

my friend forwarded me an article I no longer have. Some army guy lost his arm and the government sent him a bill for $6,000.00 damage to government property that occured during the explosion that caused his limb loss. In the end he didn't have to pay apparently.

[VegasWolf]

11. Wonder what awol would have done in that situation? n/t

[miss_kitty]

12. He wouldn't have been in that accident

If he wasn't serving his country. The assclowns running the show really need to show up in a battle zone in the same equipment the reserves get.

Shameful and embarrasing.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

14. We can hand out country's highest civilian medals to Tenet & Co.

like the honors are M & M's but a kid who was injured in a war zone had his purple heart revoked? Can this administration, this pentagon, this bunch of yahoos get any worse? Unfortunately, I believe they can and it scares the hell out of me.

[tblue37]

13. Whenever things like this happen,

we need to make sure the news really gets around. Write letters to the editor, call radio stations, etc. We need to make sure this administration's callousness toward soldiers, especially injured and killed soldiers, is widely known.

E-mail this news to Drudge, even, since the MSM gets all their news from Drudge and then echo-chambers it around.

[tblue37]

21. OK--I submitted this story

to Drudge, Steve Gilliard, Josh Marshall, David Hackworth, and the Smirking Chimp message board (in case SC posters want to spread it around, too).

Feel free to submit again to the ones I have already submitted to. Multiply submitted stories are more likely to get their attention.

Tell the world, guys.

[Eloriel]

15. Gee, what a morale builder. n/t

[diamond14]

16. My Dad got a WWII purple heart for tripping upon exit from his airplane

he piloted bombing runs from England to Germany for the U.S. Army Air Corps.....on one run, after returning to England, Dad got off his plane and TRIPPED onto the tarmac, resulting in a BROKEN big toe...anyhow, they taped it up and he went on flying, with a PURPLE HEART for his war injury....the Purple Heart was PROUDLY DISPLAYED in a frame on the wall throughout my childhood....

[Catchawave]

38. I guess the rules have changed since WWII .....

Max Cleland didn't get a Purple Heart and he lost 3 limbs, which was the result of an accident, not combat related?

I think the rules are very specific now. Which should make Kerry's all the more precious?

[Cooley Hurd]

42. Your father is a hero, anyway...

Flying daylight bombing runs into Germany during WW2 was, as you know, really dangerous!

:toast: to your Dad!

[diamond14]

47. Dad was HAUNTED by what he did...killing thousands of innocents

by dropping BOMBS on them from the air....he was young and DRAFTED for WWII....he died in 2002 at the age of 80....but during his old age, Dad had continuous nightmares, waking up screaming haunted from the souls of those he killed....

he went to church ALL THE TIME, to pray for God's forgiveness...

it was my MOM, who put his purple heart, photo of his WWII crew, and a military uniformed picture of DAD on the wall in our house...she hoped it would help him realize that he was a HERO....sadly, he was just a common murderer, killing innocents in the name of OUR government....

[spooked]

17. Kerry, go give him one of yours..a true leader

n/t

[Prodemsouth]

18. Good idea- if Kerry wants to be seen as a true leader. I would not hold

my breath. That might not be polite, and we all know by now that is the most important thing to Kerry. Appearing polite.. responding to idiocy with "dignified" silence.

[diamond14]

19. No, let us Patriots make certain that this Marine gets his Purple Heart

back....

we won't take this.....


it's a thinly disguished attempt by the pentagoon to manipulate statistics and push the COSTS of this Marine's MEDICAL CARE (physical and mental) out of the Veteran's Administration 'WAR-WOUND' catagory.....bush* doesn't want to pay for all that DENTAL work and facial reconstruction, so bush* just shoves these people out onto the streets...

come to DC, you can find LOTS of these Veterans lying on the sidewalk homeless, right outside OUR White House....

[spooked]

34. You are right, and this Marine is a believing Christian

How can they turn there backs on him?

"...the article said the Marine communicated to Army chaplain Col. David McLean that he wanted to pray."

http://www.nd.edu/~observer/03272003/News/5.html

[riverwalker]

20. but Tenet, Franks and Bremer get Medal of Freedom? n/t

[MADem]

23. Right before Tenet takes it up the wazoo....!

The news is about to bust out full-bore that he is the designated scapegoat. Problem is, he still has friends at the farm, and that place will probably leak like a sieve if they come down on him too hard. Already I am hearing noises about the "Manson Group" (the group of analysts who were tasked with going after UBL, that some others derided as crazy as Charles Manson and his followers, because a good chunk of the farm hands didn't think the threat was as serious as it turned out to be...). It will get interesting, and probably very ugly, before it all shakes out...

[brentspeak]

27. The irony is sickening n/t

[imax2268]

22. so what about Tenet...

are they going to take his medal away to...

[brentspeak]

26. He got these injuries because he was driving in a war-zone

The military makes it sound as if this exact auto accident would have occured in the civilian world.

Silly me -- I didn't know that driving around war-zone Iraq is no more dangerous than driving around downtown Main Street, Indiana... :mad:

[kskiska]

30. Maybe he could wear a Purple Heart band-aid?

I'm sure the freeps wouldn't mind.

[spooked]

32. There ya go!

I'm sure that's just what they'd like to do.

[Bouncy Ball]

31. Criteria for the awarding of the Purple Heart

(too many men in my family have this medal, and thus can never run for President)

The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of an Armed Force or any civilian national of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after 5 April 1917, has been wounded or killed, or who has died or may hereafter die after being wounded
(1) In any action against an enemy of the United States.

(2) In any action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which the Armed Forces of the United States are or have been engaged.

(3) While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

(4) As a result of an act of any such enemy of opposing armed forces.

(S) As the result of an act of any hostile foreign force.

(6) After 28 March 1973, as a result of an international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of the Army, or jointly by the Secretaries of the separate armed Services concerned if persons from more than one service are wounded in the attack.

(7) After 28 March 1973, as a result of military operations while serving outside the territory of the United States as part of a peacekeeping force.

When contemplating an award of this decoration, the key issue that commanders must take into consideration is the degree to which the enemy caused the injury. The fact that the proposed recipient was participating in direct or indirect combat operations is a necessary prerequisite, but is not sole justification for award.

(4) Examples of enemy-related injuries which clearly justify award of the Purple Heart are as follows:

(a) Injury caused by enemy bullet, shrapnel, or other projectile created by enemy action.

(b) Injury caused by enemy placed mine or trap.

(c) Injury caused by enemy released chemical, biological or nuclear agent.

(d) Injury caused by vehicle or aircraft accident resulting from enemy fire.

(e) Concussion injuries caused as a result of enemy generated explosions.

(5) Examples of injuries or wounds which clearly do not qualify for award of the Purple Heart are as follows:

(a) Frostbite or trench foot injuries.

(b) Heat stroke.

(c) Food poisoning not caused by enemy agents.

(d) Chemical, biological, or nuclear agents not released by the enemy.

(e) Battle fatigue.

(f) Disease not directly caused by enemy agents.

(g) Accidents, to include explosive, aircraft, vehicular, and other accidental wounding not related to or caused by enemy action.

(h) Self-inflicted wounds, except when in the heat of battle, and not involving gross negligence.

(i) Post traumatic stress disorders.

(j) Jump injuries not caused by enemy action.

(6) It is not intended that such a strict interpretation of the requirement for the wound or injury to be caused by direct result of hostile action be taken that it would preclude the award being made to deserving personnel. Commanders must also take into consideration, the circumstances surrounding an injury, even if it appears to meet the criteria. Note the following examples:

(a) In case such as an individual injured while making a parachute landing from an aircraft that had been brought down enemy fire; or, an individual injured as a result of a vehicle accident caused by enemy fire, the decision will be made in favor of the individual and the award will be made.

(b) Individuals wounded or killed as a result of "friendly fire" in the "heat of battle" will be awarded the Purple Heart as long as the "friendly" projectile or agent was released with the full intent of inflicting damage or destroying enemy troops or equipment.

(c) Individuals injured as a result of their own negligence; for example, driving or walking through an unauthorized area known to have been mined or placed off limits or searching for or picking up unexploded munitions as war souvenirs, will not be awarded the Purple Heart as they clearly were not injured as a result of enemy action, but rather by their own negligence.

TECHNICALLY, I'm not sure he did qualify for a Purple Heart, BUT I think if the Marines have issued it, they should NOT rescind it. What a slap in the face. "Oooops, sorry, give that back." Sheesh. Just let him keep it. Be more careful about awarding it.

[bahrbearian]

35. Can you get Purple Heart for friendly fire?

[othermeans]

50. They gave Tillman one. nt

[Zech Marquis]

36. 14 teeth, half vision in 1 eye, injured hip

according to the Freeps, this Marine only needs a band aid :eyes:

what type of fucked up logic is THIS?!

[Santa Cruz]

40. The word will

get out among the troops, perhaps we will see anarchy.

[llmart]

41. Did he vote for Bush?

Then all I can say is "so sorry." You thought this administration cared about the soldiers? You were suckered.

If he voted for Kerry, than I truly feel sorry for him.

[Skittles]

44. I'M SORRY, THE CARD SAYS "MOOPS"

WTF IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE??? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

[Neoma]

45. sad...

[daleo]

46. They were afraid he might run for president one day, for the wrong party.

Thus, they had to demean his purple heart now, before some fat cow in a future Republican convention could get a chance.

[Laurab]

48. So?

Is this how they support the troops? I sometimes think I can't get any more disgusted by this administration, but I'm learning my disgust is limitless.

[othermeans]

49. If he runs for public office they'll just make fun of him. nt

[The_Casual_Observer]

51. The guy is the victim of the state of denial that exists about what

the US is doing in Iraq. They want to minimize the war aspect of the war at any opportunity. I imagine that it is very hard to get awards like that in Iraq.