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Valor Friday

| November 15, 2024 | 5 Comments
Valor Friday

We’ve highlighted the delayed awarding of high valor awards many times. The American awards system is nothing if not malleable to the whims of later generations that seek to right the wrongs of the past. The British (and by extension Commonwealth) system of awards and decorations is much more rigid. The British system is complex, […]

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Valor Friday

| November 8, 2024 | 8 Comments
Valor Friday

This week must be another re-post, but as we are nearing the 106th anniversary of the end of World War I, we’re gonna re-look at the tragic death of Henry Gunther. An American, he was the last official casualty of World War I. He died one minute before the Armistice ended the war 102 years […]

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Valor Friday

| November 1, 2024 | 10 Comments
Valor Friday

As I spent all yesterday going between doctor’s appointments (would you believe I slipped a disc in my back from playing pickleball?) and dealing with trick or treaters, this week’s article will be a repeat. Robert Femoyer’s incredible act of gallantry is worth repeating. There’s even a nexus to Halloween, as yesterday would be his […]

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Valor Friday

| October 25, 2024 | 10 Comments
Valor Friday

This week brought sad news of the death of John Kinsel Sr. He was one of the last surviving Navajo Code Talker. The Code Talkers weren’t all Navajo, but they were the most famous. Some of the languages other than Navajo that were used were Lakota, Meskwaki, Mohawk, Comanche, Tlingit, Hopi, Cree, and Crow. Code […]

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Valor Friday

| October 18, 2024 | 12 Comments
Valor Friday

Pictured above is Master Sergeant Ernest J Kouma. As you can see from the silk blue ribbon and five-point star hanging around his neck, he received the Medal of Honor. If you know your US Army uniform history you can date the photo to a short period of time around the Korean War, which is […]

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Valor Friday

| October 4, 2024 | 4 Comments
Valor Friday

I’ve explored the complicated British system of awards and decorations before. Even after having delved into it for several years, it’s still confusing. The Brits have both medals as well as dynastic and fraternal orders. The orders come in various grades, with the upper grades generally coming in the form of a knighthood which grants […]

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Valor Friday

| September 27, 2024 | 6 Comments
Valor Friday

One group of American heroes that I have yet to dive deeply into are those in the submarine service. World War I proved the effectiveness of submarines, but subs saw their most devastating use in WWII, with the German U-Boats being a scourge on convoy traffic in the North Atlantic. They were also critical for […]

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Woodson’s widow receives his posthumous DSC

| September 25, 2024 | 10 Comments
Woodson’s widow receives his posthumous DSC

You’ll remember the name Waverly Woodson from my past Valor Friday article on him, and more recently when we got word his long delayed posthumous Bronze Star Medal w/ “V” for Valor was announced as being upgraded to a DSC. Yesterday, Woodson’s widow and generations of his descendants were present to receive his Distinguished Service […]

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