Valor Database Launched

Doug Sterner writes to tell us that DoD has launched their Valor database of award recipients. It looks like so far, they’ve only recorded the Medal of Honor recipients by service. Which sounds about right for government employees. Doug sends us his remarks to NBC;

This is indeed a step in the right direction, a small step but as they say, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” There is much more that can and should be done, and my hope is that DoD will continue to expand on it so that no military hero is ever forgotten.

I do appreciate that this is being offered as a database of REAL heroes, not as some have called it, a “Stolen Valor database.” This is evident both in the url (valor.defense.gov) and in the text and layout of the website itself. My calls for this database have always centered around the need to preserve the history of our true heroes. That such a database WILL make it harder for so-called “stolen valor” to be perpetuated is an ancilliary benefit. This is, as it should be, a website designed to remind our country that despite the many bogus heroes we see and hear about all to frequently, men and women of TRUE valor exist, and it is them we honor by efforts to preserve their service, deeds, and sacrifice.

I am further encouraged that the template for this already lays a platform for including the Silver Star. These number fewer than 1,000 awards since 9/11, and respresent some of our finest men and women in service, thus it is appropriate that in the initial stage of this effort the Silver Stars are included. The Military Times Database (www.militarytimes.com/hallofvalor) already has the names of all but one of the 79 recipients of the Medal of Honor and service crosses since 9/11. We also have all or nearly all Marine and Air Force recipients of the Silver Star. But we’ve only been able to identify about 70% of the reported 655 Army Silver Star recipients. So forward momentum by DoD to identify the remainder is most welcomed.

I do note that this, at present, seems to be simply a LIST of award recipients. It is my hope that DoD’s in-progress efforts include subsequently linking to the citation for each award. A list is important, but makes this less of a roster of recipients and more of a “stolen valor” cross-check reference. What these men and women have done, the details of their actions contained within their citations, if first and foremost American history. Further, such a database should be able to answer the question decades from now, “What did grandpa do to get the Silver Star in Iraq.” Any such effort is less about the men and women who did receive the awards, most are humble and self-effacing, and more about preserving history for future generations.

That ARE some serious caveats in terms of the scope of the database, particularly as it applies to valor. For instance, the Army reports 309 Distinguished Flying Crosses awarded since 9/11. The other services combined probably double that number. The Air Force, when awarding the DFC, awards it with a “V” device denoting valor, but is the only service that does so. An Army or Navy DFC may be awarded for “heroism while participating in aerial flight” but is not awarded with a “V.” Obviously most DFCs are valor awards, even without the “V” denoted. Similarly, the Soldier’s Medal, Airman’s Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and Coast Guard Medal are awarded for “heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy.” These are low in precedence (above the Bronze Star but below the DFC), and are among the services’ rarest awards, far more rare than even the Silver Star. (Army HR reports a total of 148 Soldier’s Medals since 9/11.) These distinctive awards are not a combat valor award, but are among the most respected of all awards for heroism, often called the “non-combat Medal of Honor.” I would, at the least, hope plans are in process to include these awards in the near future.

DoD has thus far struggled to answer the question as to how far back and how low in precedence among the military awards to go. They have focused on awards since 9/11, which is good in that it first and foremost recognized the heroes of the current generation, upon whom the spotlight should rightly be focused. It is also good because the serious problems in record keeping is largely a post-1975 issue. The 1973 St. Louis fire often cited by DoD notwithstanding, it is far easier to compile and digitize data for pre-1975 awards than for those who served in Grenada, the Gulf War, Somalia, Pamama, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere since the end of the Vietnam War.

In fact, the Military Times Hall of Valor is currently at the least, 99% complete for ALL awards (including DFCs and the non-combat heroism awards) to ALL services from inception of our awards system until the beginning of World War II 1971. This part of the process has already been completed, save for the Citatation Stars what were later upgradable to the Silver Star. Of the estimated 15,000 to 20,000 of these awards, we have digitized and posted HALF, and I have in-hand the General Orders for an additional 30% or more of these awards. Having a complete database of EVERY U.S. Military Award from inception of our awards system to 1941 could be accomplished by four or five typists in a matter of weeks.

Obviously, WWII through Vietnam are a larger project, but the data exists to do this easily in three years with a well-trained data entry team at a cost of less than $10 million. That is less than the amount of VA fraud reported by Congressman Chaffetz in his hearing on the need for this database last February.

I applaud DoD for taking this first step. I only hope that they too, see this only as a first step in a long but important journey to preserving American history.

While I appreciate Doug’s optimism, I personally think it’s a piss-poor start for the government. If they had actually used all of the resources that the President mentioned that that they were using the other day, it seems they could have a lot more than this completed by now. And let’s see how long it takes for their next update.

Category: Stolen Valor Act