SFC Alwyne Cashe and the MoH – Maybe We Can Help
I trust everyone reading this saw Jonn’s article about SFC Alwyne Cashe the other day. If not, you need follow the link and read it – now – along with the LA Times article to which Jonn links.
While I trust that the Army will eventually do the right thing, that’s not a lock. Even then, doing the right thing may take a long time unless there’s significant external interest in the matter.
With that latter, maybe there is something we can do to help.
One thing that the Five Sided Asylum seems to notice is inquiries from Congress. And one thing that Congress seems to notice is stuff that makes the mainstream press. Hell, most Members of Congress appear to pray daily at the Altar of the Media Gods.
Well, SFC Cashe’s story has now hit one of the larger media outlets. So, tell me: what do you suppose would happen if a large number of Congressional Representatives and Senators started receiving mail from their constituents consisting of a polite letter asking them to look into SFC Cashe’s case – with a copy of that article attached? (I’ve archived a copy in the event it ages off the LA Times’ website.)
I can’t say for sure whether that would make a difference. But I’d guess that if the Pentagon gets forty or fifty inquiries from different Representatives and Senators, they just might decide to move out smartly – if for no other reason than to “stop the pain”.
This link seems to be a good source of contact information for Members of Congress. (E-mail contact is found by clicking the state; you have to click individual names next to get “snail mail” addresses.) I’ve also taken the liberty of drafting a sample letter to Congress as a starting point. You can download the draft text for a letter here. You’ll need to format/alter it to suit your own ‘druthers and situation.
The above link for Congressional contact info has both electronic and USPS contact information. However, if you decide to send your Senators and/or Representative correspondence and can afford to do so, I’d suggest going the hardcopy route – or maybe doing both. I understand hardcopy still gets more “weight” in Congressional offices these days.
Again, this might or might not do any good. But IMO, it’s certainly worth a shot.
Category: Big Army, Big Pentagon, Military issues, Real Soldiers, Veterans Issues
Good letter, Hondo. SFC Cashe gave his life. We can give 15 minutes and the cost of an envelope and stamp.
Okay, I wrote.
Sent via email to all three…
I will be honored to send paper copies asap. Thank you for doing all of the leg work on this.
This is a great idea, Hondo.
Will do.
On its way, Hondo.
Done.
I’m wanting to include contact info for BG Brito in the letter, but I need to contact him first to get his permission. Anything to move the ball forward. Any way to do that without violating PERSEC?
Found this article at army.mil, dated 8JUL14.
From article:
“As of yet, Brito said the submission has not met Medal of Honor criteria, and said he does not know if it ever will.”
I don’t understand how this does not meet the criteria. Perhaps, the number of eye witness survivors, cited for corroboration, isn’t high enough?
I’ve written to General Brito and offered our support and he’s promised to keep us in the loop.
Ok.
Hello, General Brito HAS submitted his formal request for upgrade to the Medal of Honor to the Army Awards Branch. The family asks everyone to allow the Army Awards Branch the time to take action on this request and please to NOT contqct Members of Congress. Please message me if you would like.
Hondo, good move. here is my own response to my newly elected senator, Tom Cotton, who is a former combat infantry officer, one of the few in Congress.
****************************************************
Senator Cotton,
On October 17, 2005, in Iraq, a brave American NCO, SFC Alwyne Cashe, sacrificed his own life to save the lives of his men who were trapped in a burning Bradley while under small arms fire. SFC Cashe later succumbed to his wounds at the Brooke Burn Center. For his heroism, he was awarded a Silver Star.
His battalion commander at the time of Cashe’s heroism, now Brigadier General Gary Brito, is currently heading a campaign to have Cashe’s award for valor upgraded to the Medal of Honor. General Brito says at the time he approved the Silver Star award he was unaware of the full extent of Cashe’s actions and that if he had, he most certainly would have recommended Cashe for the higher award.
As a former combat infantryman in Vietnam, a constituent and a contributor to your campaign, I believe that your status as a former combat infantry officer and newly elected senator lends you a unique authority to work with the Department of Defense to correct this matter in favor of SFC Cashe and his family, as well as other issues affecting America’s military forces and her veterans.
Here is a link to the very recent LA Times article with a fuller accounting of this issue:
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-medal-of-honor-20141207-story.html#page=1
Thank you for your assistance and congratulations on your election to the Senate.
Sincerely,
Poetrooper
SSGT, 2nd Bn, 327th Airborne Infantry
Vietnam 65-66
****************************************************
And no, for you literalists out there, I didn’t sign it Poetrooper but with my name.
Some of you might want to consider writing to Cotton. As a newly elected senator he could use an issue to demonstrate his effectiveness and as a combat infantryman he is well-suited to champion military and veterans’ issues
Great letter.
I’ll send one to Rokita and my idiot Senators tomorrow.
Hondo…Thanks and good call. I have sent letters to both Senators and both local Congressmen.
Email and hard copies sent
On top of ABC list for tomorrow.
Been saving the world today against HVEs, racists, people who hate the CIA interview tactics and trans-national terrorists …
Oh and people like Bernath!
I’m there, but I’m not holding my breath that my Maryland representatives will be impressed.
This man deserves this medal. I am in awe of his courage.
Done. Our Senators in MO are a mixed bag but both are pretty supportive of the military.
It would be interesting if we all reported back what (if any) response we get. I followed Tom Cotton’s campaign the last couple months (I live close to the AR border)and he sure looks like someone worthy of the title Senator…hope he doesn’t dissapoint.
To All: please, on behalf of the Cashe family I ask that no letters concerning the award of the Medal of Honor to SFC Cashe be sent to Members of Congress. General Brito has submitted his formal request for upgrade to the Army Awards Branch and “outside pressure” could be harmful to our cause. Many thanks!