By: Dale Weckbacher
John 15:13
3 Greater love has no
one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
NKJV
In honor of those who have fallen and given their lives to
preserve our freedoms, I wanted to get this Wednesday’s post out early. I believe the scripture in John 15:13 is
probably the best description there is of why some men and women choose to
serve and risk their lives for their fellow citizens. On this Memorial Day, let us take a few
minutes off from our barbecues, celebrations, and remember those that paid the
ultimate sacrifice of love in order to preserve our liberties.
Unfortunately, in many ways our nation has fallen short in
its duty to honor these brave heroes as evidenced by the recent VA scandal and
the failure of our government to lend aide to those that perished in
Benghazi. However, there are other
things our nation does do that bring honor to these heroes and insure their
brave efforts are remembered. One of
these things is the awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The bestowing of what we call the Medal of Honor today was
the result of legislation signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on July
12, 1862 and was initially created for the Civil War. The award is intended for noncommissioned
officers and privates who “shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry
in action, and other soldier like qualities.”
The award was later made permanent in 1863. (1)
The first recipient of the Medal of Honor came because of
heroic efforts in what has come to be called the Great Locomotive Chase during
the Civil War. Brigadier General Ormsby
Mitchel, commanding Union troops in central Tennessee was planning an advance
on Huntsville Alabama but lacked sufficient forces to block any Confederate
counterattacks from Atlanta Georgia.
This is because Confederate reinforcements could quickly move in using
the Western & Atlantic Railroad. (2)
Aware of this issue, civilian scout James J. Andrews
proposed a plan to steal a locomotive, destroying tracks and bridges in their
wake. After receiving approval for his
plan from General Mitchel, Andrews selected 22 men along with experienced
engineers William Knight, Wilson Brown, and John Wilson. Andrews directed them to meet in Marietta
Georgia by midnight on April 10. (2)
The plan was for the men to slip through Confederate lines
with the story they were seeking a Confederate unit in which to enlist. All but two of the men arrived at their
destination on April 11. Their instructions
were to board the train and do nothing until the train reached Big Shanty. They were then to seize the locomotive and
uncouple most of the train cars.
After the passengers had disembarked for breakfast in Big
Shanty, Andrews and his men boarded the train, uncoupled all of the passenger
cars, and pulled out of Big Shanty. The
plan was for them to have sufficient lead-time because the train station at Big
Shanty did not have a telegraph and would be unable to alert Confederate troops
about the train heist until they could ride to Marietta Georgia. However, after seeing the train depart Big
Shanty, Fuller and other members of the train’s crew began running after it and
were able to secure a handcar. Thus, the
Great Locomotive Chase began.
Unfortunately, Andrew’s plan failed with the capture of his
entire raiding party by Confederate forces.
Andrews and seven others from his raiding party were hanged. Of the remaining men, eight managed to
escape. Many of the members of Andrew’s
raiding party were among the first to receive the new Congressional Medal of
Honor. Although this mission failed, 1862
was a banner year for Union Forces as General Grant won the battle of Shiloh
and Flag Officer David G. Farragut captured New Orleans. (2)
The most recent recipient of the Medal of Honor is Staff
Sargent Ty Carter. Carter was one of 54
members of B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment
charged with defending Outpost Keating in Nuristan Provence Iraq. On October 3, 2009, the base came under
attack by enemy machine gun and rocket fire as more than 400 fighters attempted
to overrun the base. (3)
Then Specialist Carter joined his fellow soldiers on the
perimeter but then ran back to gather up necessary supplies despite enemy
fire. It was then that Carter noticed
fellow soldier Specialist Stephan L. Mace had been wounded. While fellow soldier Larson provided cover
fire from a nearby Humvee, Carter tended to Mace’s wounds. Realizing he would be unable to carry both
his weapon and Mace, Carter returned to Larson’s Humvee, left his weapon, and
while Larson provided cover fire, returned to Mace carrying him back to the
Humvee. Carter then returned to
firing. (3)
Both of these stories illustrate the uncommon valor and
courage of these special individuals who out of love willingly risk their lives
for their fellow citizens. Thankfully,
we still award the Medal of Honor to these special people but we must also take
care of them when they return injured or suffer from diseases as they get
older. Not that these individuals do
what they do expecting some reward or handout from their fellow citizens but as
a way to reward them for their special love and commitment to us.
Join me today in taking a moment to remember these heroes
and also say a special prayer for the families of those who have lost someone
giving the ultimate sacrifice for us.
1. U.S. Department of Defense. A Brief History
- The Medal of Honor. www.defense.gov. [Online] U.S. Department of
Defense. [Cited: May 26, 2014.]
http://www.defense.gov/faq/pis/med_of_honor.aspx.
2. Hickman, Kennedy.
American Civil War: Great Locomotive Chase. militaryhistory.about.com. [Online]
About.com. [Cited: May 26, 2014.]
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/CivilWarEast1862/p/American-Civil-War-Great-Locomotive-Chase.htm.
3. Ingersoll, Paul
Szoldra and Geoffrey. Here's What Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter Did To Earn The
Medal Of Honor. www.businessinsider.com. [Online] Business Insider,
August 27, 2013. [Cited: May 26, 2014.]
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-ty-carter-earned-medal-of-honor-2013-8.
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