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Article: Limited Medals of Honor for Iraq, Afghanistan wars
- Article from:
- Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque)
- Article date:
- August 2, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque). Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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WASHINGTON - Eight years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. About
4,000 members of the U.S. military killed in action. More than
34,000 wounded. Just six considered worthy of America's highest
military award for battlefield valor.
For some veterans and members of Congress, that last number
doesn't add up.
They question how so few Medals of Honor - all awarded
posthumously - could be bestowed for wars of such magnitude and
duration.
Pentagon officials say the nature of war has changed. Laser-
guided missiles destroy enemy positions without putting soldiers in
harm's way. Insurgents deploy roadside bombs rather than engage in
firefights they're certain to lose.
Those explanations don't tell the ...