The Answer Isn't An NFL Player, Or "American Idol"
Winner...
Commentary By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
(Aero-News received the
following op-ed item Wednesday from Ms. Miles, whose reports about
military aviation frequently appear on the pages of ANN. Regardless
of where you may stand on US military involvement in places like
Iraq and Afghanistan, one can't deny the American servicemen and
servicewomen in those war zones truly deserve our respect and
admiration... which makes the following story rather humbling. And
no... this editor couldn't name them all, either, before seeing
this report.)
The challenge issued by a flight attendant during a recent
commercial air flight seemed innocuous enough: "Name just one of
the five Medal of Honor recipients from the current engagements in
Afghanistan or Iraq, and get a free drink coupon." But the
passengers' response -- more specifically, the inability of all but
just one to respond -- revealed how little the average American
knows about its military heroes.
Bombarded by superhero lore almost from birth, many Americans
grow to revere fictional heroes as well as sports and celebrity
icons. But silence descended over the cabin of a flight bound from
Jacksonville, FL to Baltimore when the conversation turned to those
who had earned the nation's highest honor for valor... even when a
free cocktail hung in the balance.
Dale Shelton, an Annapolis, MD, resident who served five years
as a Navy intelligence specialist, was the only passenger to press
the button over his seat to beckon the attendant. Shelton's
response: Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, the first Medal of
Honor recipient in the global war on terror and in Operation Iraqi
Freedom.
Smith received the highest military honor for valor posthumously
on April 3, 2005, two years to the day after saving more than 100
soldiers in the battle for Baghdad's airport. His young son and
widow accepted the award on his behalf during a solemn White House
ceremony.
The flight attendant gave free drink coupons to Shelton, as well
as his wife, Jean, and two other traveling companions. Then he
returned to crew area to announce over the intercom that only one
person had correctly answered the challenge.
This time, the attendant offered a second challenge: "Name an
'American Idol' winner." The cabin lit up like a pinball machine as
43 passengers scrambled to push their attendant call button.
Passengers named various Idol winners.
The attendant announced that he wasn't going to award drink
coupons for that answer, telling the passengers that "naming an
Idol winner was not worth a free drink," Shelton recalled.
"He concluded his announcement with
the question: 'What's wrong with our country when out of 150
passengers, only one can name a Medal of Honor recipient, but 43
can name an American Idol winner?'"
Later during the flight, Shelton shared with the attendant his
own frustration over "the current lack of appreciation of our
military heroes."
The attendant asked Shelton if he knew the names of the other
four Medal of Honor receipts from the current military operations.
Shelton said he was able to name three: Navy Lt. Michael Murphy,
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor and Army Spc. Ross
McGinness. All were killed sacrificing themselves to protect their
comrades during enemy attacks.
Murphy, a Navy SEAL, died June 28, 2005, trying to save his team
members during Operation Red Wing in Afghanistan. Monsoor, who
worked in Explosive Ordnance Disposal, died in Iraq on September
23, 2006, using his body to absorb a grenade blast that likely
would have killed two nearby SEALs and several Iraqi soldiers.
McGinnis died December 4, 2006, after throwing himself on a hand
grenade in Iraq to save four fellow soldiers when insurgents
attacked their Humvee.
Shelton said he regretted that he had forgotten the name of
Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham. Dunham died April 15, 2004, using his
body to shield fellow Marines in Iraq from a hand grenade.
The flight attendant didn't hold Shelton's memory lapse against
him. "He gave me all the remaining drink coupons he had in his
possession and shook my hand," he said.
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