There seems to be a growing tendency to push the military to award decorations – especially the Congressional Medal of Honor – to troops that may have been overlooked by the military’s medal-awarding process. The latest is a effort by the Idaho congressional delegation and governor to award a hometown hero the nation’s top award for military valor.
It’s a slippery slope. The military certainly doesn’t have a perfect record when it comes to declaring heroes. But it is a single institution that has been recognizing notable battlefield achievements for more than two centuries. There is something just a little off when politicians get involved in the quest.