The system for dictating which personnel receive what when being interred has been in place for well over a century and guess what, it is rank based. RHIP has and always will exist no matter how much we disagree with aspects of it.

Rojo Diablo, the honorable Gen. Mac was very much a believer in separation between the ranks and about as elitist as a ring knocker could be so I don't understand your statement concerning his agreeing with you in the afterlife.

 

"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable."

Thorax

If this were peacetime when this issue came up I would say that is the way it is and forget about it.  But we are at war and I think the rules need to be modified.  I believe those who receive awards for valor in any conflict(how do you say a Soldier killed in OIF who is awarded a Silver Star deserves it when a Korean War vet who was awarded a DSC doesn't) receive full honors.  The fact is that the most senior officers and government officials who qualify will still get full honors.  The issue is for those who don't qualify as on a VIP.

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI.  One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS

NO SLACK!

My answer would be the reduced honors.

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI.  One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS

Well, I'll be honest, I haven't read a lot about him. But read this speech he gave to the Class of 62 at WP, and the way I interpret that, he has quite the affection for the American Soldier

http://www.angelfire.com/mi/MinutemanIII/macarthur.html

And to me, that is PFC D.I.T. Dirt....

And that doesn't contridict the fact he may have had that true 'ring-knocker' attitude. But that isn't what I'm arguing. I'm arguing the fact that someone killed in CONUS in an accident stacked up against someone killed in the FEBA......I'll bet he would agree with my position, regardless of rank. I mean, take rank away by saying both parties are Captains, instead of one of them......

But that is MY assessment.


......."If you dream about shooting me, you better wake up and apologize" Reservoir Dog

What should anger you more is crap like when the Kennedy brat was provided a burial at sea ahead of numerous Navy veterans... he was neither a veteran nor a public servent when he decided to fly unqualified at night under the influence and turn his aircraft into a submarine. He didn't rate being pissed on yet was given a high profile military funeral simply because of his circumstances of birth.

 

"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable."

Thorax

MacArthur was a very enigmatic character.  I highly, highly recommend the book "American Caesar" by William Manchester (a WWII Marine and one of the finest US Military writers ever.) 

Interesting that this topic came up now because I was just thinking of something from American Caesar.  As Manchester points out, MacArthur was very concerned with his public image and had his staff send him any newspaper clippings or radio transcripts from radio shows that talked about him.  He also talked to the press a lot. 

One evening in the Philippines, MacArthur had set up his headquarters in a large and ostentatious house, and two privates from the 11th Airborne Division somehow found the place and knocked on the door, wanting to talk to the General.  They were a little bit upset that the Airborne divisions in Europe were getting so much press but the MacArthur never seemed to talk about the 11th Airborne the way he talked about some of the other units, and they wanted to know why. 

Manchester points out that if this had happened to Ike, Ike would have simply had his orderly send the troops away.  Patton would certainly have had them arrested and thrown in the stockade for insubordination. 

But Mac invited them in, sat down and had tea with them, and explained that he didn't want to "talk up" the 11th because he planned on using them for future covert operations and he didn't want to reveal his capabilities to the Japanese.  The paratroopers were satisfied and went away happy. 

Mac was a general who ordered his commanders to strictly enforce uniform codes - which Mac himself almost always disregarded, often appearing in public in his khaki uniform with a hand-knitted scarf around his neck. 

Contrary to the "dugout Doug" slander, Mac's personal physician noted that Mac exposed himself to enemy fire (always unarmed and never wearing a helmet) so often that the doctor simply assumed that Mac was hoping to be killed in battle.  At the age of 70 Mac ordered the pilot of his unarmed aircraft to fly along the NK/Chinese border while under fire from antiaircraft guns. 

When US troops occupied Japan, Mac refused to issue a "no fraternization" order (such orders were in place in Europe until the 1950's.)  Mac said he wouldn't issue the order because he did not believe in issuing orders that would be disobeyed anyway. 

He was a very strange, enigmatic man.  He could be magnanimous and petty all within the same interaction. 

Okay, hijack off! 

Seriously, read the book!