Military trivia question

[Alpo 3,075]

Actually two. Medal of Honor.

 

You salute the Medal. So if a Private had the Medal, a General would salute him.

 

How about the highest ranking military officer in the country - the Commander-in-Chief? Does he salute you, or do you salute him?

 

When I first started thinking this, I thought, "Even 5-stars - Omar, Doug... Wait a minute. MacArthur had the Medal."

 

Hmmm. If two recipients of the Medal meet, standard customs of the service apply? A Captain without meets a Private with, and salutes the Private, because he's saluting the Medal, not the man. But if a Captain with meets a Private with, the Private salutes, because the two Medals cancel each other out, leaving you with a Private meeting a Captain?

 

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 1,248]

23 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Actually two. Medal of Honor.

 

You salute the Medal. So if a Private had the Medal, a General would salute him.

 

How about the highest ranking military officer in the country - the Commander-in-Chief? Does he salute you, or do you salute him?

 

When I first started thinking this, I thought, "Even 5-stars - Omar, Doug... Wait a minute. MacArthur had the Medal."

 

Hmmm. If two recipients of the Medal meet, standard customs of the service apply? A Captain without meets a Private with, and salutes the Private, because he's saluting the Medal, not the man. But if a Captain with meets a Private with, the Private salutes, because the two Medals cancel each other out, leaving you with a Private meeting a Captain?

 

I understand what you are asking, Alpo. But I do not think either would cancel the other, just enhance the other. 

[Utah Bob #35998 8,486]

There is no requirement to salute the MOH. It is a courtesy and sign of respect. Rank still prevails. The private would salute a commissioned officer but the officer might  salute first if he knew of the award. These days with combat uniforms rather than dress uniforms being the common duty wear you wouldn’t know if the soldier was a MOH recipient or not unless you knew him personally. 

This should help.

https://www.stripes.com/blogs-archive/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/must-all-troops-salute-medal-of-honor-recipients-1.125849#.XLuasIpMGhA

[Perro Del Diablo 784]

The salute is sign of honor. When a recipient is saluted he is being honored for his actions. 

[Wapaloosie73 765]

I think all officers and enlisted should bow and kiss the MOH recipients medal. Or one bow for each medal. Or something.

 

 

Its a big deal. 

 

 

[Utah Bob #35998 8,486]

1 hour ago, Wapaloosie73 said:

I think all officers and enlisted should bow and kiss the MOH recipients medal. Or one bow for each medal. Or something.

 

 

Its a big deal. 

 

 

Well deserved but.....It would make the recipient extremely uncomfortable. I have known a few. They were humble humble, unassuming men who accepted the award on behalf of their fallen brothers.

[Wapaloosie73 765]

9 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Well deserved but.....It would make the recipient extremely uncomfortable. I have known a few. They were humble humble, unassuming men who accepted the award on behalf of their fallen brothers.

 

Understood.

 

But this nation needs the doers on a pedestal. Not the system we have now. 

 

Ive only ever been a volunteer firefighter. And that is bad enough.