Some Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom vs. The Medal of Honor
Donald Trump had this to say, read it carefully:
“I watched Sheldon sitting so proud in the White House when we gave Miriam the Presidential Medal of Freedom. That’s the highest award you can get as a civilian. It’s the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, but civilian version. It’s actually much better because everyone gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, they’re soldiers. They’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they are dead. She gets it and she’s a healthy, beautiful woman. And they’re rated equal, but she got the Presidential Medal of Freedom. [applause] And their rated equal.”
The person he is referring to is Meriam Adelson. She is exceptionally rich, with a net worth of $28 billion, mostly made the good old fashioned American way, by inheriting it. She likes to use that money for all causes Trump and has donated literally hundreds of millions of dollars to Trump and related campaigns and PACS for him. That’s what she did to earn her “equal” to the Medal of Honor Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Trump’s two final Presidential Medal of Honor recipients are also telling. They are Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam. They played golf. I’ll stipulate that they played golf very well. Trump chose January 7, 2021, the day after the siege of the Capitol, to give them this supposed equal honor to the Medal of Honor.
To give equal time I will also discuss the three most recent awardees of the Congressional Medal of Honor. They are Christopher Celiz, Alwyn Cashe and Earl Plumlee, given by President Biden in a joint ceremony on December 16, 2021.
Christopher Celiz: When The Medal of Honor was awarded to Sergeant First Class Celiz on December 16, 2021 he was not there to receive it. He died in combat on July 12, 2018. Accepting the award on his behalf was his widow, Katherine Celiz, and his daughter Shannon Celiz.
On the day of his death Christopher Celiz’s unit came under heavy fire in Afghanistan. Celiz exposed himself to enemy fire to retrieve a heavy weapon. With that weapon Celiz and his unit managed to create sufficient space to allow a helicopter to land to evacuate wounded. Celiz helped load wounded onto the helicopter as it began to take heavy fire. Celiz physically imposed himself between the incoming fire and the cockpit and returned fire. Celiz was shot, absorbing rounds that would have hit the helicopter. His last act was to order the helicopter crew to takeoff without him, saving them and wounded onboard.
Alwyn Cashe: Received his Medal of Honor in the same ceremony as Celiz, but he died much earlier, November 8, 2005. His widow, Tamara Cashe, accepted the award on his behalf. Originally awarded the Silver Star Cashe’s medal was upgraded to The Medal of Honor.
Sergeant First Class Cashe lost his own life saving the lives of six fellow soldiers. When his Bradley Fighting Vehicle struck a mine it became inflamed. Cashe got out of the vehicle but returned to extricate the driver who himself was in flames. After getting the driver out Cashe used his body to successfully snuff out the flames, but his fuel soaked uniform itself started to burn. Cashe suffered severe and painful burns but he went to the rear of the burning vehicle and evacuated five more soldiers from it. By now Cashe had suffered 2d and 3d degree burns on 72% of his body. He stayed to help the others wounded, and refused medical evacuation until all the other wounded soldiers had been evacuated. Cashe died from his burns.
Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee: Is the one recipient present to receive the Medal of Honor in that December 16, 2021 ceremony. On August 28, 2013 a massive explosion breached the wall of their base in Afghanistan. Enemy soldiers wearing explosive suicide vests poured through. With only his pistol for a weapon Plumlee sped to the scene and engaged multiple enemy soldiers, firing at them with his pistol as he advanced against many enemy soldiers alone. His actions allowed his unit to organize a counter-attack, with is actions credited with saving the base and hundreds of lives.
Regarding his award, Plumlee stated, that the Medal was “presented to me, but it’s by no means mine.”
I suppose these men could have played golf, but probably not very well. Christopher Celiz and Alwyn Cashe “bought” their awards, not with donations to a politician, but with the currency of their lives.
Donald Trump does not respect the military, and the sacrifices people like this make. He never did. A nation that honors people like Celiz, Cashe and Plumlee would not make someone like Donald Trump the Commander in Chief of others who wear the uniform.
