General Mattis Bronze Star with V

[Foul Mike]

There have been, over the years, a lot of "Snuffies" "Grunts" mostly in or around the rank of E-2 or 3 to E-5 that earned those Medals the hard way. Balls on the line and killing people or saving others.

General Mattis has one too. How or what did he do to earn that?

 

[NY700]

From the encyclopedia britannica. I can’t find more specifics than this

lieutenant colonel, he deployed to the Persian Gulf as a part of Operation Desert Shield and commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, in the Persian Gulf War. As one of the lead assault elements of the 1st Marine Division’s Regimental Combat Team 7 (Task Force Ripper), Mattis’s battalion was one of the first into Kuwait. Mattis was awarded a Bronze Star for valour, and upon his promotion to colonel he received one of the Marine Corps’s highest, if lesser known, honours—Edson’s Eagles, the rank insignia first worn by the legendary Marine Raider commander Merritt (“Red Mike”) Edson, which is bestowed upon the colonel who best exemplifies Edson’s fighting spirit. Mattis wore Edson’s Eagles from 1995 until his promotion to brigadier general in 1997, at which point he passed the insignia on to another colonel

 

[diggler1833]

The "V" at least denotes that he did something aside from kissing ass. There were a slew of O-4 and O-5s running around the Pentagon with Bronze stars and no combat distinguishing device when I was there. Had one O-4 friend who did have a "V" there, and he damn sure called them out on it each time one of them started talking about their medal.

I think that the Bronze Star has unfortunately become much more of a promotion tool over the past decade. It seems like quite a few field grades up for the next rank or command end up getting one on a joint billet somewhere...which really saddens me as some guys did some really heroic stuff for theirs.

Have a former Marine buddy who got out after 8 and joined the Guard. He got one for tearing down the FOB and moving back to Kuwait. Not a round fired on that deployment...can't make that shit up.

 

[Foul Mike]

I guess I am asking about this as there were a lot of grunts who actually earned them. Blood, Sweat and Tears.
Yet there is a Suit who never actually fired a round in Action, Gettin wit'em.???

I feel it is an affront to the people who actually earned them with bullets flying, grenades going off, saving others, and not just a Badge that Lifers carry.

I have no Doggie in this fight. but I sure as Hell hate Lifers that take away what that Medal actually means.

Were they an Officer it would probably have been boosted up to a Silver Star.

 

[Snipe260]

There politics in war, hero’s, sports stars and all sorts of things! A lot of it not earned and lies! But you can guarantee when the little man gets something, he fuckin earned it and then some!

 

[diggler1833]

I have no dog in the fight either. I never received a Bronze Star, nor did I do anything to rate one. To be honest, you don't have to even be in combat to get one. Silver Star does require it though.

I'd go on more about this but I'd need a few beers, and nobody really gives a shit what I think anyway (nor should they need to).

 

[Huskydriver]

Every e7 and 01 and above who just simply deploys in a leadership role now gets a bsm....

 

[theLBC]

my dad got one in korea. he didn't display it or talk about it, but he did explain how he got it one time.
dad said some small group had gotten lost and stuck "behind enemy lines" and his unit was sent to fetch them.
my dad said he didn't even know who he was going after at the time.
he said if it wasn't a colonel, he probably wouldn't have gotten the medal for something they were doing every day (fighting and dying).

 

[hunter1959]

my father was part of the 3rd Army under Patton going across France, into Germany, 5th Infantry Division... one of three of his original company to come out of the war alive.... fought in 5 campaigns... he was awarded two Bronze, one with V device, Silver Star and Purple Heart with three clusters... he is no longer with us, but did tell me more about the experience toward the end of his life... he in fact did tell me that many many infantry men, particularly career officers in particular USMA graduates were given the Bronze just for being on the ground during the march across Europe.. rear echelon staff

 

[Sniperwannabee]

mattis started out as enlisted and moved his way all the way up... so hes legit

 

[theLBC]

mattis started out as enlisted and moved his way all the way up... so hes legit

he's a legit soldier, but he's an ignorant warmongering fucktard and every war he has participated in as an officer involved in decision making at the highest levels have been clusterfucks. btw, he was getting rich while telling everyone to keep the wars going because we're really close to turning the middle east into a democratic paradise.
seriously, would you put anyone in charge of things in afghanistan in charge of another war?

 

[Stevo86]

my father was part of the 3rd Army under Patton going across France, into Germany, 5th Infantry Division... one of three of his original company to come out of the war alive.... fought in 5 campaigns... he was awarded two Bronze, one with V device, Silver Star and Purple Heart with three clusters... he is no longer with us, but did tell me more about the experience toward the end of his life... he in fact did tell me that many many infantry men, particularly career officers in particular USMA graduates were given the Bronze just for being on the ground during the march across Europe.. rear echelon staff

My grandfather was with the 5th also. 4 BS, 2 PH. I’ve never seen any of them, just what I read in his discharge papers. Never heard him say a word about it, unfortunately he suffered greatly from his wounds, frostbite and his experiences. I can’t imagine the things he saw. Lost him in 1995. I miss him very much.

 

[kinguule]

mattis started out as enlisted and moved his way all the way up... so hes legit

No Mattis was never enlisted, he graduated high school in 1969 went to college that same year where he enlisted into the Marine Corps Officer Training course and graduated a 2nd Lt in 1972

 

[jb0311]

I remember sometime after my first deployment they gathered the entire battalion together for an awards ceremony. As usual, none of us knew what was going on. It turns out it was for one of the chaps. Bronze star for “exposing himself to the RISK of fire on several occasions to visit platoons to encourage morale”. Basically he received his bronze star for the risk of experiencing a fraction of what all of us actually experienced on a weekly basis. That was my first real idea of how little these medals can mean. For what we got NAMs for they (officers) would get silvers. Honestly not even sure where mine are anymore. I think at my parents. Means more to them than me.

 

[tomcatmv]

Not being having been in the military myself (though did work as a civvie nuke contractor for the Navy for a couple years) I have wondered about this too. I live in Belton TX next to Ft. Hood and two of my neighbors have Bronze Star license plates and you can't drive around Belton, Temple or Killeen for five minutes without seeing a bunch more.

 

[hunter1959]

it is now the equivalent of a participation trophy for U-8 soccer.... it not until you get to the point of at least a "V" device that it stands up

 

[army_eod]

Bronze star is a participation award. Don't mean shit.

 

[IrishWind]

I did have a Navy Captain CO sporting his. He earned it in Aviano, Italy helping pick targets in Serbia for the Kosovo conflict in the late 90s. Dude never left Italy the whole time. And I was present when an Army O-5 received his in Afghanistan. I just arrived in country and at first thought it was something cool to witness. After the ceremony the shop I was in was pissed off. Found out the LTC wormed his way in country to have 'combat leadership' but spent the entire three months there behind a computer buying shit on Amazon with the deployment bonuses we all earned. And I was told the command wanted to deny his BSM, but didn't want a precedent set because they were worried they might not get theirs.

But not all BSMs are jokes. My year in Iraq was on a Transition Team. My Iraqi counterparts were not friendlies. Most of the officers were 'Iraqis' in the day and I had to play nice with them, but at night they were full on Badr Corp assholes. And the enlisted were loyal to Muqtada al Sadr. Considering some of the BS we put up with on top of the everyday dangers of just being there, I still am amazed I made it home. I might not have a V device on my BSM, but it is backed up with a Combat Action Ribbon. Rockets, mortars, IEDs, ect. 1/3 of our team also received Purple Hearts during our time in country.

 

[DocRDS]

Mattis by most accounts (and since he got involved in politics, you always find someone who wants to trash them) is/was a stand up Marine who was not just a suit.

The guy was a near saint pre- Sec-Def in the Veteran Humor page on Facebook (for what that's worth). He was one of the few generals I was aware of before they got "famous". I mean there is a lot of BS awards to go around, it doesn't appear like he asked for it, used it to get ahead, but was instead one of the better officers our country produced.

He's retired. Let it go.

There are pletny of BS awards handed out, chasing a Bronze Star from a solid Marine is a waste of time.

 

[Victory]

If there is No V device attached, starting from the first gulf war and on, it’s a participation award for officers and senior enlisted.

 

[Soulezoo]

If there is No V device attached, starting from the first gulf war and on, it’s a participation award for officers and senior enlisted.

You are exactly right.

 

[Foul Mike]

Bronze star can be awarded for both Valor and meritorious service.
In RVN if a PFC or Spec/4 had one with a V, he had done something to get it. If it was awarded to someone in the lower enlisted, drafted, ranks it meant something. If it was an Officer or senior enlisted that did the exact same thing it was at the very least a Silver Star, probably higher.
If it was on an Officer or higher enlisted rank it was very questionable as to how they got it and most were Bull Shit, punch my ticket type things.

I also saw Army Commendation Medals[Green Hornets} with a V awarded to lower enlisted when during the same action some Lifer EM or Officer who was hundreds of meters away from the actual fight and never busted a cap get Silver Stars or better depending on rank.
Made me love them, the OD cocksuckers.

 

[norcalAF]

I personally know of a E8 Air Force guy who got a BSM for painting a mural while deployed. He was a sack of shit stateside as well.

 

[Foul Mike]

In my OP my original question is still the same.

What did Gen. Mattis do to earn his BSM-V? It must be on the internet somewhere but I can't find it.

To all of the recipients of those Medals and ALL Medals;

You know what you did to get it, NO one can take that from you.

If you earned it the hard way, wear it with Pride.

If you just got your ticket punched to go up the ranks, wear it, but Shame on You.