The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-07-18
FOR. REAL HEROES
Uncle Sans Great Military Prize,
the Medal of Honor.
NOT WON BY MERE BRAVERY.
u Takes . Decd Of Almost superhu-
man FsarIes.ne.s TO Gain This Gen.
stsd, Badge, thee Hardest to Wini 'ofi
All National War Decorations. toat

All National War Decorations. toat \
Hardest to gain, fewest in numbers,
the, least known Of the military decora-'
TOD Of honors of the world" sums up
the medal of honor OF the United States,
the bit Of ribbon and the piece of metal
that are SO eagerly coveted and highly
priced by the soldiers and sailors Of
Uncle Sam. ill.,
When you see man with the incon-
spicuous bronze star pinned to his coat
by blue ribbon on which are thirteen
white stars you may know thai he has
done deed that has placed his life In
such jeopardy that escape from it was
nearly miracle.
The medal of honor was first author
lied by congress in 1862 and was for
n0ncommissioned officers and privates
only. But in the following year the
law was changed to extend the award
to commissioned officers also. In all
about 1900 of the medals were pre-.
scented for services in the war between
the, states, and It is remarkable fact,
that SO. per cent Of them went to pri-
yata soldiers. ~ -. ~ tss g#g4 4
J. In its present form the medal OF
honor IS. Alive pointed star with a;
medallion In. 1.-THE center bearing the
head Of Minerva and around it/'Unit-
ed, States of:GAmerlca" iii relief. On
each ray of the star Is an oak leaf, and
the points themselves are trefoil shap-
ed. A laurel wreath iii green enamel
.encircles the whole. and this wreath is
surmounted by "Valor," which in turn
Is surmounted by an eagle that at
taches the decoration to its ribbon.
. Accompanying this medal there is a
badge, or lapel button, hexagonal and
made OF blue silk with the thirteen
original stars in white. The army
medal is represented by a small blue
button studded with stars, while the
navy medal is represented by small
red, white and blue bOwknot.
II 1t was not until 1897 that rcgula-
lions definitely enunciating the cOndi-
lions under which the medal should be
awarded were promulgated. They en-
phasized the difficulty of winning the
decoration and the great honor attach
Ing to It's possession. a e. 3rr !
Medals Of honor authorized by the |
act Of congress approved March 3,
1883" say the regulations, ARE award
ed to officers and enlisted men III the
name Of congress for particular deeds
of most distinguished gallantry in ac-
ton ton e IN ~ order that the congressional
medal Ofshonor may be deserved, serv-
ice must have been performed In ac-
ton OF such conspicuous character as
to distinguish clearly the man for gal
hntry and intrepidity above his com
fades, service that involved extreme
Jeopardy of life or the performance
OF extraordinarily hazardous duty.
Recommendations for the decoration
wilI he Judged by this standard Of ex-
tra0rdinary merit, and incontestible
proof OF performance Of tile service
viii be exacted.
Soldiers of the Union have ever
displayed bravery in battle, else VIC
tories could not have been gained. But
as courage and self sacrifice are the |
characteristics of every true soldier,
such q badge Of distinction as the con-
gressional medal is not to be expected
as the reward of conduct that does not |
clearly distinguish the soldier above |
other men whose bravery and gallan- |
try have been proved fl battle" =
In other words, the medal of honor !
Il q medal for superheroes, for men
who not only risk their lives in; some
extraordinary way, but who display |
such intelligence in the action that it |
stands out as something apart from |
conduct in the line Of duty. , ExectaYei
orders prescribe as follows the way |
In which the medal may be gained:
The recommendations must be pre- |
scented by some one other than the |
proposed recipient, one who is person
ally familiar with all the facts and |
circumstances claimed as justifying the
award, but the application may be
made by the one claiming to have |
earned it., in which case it will be in
the form of a deposition reciting a
narrative description Of the distinguish
ed service performed. Recommends
lions will be made by the commanding |
officer at the time Of the action or by |
I soldier or an officer having personal |
! cognizance>of the act for which the
badge Of honor Is claimed.
The regulations also provide for ex-
haustive examination of the circum-
/ stances in each case and for an inves-
/ tigation that removes every possibility
/ OF fraud. Af1idayits from witnesses
are required, and the system safeguard
/ ing the distinction is hedged about
with innumerable restrictions. 1t may
be taken for granted that man WHO
secures one of the coveted medals has
earned it with interest.-New York Sun.
Akron and Rubber. s~v |,
There are thirty or more rubber fac I
tories in and around Akron. Three Of
them are so vast that the visitor feels
bewilderment that merges into awe
as he follows his guide hour after hour
through titanic shops. These three
colossal plants are said to represent 70