A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.
By Michelle Eickmeyer
On June 19, 2013, Corporal William Carpenter became the 15th recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for service in Iraq or Afghanistan. It is the highest honor the United States government can bestow on a member of the armed forces.
Winston Churchill once said “never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few,” and the Congressional Medal of Honor is just one small, yet significant, way to honor those who have given much.
Awarded by the President of the United States, the Medal has been given to 3,488 men and 1 woman for extraordinary acts of courage and bravery in the face of certain danger. Fourteen brave men have the unbelievable and harrowing distinction of being double recipients. There are three versions of the medal, indicating the branch of service which the recipient is a member. (Admittedly, the medal represented in the photo above is not the same version which Corporal Carpenter was awarded.)
Here are five titles that look at the the Congressional Medal of Honor from different perspectives:
Cultural Sociology of Mental Illness: An A-to-Z Guide, 1st Edition. Sage Publications, 2014.
Generally, less people die from injuries sustained in war than in the past due to advancements in protective gear and medical treatments. As a result, however, more service men and women are dealing with the wounds of war for a lifetime. From chronic pain to PTSD, explore all aspects of these home-front battles.
Epic Civil War Battles, 1st Edition. Rourke Publishing, 2014
The first Medals of Honor were awarded to Civil War soldiers. Nearly half of all Medal recipients, 1,522, went to Civil War servicemen. Without the technological advances of “modern war,” the Civil War was a series long, bloody, hands-on battles. Perfect for students, this exciting new title takes a look at key milestones of America’s war.
Immerse yourself into the courage of the Medal recipients. Biographical information,including the arm of service, the conflict in which their service is being recognized, their age at the time of award, and photos are included when available.
The Encyclopedia of War Journalism, 2nd Edition. Grey House Publishing, 2011.
While a few thousand have been honored with medals for their actions in service, hundreds of thousands more fought – bravely or otherwise. The telling of war stories has changed dramatically through the years. Long gone are the news shorts of the cinema. Reporters now travel with soldiers, and the enemy, to tell the story of battle. Explore this complicated and necessary piece of war history with this Grey House title.
How Congress Works, 5th Edition. CQ Press, 2013.
Gain more information and context into the complete workings of this somewhat confusing yet integral part of our legislative branch of the government.
You can read the White House’s official release and watch the presentation here. A full list of Medal of Honor winners can be found here.
Additional facts for this post were taken from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website, cmohs.org.
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About the Author
Michelle is an “anytime!” traveler and language enthusiast. She has degrees in talking from Central Michigan and Michigan State University. She is currently becoming a runner and used to play golf in high school.
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