Hero Para is in line for VC

Quite an honor for his bravery and gallant actions.

[quote]Hero Para is in line for VC
Monday, 16th October 2006, Chris Osuh


GONG: McKinley.

A PARATROOPER from Manchester has been nominated for the Victoria Cross for saving the life of a wounded American soldier while under fire from the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Private Peter McKinley, 21, could become only the second living serviceman in 40 years to be awarded Britain’s highest military honour.

He endured a 15-minute barrage of grenades and machine-gun fire as he treated the US serviceman during one of the fiercest battles of the current campaign fought by the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment.

Army chiefs are now putting his name forward for a VC for the “massive act of bravery”. Pte McKinley was one of 100 Paras sent from their base to rescue an American supply convoy ambushed by Taliban fighters at Sangin in northern Helmand province.

The Paras formed a defensive cordon around the Americans, but as night descended, dozens of Taliban, armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, launched a blistering attack. Two American soldiers were badly wounded when grenades tore into the jeep where they were sheltering.

First-aider Pte McKinley heard their desperate screams for help and ran across open ground to the vehicle as enemy rounds whistled overhead.

Training

He found the American sergeant had suffered serious facial injuries and other wounds including a broken arm, a neck injury, and fragments in his legs.

Pte McKinley said: “They were still firing at us when I ran back to the Humvee. The sergeant was in a pretty bad way but my training just kicked in and I spent about 15 minutes looking after his wounds, stemming the blood and keeping his airway clear.”

Major Will Pike, the commander of A Company, described the soldier’s actions as “massively impressive”. He added: “He was very brave while completely disregarding his own safety. He also treated the American soldier beyond the level that as team medic he is expected to perform. We have a lot of private soldiers who are very young and just out of training but have proved very steady under fire.”

To earn the VC soldiers have to display conspicuous bravery or daring or perform a prominent “act of valour or self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy”.

An MoD spokesman said: “We can confirm Pte McKinley provided medical treatment to a US soldier whilst under sustained attack.”
Manchester Evening News[/quote]

I hope he gets the recognition he deserves. As an aside, do medal citations still have to be made on the basis that an officer witnessed the actions leading to the citation?

Hmm, VCs in Afghanistan but greater terror threat from the involvement in Iraq. It’s a no-brainer for the UK voting public, the press have decided.

By no means questioning this lad’s vim and vigour, but words like

He also treated the American soldier beyond the level that as team medic he is expected to perform.”

To the medically trained ear it sounds awfully like an orderly deciding to perform open heart surgery. Acting beyond your station is a distinct negative in the medical world, no matter what the circumstances.

HG

I’m sure the USA patient was filing for a malpractice suit as the article was being printed. But at least he’ll have a VC.

I’m thinking an emergency tracheostomy, loved in Hollywood but loathed everywhere except the halls of the malpractice firms.

Which in no way diminishes what he did and under what circumstances. He very likely saved the man’s life.

HG

Hey, anything but the Blair/Brown debacle. Also keeps the public away from the recent comments from the army about pulling out of Iraq.

You guys are so cynical! I hope he gets recognized. Who knows what he actually did? HG is right - in the medical community - going above and beyond your training, credentialing, etc. is frowned upon and usually rewarded with a malpractice suit and/or more harm to the patient than if the person stuck to his/her level of training. Let’s assume in this case that he saved the guy’s life, and he deserves to be recognized.

Bodo

The Brits will hopefully recognize this man’s contribution with a VC, while Bush will recognize the wounded American’s sacrifice with a Purple Heart and, quite likely, further attempts to slash vet hospital funding, cut soldier pay, cut soldier housing allowances, and so on…

Congrats to the Brits for recognizing another hero :bravo: and shame on the Republicans for continuing their anti-soldier policies. :fume:

I think what they meant by “going beyond his training” referred to the danger he placed himself in, not the nature of the medical treatment given. He’s a hero. He risked his life to save a fellow soldier. End of story. How many instances of bravery go unrecognised when it is not politically necessary though?

Too bad that the American soldier suffered “serious facial injuries” – the GOP just shut down funding for the military’s main facility for research in the cranio-facial injuries that are the hallmark of this war’s upwards-blasting IEDs.

He can have one of Blair’s.

[quote][url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/23/AR2005062301888.html]Funds for Health Care of Veterans $1 Billion Short
2005 Deficit Angers Senate Republicans, Advocacy Groups

By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 24, 2005; Page A29

The Bush administration, already accused by veterans groups of seeking inadequate funds for health care next year, acknowledged yesterday that it is short $1 billion for covering current needs at the Department of Veterans Affairs this year.

The disclosure of the shortfall angered Senate Republicans who have been voting down Democratic proposals to boost VA programs at significant political cost. Their votes have brought the wrath of the American Legion, the Paralyzed Veterans of America and other organizations down on the GOP[/url].[/quote]

LL - that is a very flippant comment to make about the injuries of one of our servicemen who was fighting to keep the homeland safe for us.

I think MGMR has a valid point about the budget cuts in the VA budget. Do you really think wartime is a good time to be cutting the budget for our servicemen’s health care? I don’t.

Bodo

VA Funding Fails to Meet Increased Demand for Services

In the House, a Democratic effort to add $1 billion in additional veterans’ health care funding was rebuffed by Republicans on a mostly party-line, 217-189 vote. House Republicans leaders sought to reassure veterans that their health care needs would be met and the funding shortfall would be resolved.

WASHINGTON, May 27 /U.S. Newswire/ – The Budget Resolution passed by both houses of Congress will result in staff reductions in every VA Medical Center at a most inauspicious time—as veterans return from the war in Iraq and as increasing numbers of veterans need care from the system, said Thomas H. Corey, National President of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA).

[url=http://www.factcheck.org/article144.html]Funding for Veterans up 27%, But Democrats Call It A Cut
Money for Veterans goes up faster under Bush than under Clinton, yet Kerry accuses Bush of an unpatriotic breach of faith.

February 18, 2004[/url] - This is a good article that balances the partisan snipes. There are problems with the funding, but Bush (according to this article) has not abandoned the Vets.

Bodo -
A very big thanks for posting thisCORRECT information.

It disgusts me to see lies such as that repeated ad naseum for the selfish personal jerk-off reasons of those with an agenda.

And TC, I am equally disgusted by the shallow attempts by the Bushbots on this forum to defend the indefensible:

GOP working overtime to strip the budget from the one of the most common and severe injuries sufffered by troops in Iraq:

[quote]Congress appears ready to slash funding for the research and treatment of brain injuries caused by bomb blasts, an injury that military scientists describe as a signature wound of the Iraq war. House and Senate versions of the 2007 Defense appropriation bill contain $7 million for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center — half of what the center received last fiscal year.

Proponents of increased funding say they are shocked to see cuts in the treatment of bomb blast injuries in the midst of a war.

“I find it basically unpardonable that Congress is not going to provide funds to take care of our soldiers and sailors who put their lives on the line for their country,” says Martin Foil, a member of the center’s board of directors. “It blows my imagination.”[/quote]

Cutting the budget by half? Perhaps that will leave them with just enough to pay for the heat, water and the janitorial staff… all the researchers will have to go home. There’s no end in sight to the hatred that the GOP has towards our servicemen and women.

TC, I felt sure you would join me in condemning those politicians who are slashing the funding of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, no matter what political spectrum they come from. No? OK.

[quote=“mofangongren”]The Brits will hopefully recognize this man’s contribution with a VC, while Bush will recognize the wounded American’s sacrifice with a Purple Heart and, quite likely, further attempts to slash vet hospital funding, cut soldier pay, cut soldier housing allowances, and so on…

Congrats to the Brits for recognizing another hero :bravo: and shame on the Republicans for continuing their anti-soldier policies. :fume:[/quote]

I remember the Republicans (many of whom never served in the military themselves) equating Purple Hearts with Band-Aids, denigrating the military services of Kerry, Cleland and even their fellow Republican McCain. Absolutely shameful behavior.

[quote=“Chris”]
I remember the Republicans (many of whom never served in the military themselves) equating Purple Hearts with Band-Aids, denigrating the military services of Kerry…[/quote]

You mean all those officers who actually served in the Vietnam their entire tours while Kerry dropped in for a 4 month visit? Kerry, the bastard who lied before Congress concerning war crimes?

And since you bring up military service, which branch did you serve in and where?

Let’s hope he doesn’t move to Windsor.

[quote]
Brave heroes hounded out

October 07, 2006

MUSLIM yobs who wrecked a house to stop four brave soldiers moving in after returning from Afghanistan sparked outrage last night.

The house in a village near riot-torn Windsor had BRICKS thrown through windows and was DAUBED with messages of hate.

Four young Household Cavalry officers who had planned to rent it were also the target of phone THREATS.

They were yesterday forced to look elsewhere to live — after top brass warned them against inflaming racial violence near the Queen’s Windsor Castle home.

Last night furious Shadow immigration minister Damian Green said: “This is a shocking development.”

Colleagues of the officers branded the vandalism a “disgrace”. A source at the regiment said: “These guys have done nothing but bravely serve their country — yet they can’t even live where they want in their own country.” The £3,000-a-month detached home in picturesque Datchet, Berks, is less than a mile from Windsor Castle. It was attacked as extra police were drafted into Windsor — where battles have raged for days between Asian and white gangs.[/quote]

thesun.co.uk/article/0,2-2006460631,00.html

[quote=“Chris”]I remember the Republicans (many of whom never served in the military themselves) equating Purple Hearts with Band-Aids,[/quote]Chris -
I have quite clear memories of the time period you are referring to and this seems to have escaped me. Could you post something to illustrate this episode?[quote=“Chris”]"…denigrating the military services of Kerry, Cleland and even their fellow Republican McCain. Absolutely shameful behavior.[/quote]Frankly its been proven that Kerrys VN adventure was a fraud. As well as algores. As far as Max Clelands PH, his injury was indeed terrible, however it did not occur in a combat situation. Your mention of McCain is interesting…what are you saying here?