Medal of Honor recipient (Clint Romesha) declines invitation to State of the Union

Medal of Honor recipient declines invitation to State of the Union

CNN) -- The former Army staff sergeant who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama Monday is declining the first lady's invitation to be her guest at Tuesday's State of the Union address.

Clint Romesha, who was awarded the prestigious medal for uncommon valor in Afghanistan, told CNN that he has decided to spend the evening with friends from his former unit, Black Knight Troop, 3-61 CAV, his wife Tammy -- with whom he celebrates a wedding anniversary Tuesday -- and their families.

"It's such a great honor to be invited to the State of the Union," Romesha, 31, told CNN. "I really feel bad about not being able to go. But a lot of these guys I haven't seen a really long time and I'd like to hang with them just a little bit more."

CNN Article

What is your opinion? Would you do the same thing in this circumstance? Should his decision be considered an ungrateful gesture?

Personally, I think I would do the same thing and I applaud his comradery to his former unit and his love for his family. I would hope the President and First Lady would agree.

reply to post by UberL33t

Should his decision be considered an ungrateful gesture?

Not in my eyes.
I just hope that he doesn't suffer unjustly because of his decision.

reply to post by UberL33t


Presidents come and go. But your family and friends are family and are with you forever.

I appluad his decision.

And to top it off, he declined quite gracefully. Not to sure i could have done that.

Read "The Outpost" by Jake Tapper. It tells of the long story of COP Keating and the ongoing FUBAR that it was. Unfortunately SSG Romesha was at the tail end of it when they finally decided to close it down.

Good for him.

I wouldn't have gone on principle.

By the way...is Obama surreptitiously giving the Sarge the 'finger' with his right hand?

I think he made the right call to his conscience and personal set of values. He could have said yes, had the experience of seeing so many important people in such a major setting....but maybe in his eyes, he's already seen enough B.S. for a lifetime and didn't need to go where B.S. is produced by the ton on a daily basis.

I wouldn't say being grateful even enters into it though. Men are awarded things like a Silver Star and Congressional Medal of Honor. They don't "earn" it or win it. There is nothing to be grateful FOR, here. Every citation story behind a CMH I've ever read tells a story the recipient was most fortunate to simply survive while many or even most, didn't. I don't think he's got anything left to be grateful for or too. He's earned his right to tell the President to keep his invitation...and then some he had the class not to add.

Sounds like one of those folks people ought to look to as an example and cause to consider what is really important in life. He obviously didn't feel being a propaganda pawn in the latest news films was befitting the medal he's been awarded. Good for him.

The fact is that Medal of Honor winners are exploited pawns by whomever is in power (in other words, I'm not dissing just Obama) for political purposes. They are put on stage and expected to tour the country as ambassadors for the administration's policies. This guy endured the White House ceremony. It's done and he doesn't have any further obligation to be used. As was stated above, he was fairly gracious about it.

Given the choice between a State of the Union, and hanging out with Army buddies I haven't seen in a long time and celebrating an anniversary, I'd do the same as Romesha. He's been awarded the CMH, all he has to do if he should want to attend one is contact his Representative or Senator and say "High, my name is SSG Clint Romesha, I had the opportunity to attend a State of the Union when I was awarded the CMH but it was my anniversary and I wanted celebrate with her and spend some time with Army buddies who were in town, but I'd like to attend a State of the Union once in my life is there any chance that you could get me there as your guest?" I don't think he would have a problem. That medal opens a lot of doors if you want it to, including near automatic acceptance (if academically qualified) for your children to be accepted to the service academies.

I do wish Romesha, Meyer, Junta or some of the living recipients from past wars would come out strongly for the 2nd Amendment (Petry is still active last I heard).

Originally posted by MysterX

By the way...is Obama surreptitiously giving the Sarge the 'finger' with his right hand?

edit on 12-2-2013 by MysterX because: error

I think that is a step. He's probably thinking that this brave young man did all that he could do in the given situation. And that he deserves this honor.

But saying that, he is also probably thinking why anyone would do what the SSG did. I don't think that Obama understands that mindset.

When the SHTF you don't really think about God or Country, you just want you and yours to get out alive.

I`m not even going to watch it on T.V. so I dang sure wouldn`t go if i was invited, it promises to be a long boring evening for everyone who does go.

reply to post by schuyler


It's true that the services will often parade those awarded around in various ways. I remember seeing Junta in an Army recruiting commercial, but they can only do that while still serving under their enlistment contract or holding a commission. It appears that Romesha is out, I don't know if he's still in the Reserves, but even so, they really can't impose to much on him he doesn't want to do. A living CMH awardee could walk into any of his chain of command say "I want out." ,and odds are they would be obliged rather politely and quickly.

Is it me or does that medal look like an upside down pentagram?

Talk about illuminati/nwo symbology heh...

reply to post by UberL33t


Lets see....hang out with friends and loved ones who care about you.......or spend time with professional liars that see you as cattle....?

Hmmmmmmmm

Good for him. That is a good choice.

Originally posted by jefwane
reply to post by schuyler

 

It's true that the services will often parade those awarded around in various ways. I remember seeing Junta in an Army recruiting commercial, but they can only do that while still serving under their enlistment contract or holding a commission. It appears that Romesha is out, I don't know if he's still in the Reserves, but even so, they really can't impose to much on him he doesn't want to do. A living CMH awardee could walk into any of his chain of command say "I want out." ,and odds are they would be obliged rather politely and quickly.

He doesn't have to be in uniform to be used as a pawn. His potential presence at the State of the Union is an example. Had he gone I guarantee Obama would have called him out in the midst of his speech. He would have been compelled to stand while everyone clapped, a feel good moment for Obama to acknowledge the military he despises.

reply to post by TDawgRex


Yeah, it was tongue in cheek really.

2nd.

It's probably just me...

But Obama looks contemptuous in that photo.

Dude's earned the right to make his own decision. No one, Obama, you, me, anyone should second guess that.

reply to post by schuyler


I have afeeling that this Admin is feeling a bit pissed off at this time. That's just my take on it.

"How dare you refuse the POTUS who awarded you the CMH? Just because you thought you would be used as a propaganda piece?"

I think he made the right choice.

reply to post by UberL33t

considered an ungrateful gesture

Heck no, grateful for what?

He earned it.

reply to post by schuyler


I agree it would have played out like that, but Romasha had something more important to him to do this evening. Good for him.

I will give credit to Obama for actually honoring living service members with the CMH. In Bush's eight years they couldn't find a single person alive to award this medal to. I don't know why that is, but I've always had the inkling suspicion that it was because of the unpopularity of the war in Iraq, and they didn't want to award it to someone who might later come out against the war. Obama, never had that concern and has no problems signing off on what the services recommend. The lack of a living CMH recipient by the time Obama took office, was beginning to be an issue with many veterans and the organizations that represent them. Junta, Meyer, Petry, and now Romasha have all spoken something along the lines of "they wear the Medal for those that didn't come back". With WWII and Korea recipients fewer by year and the toll of time beginning to wear on the Vietnam recipients, the lack of recipients from the prior eight years of war, before Obama awarded Junta the medal, it was conceivable of a time not to far down the road where we didn't have a single living recipient.

Originally posted by butcherguy
It's probably just me...

But Obama looks contemptuous in that photo.

You can tell a lot about a man by his countenance.