European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 19, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday february 19, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 9militarydeath March survivors to get medals by Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington More than 3,000 surviving Navy and Marine corps veterans of world War ii a Bataan death Anarch will receive Bronze stars under an executive order issued this month by the Secretary of the Navy. H. Lawrence Garrett Illus action on feb. 7 is the culmination of a legislative Effort by rep. Randy Cunningham r calif., and Senate minority Leader Robert Dole r-kan., who last year introduced a Bill to award the medals to the death March survivors. A fifty years ago these heroes were holding out valiantly against japanese forces on Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island in the Philippines a said Cunningham a member of the House armed services committee. A this Honor for their extraordinary Brav Ery under fire is much deserved and Long  under army Gen. Jonathan Wain Wright Navy and Marine corps personnel and philippine troops on Bataan and Cor Regidor successfully delayed the japanese attack on the islands of the South Pacific in Early 1942. The better armed and numerically Superior japanese forces eventually overwhelmed the americans capturing Bataan on april 9 and Corregidor on May 6 after bitter fighting. The japanese led their . And philippine captives on an infamous trek through the Jungle to prisoner of War Camps during which Many prisoners died. The Navy and Marine corps prisoners were never Given the Bronze Star or any other medal for their ordeal because of a Navy policy that barred the presentation of awards for gallantry to All personnel of a particular unit Cunningham said.3 generals in Europe nominated for 2nd Star Washington a amps four . Air Force brigadier generals serving in Europe have been nominated for promotion to major general a Brig. Gen. Carl e. Franklin Deputy chief of staff for plans and programs at the Neadau arters of . Air forces Europe at Ramstein a Germany. A Brig. Gen. James l. Hobson jr., who holds dual positions at Ramstein Abas commander of the 322nd Airlift div and Safe Deputy chief of staff for Airlift operations. A brio. Gen. Glenn a. Profitt ii commander of combined task Force for operation provide Comfort at Indrick a Turkey. A Brig. Gen. Jay d. Blume jr., nato airborne Early warning Force e-3a component commander at the nato a in Geilenkirche Germany. Navy honors 3 service members for their exceptional leadership London a amps a a Marine staff sergeant in Scotland a senior chief Petty officer in Spain and a Navy lieutenant assigned to the guided missile Cruiser Belknap have been awarded the commander in chief . Naval forces Europe leadership awards. Staff sgt. Anthony Grubb from cob Marine support in at Raf Edzell Scotland won the award m the e-4 to e-6 category. Senior chief Petty officer Edward Ernest Rybat assigned to the aircraft intermediate maintenance department at naval station Rota Spain won the award m the e-7 to e-9 category. And it. Charles Michael Smith aboard the 6th Fleet s flagship won in the officer category. The awards recognize sailors and marines in a Veur who have exceptional leadership characteristics inspire others and Snow dedication to duty. Grubb a 10-year-Veteran, is in charge of a division of 135 sailors marines and British Royal Navy members. As the commands career planner the Maryland native is also responsible for All re enlistments and duty and school assignments. Rybat the Quality Assurance analysis division chief Heads 13 auditors. In addition As the avionics division production control chief the Arizona native was responsible for More than 120 technicians who repair and maintain aviation electronics equipment. Smith an Arkansas native supervises 35 people involved in the maintenance and operation of the Belknap s main Battery terrier guided fire control system a key facet of the guided missile cruisers missile system. Among the prizes the three will receive Are free accommodations for five Days at any armed forces recreation Center in  of san Vito division is recognized by Safe san Vito Dei Normanna Italy a san Vito air station s disaster preparedness division and a senior non commissioned officer attached to it garnered top honors when . Air forces Europe recently announced its 1991 outstanding disaster preparedness award winners. Master sgt. David Fiyak no in charge of disaster preparedness at the installation in Eastern Italy won the out standing disaster preparedness senior non commissioned officer award. The division won the award for the outstanding Small unit disaster preparedness program. Fiyak and the other six members of the san Vito disaster preparedness team were recognized for their Overall unit accomplishments including their development of a disaster preparedness training  needs presidential Aura it deserves by Harry g. Summers or. Presidents Day the mid february Holiday created by combining observances of Abraham Lincoln s birthday on feb. 12 with celebrations of George Washington a birthday on feb. 22, has degenerated into just another Day off work marked not by patriotic celebrations but by tawdry Pitchman hawking shoddy presidents Day bargains. Lost is the enormous debt we owe to these two great men. Washington is trivialized by the Parson Weems writer Mason Locke Weems tales about the chopping Down of a Cherry tree but Little is known about commentary the real general whose Brilliant Fabian strategies during a bitter eight year War won our Independence from the British. And the same is True with Lincoln. While it is generally acknowledged that Lincoln freed the slaves Little attention is paid to his skills As commander in chief that made that emancipation possible. It was by no Means a sure thing. Lincoln a first Secretary of War Simon Cameron was a scoundrel who made millions Selling defective horses and equipment to the army. Cameron s successor Edwin Mcmasters Stanton openly commented on Lincoln so painful imbecility and often referred to the president As a the original  and Lincoln a Field commanders were even less respectful. The commander of the army of the Potomac maj. Gen. George Brinton Mcclellan wrote to his wife that a there was never a truer epithet applied to a certain individual than that of  a Mcclellan openly snubbed the president. Once when Lincoln came to Call he was told that a the Little Napoleon had gone to bed and could not be disturbed. Relieved from command for having the slows a Mcclellan was reappointed to command after the second Bull run disaster in Virginia because of his enormous popularity with the army and the american Public. But Mcclellan sealed his own Fate by his failure to carry the Day at Antietam my. It was an important Milestone in our tradition of civilian supremacy Over editors note a Harry g. Summers or. Is a . Army combat Veteran of Korea and Vietnam. He enlisted in 1947 and was commissioned in 1957. During his career he served As a . Negotiator with the North vietnamese on the pow Mia Issue was an assistant to the army chief of staff and taught strategy at the army War College. Summers retired from Active duty in 1985 with the rank of colonel. During the persian Gulf crisis Summers was a military analyst for can and Abc. He is the author of several award winning books and is the recipient of the veterans of foreign wars 1991 news Media award. Summers latest Book on strategy ii a critical analysis of the Gulf War will be published this month and will be available in most stars and stripes bookstores the military. As Lincoln commented a i am now stronger with the army of the Potomac than Mcclellan. The supremacy of the civil Power has been restored and the executive is now master of the situation. The troops know. It was not the administration but their own former idol who surrendered the just results of their terrible  later another Union general Joseph Hooker said publicly that a the president and government in Washington were imbecile and a played out and a dictator was needed and the sooner the better a instead of being sacked Hooker was appointed to command the array of the Potomac. A i have heard in such a Way As to believe it of your recently rating that. The government needed a dictator a Lincoln wrote. A of course it was not for this but in spite of it that i have Given you command. Only those generals who gain successes can set up dictators. What 1 now ask of you is military Success and i will risk the  but Hooker too failed. Finally Lincoln a sent Over the mountains and brought in or. Grant As mrs. Grant Calls  it proved to be the perfect match Between a commander in chief and his Field commander. A fall i want or had Ever wanted was someone who would take the responsibility and act a Lincoln said. And in Grant he had found his Man. Lincoln set an example for civilian leadership of the military that has continued to grow and flourish Over the years. If he had faltered if the military had been allowed to take control to establish a dictatorship to a save the Union As Mcclellan Hooker and others were perfectly willing to do our Republic would be vastly different than it is today. And if Lincoln had failed As commander in chief and the Union gone Down to defeat it is unlikely that february would now be celebrated As Black history month. After All it was not the rhetoric of the abolitionists but Lincoln and the bayonets of Lincoln a army that were the steel behind the emancipation proclamation and the freeing of the slaves. A presidents Day is hardly a reminder of that fact. Rather than elevating Washington and Lincoln to a unique position in our pantheon we debase them by placing them on Par with the Many non entities a fill in the names As you please a that have held that High office. In so doing we have lost a valuable reminder that our liberties and our freedoms did not just happen. They were bought not in a presidents Day Sale but by the courage sacrifice and perseverance of two remarkable americans whose birthrates we need to return to their former place of Honor. C Loa Angeles times Syndicate