Why Pay Tribute To The Medal And The Men Who Wear It?

“Because military tradition is the lifeblood of military prowess, and military prowess is what wins battles.

“Problem is, far too many Americans wrongly assume America wins all of its wars because we have resources, money, and technological superiority. And those things count to be sure.

“But military prowess – not technology – is what enabled our Marines to kick down the front door of Fallujah back in 2004, and engage and defeat hardened Al Qaeda diehards in a fierce tooth-to-eyeball slugfest that will serve as a model of how to fight and win in an urban-combat environment for maybe the next 100 years.

“The Marines were perhaps the best-suited fighting force on Earth for just such a fight. And they were because the Marine Corps is big on tradition, the lifeblood of Marine fighting prowess.

“And when we consider our living recipients of the Medal of Honor – from all services – they are the greatest living pillars of a broader American military tradition.

“So, yes, the Medal itself, the men who wear it, and the establishment of a greater national awareness of both the Medal and the men through grand events like our 2010 convention are absolutely essential to the continued strength of this nation.”

- Former Marine rifle-squad leader W. Thomas Smith Jr., interview for the US Report