Has anyone requested that the military upgrade an award of a vetran?

I have done extensive research on my grandfather's service in the War. He received a Silver Star for his actions that lead to his death during the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge. He was involved in providing protective cover for retreating companies on the front lines, and he sacrificed his life by ignoring the order to retreat. After reading the citation for the Silver Star and considering that his unit received the Presidential Unit Citation for the events of the same time as well as being Cited by the Belgium Gov't, it struck me that he may have been "eligible", for lack of a better term, for the DSC. I have had discussions with another researcher who assisted me in finding copies of the general orders for the citations, and he mentioned the same thing to me.

SOOO, i was wondering, has anyone here petitioned to have a veteran's medal "upgraded", again, for lack of a better term. I see many times in the news that veteran's family petition their congressman for certain medals like the MOH, but was not sure if their veteran had actually recived any medal in the first instance.

Again, thanks for any insight you can provide.

I am trying to get a pdf of the citation to show anyone interested to get your opinions. (As a side note, my grandfather's actions, along with others from his platoon, were also mention in the front page of the Stars and Stripes after his death.)

 

Intersting to find out if the US had a quota system like the British system...

 

My guess is that he may have been "put in for" a higher award and the award was downgraded because the action took place during a retreat. A copy of the original recomendation will contain wether or not he was recomended for a higher award and what the specifics were for awarding the Silver Star.

 

I have seen three versions of the citation, and none mention a downgrade. I would not charachterize it as a retreat though. He was of the 23rd Inf. Regmt., 2nd Inf. Division and was positioned just outside Krinkelt, Belgium to back up the 99th Division just after the Bulge commenced. His unit, along with a couple others, were given credit for holding off the German offensive in the northern shoulder of the Bulge so as to alllow the remnants of the 2nd Div (the 9th and 38th Inf Rgmts fighting to the north) time to gather itself at the Elsenborn Ridge and escape being cutoff by the German thrust. Their "hold at all costs" defense of the area saved many lives of not only the 2nd but also the retreating 99th div.

Assume that this was not a downgrade. What are my first steps in trying to get it upgraded? I'll have to post the citations and reccomendations for your review so we all know what i am talking about, so we do not have to speculate and I can get everyone's honest opinion whether this venture would be worth the fight.

 

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Please review my email prior to this first. Again, my grandfather John Swedick was of the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Inf Regmnt, 2nd Inf Division.

Now, here are the pertinent docs that i have attached in this post:

****Presidentiual Unit Citation - 2nd Division General Orders

****Silver Star recommendation - 2nd Division (page 2 then page 1)

****Silver Star Citation

****Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army

(I am posting a couple more docs in the next email)

Again, these are all for the actions of December 17, 1944. The question is, given the circumstances, given how many lives were saved (of the 2nd division as well as the 99th Division) by his and his unit's actions, given that everyone else was retreating and he chose to stay and fight to a certain death, would the DSC be appropriate here? (Again, the 99th was retreating, but the 2nd Division was regrouping in Elsenborn after fighting in the north and risked being cut in two by the German offensive.) I have looked at the eligibility requirements for the DSC and his actions seem to fit nicely.
Just looking for everyone's opinion before I start on this long fun trek.
Thanks.

 

As promised here are the rest of the docs: Presidential Unit Citation - 2nd Division General Orders and the Presidential Unit Citation - General Orders...

View attachment 13414

 

Ok please review the 3 prior emails. I just wanted to note that any of you who have read Charles MacDonald's "Company Commander" will know his Company I, which fought on the flank of my grandfather's Company K. It was MacDonald's Company which was retreating through Company K lines when my grandfather was killed. It was Company I that was being covered by my grandfather's platoon.

 

Well first of all the unit getting a Presidential Unit Citation probably hurts his chances for getting a higher award. It's not fair but in engagements were most of the men step up and fight extraordinarily well, the bar is set higher. It's like at Iwo Jima, of which Nimitz said, "Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue". The level of valor was such that Marines getting no awards would probably have rated a Bronze Star in a less fierce fight, Bronze Stars would have rated Silver Stars, Silver Stars rated Navy Crosses, etc. It's kinda like the level of valor shown in relation to their peers. If I'm reading the recommendation and citation correctly your grandfathers entire squad refused to retreat and stayed behind to fight. Had the other members of the squad fallen back and he alone had stayed I have no doubt he would have been awarded the DSC for his actions. That being said, I don't see anything wrong with requesting the award be upgraded, it's been done before. I'd say that he meets all the requirements but the last part. "The act or acts of heroism must have been so notable and have involved risk of life so extraordinary as to set the individual apart from his or her comrades." Once again, if I'm reading it correctly his whole squad decided to stay, his comrades, in this instance.

 

Yes, you are right. Other members chose to stay behind. And I do see your point about his whole squad raising the bar in this instance. And great historical example, by the way. I guess I would argue, if I did eventually file for an upgrade, that his actions should be contrasted to those who retreated when given the order to retreat. He, along with a handful of others chose to stay. ( I think the amount of lives arguably saved in this instance would take greater weight, or at least that is what I would argue, along with the fact that he faced certain death and still chose to stay, just like the below article demonstrates.) Sounds like splitting hairs, but I think there is a good distinction there. Thanks for your great insight and thoughts. That's why I am posting here, for educated opinions.

By the way, I am attching a copy of the Stars and Stripes for the article about my grandfather's actions. Look at the lower left hand corner for the article. It does mention the others in his squad:

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I agree with what USMCPrice said in his very well thought out post. I would add that you should also try to enlist (no pun intended) your congressman in the effort and, if at all possible, one or both of your Senators. The more the merrier. Hopefully, one or more are on an Armed Services Committee. It helps to have people on your side who can grease the skids of bureaucracy.

 

As for the "retreat" aspect, I believe there were two infantryman awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the retreat (Cowan and Lopez, both from the 23rd Inf. Rgmt.)