President Obama Tuesday honored a select group of Vietnam veterans in the Rose Garden Tuesday – but the White House could not immediately say who they were.
In the event, Obama awarded the Presidential Unit Citation to 86 members of Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry, for heroic action saving another company in a desperate fight in Vietnam in March 1970.
“These soldiers define the meaning of bravery and heroism,” Obama said, as several veterans stood behind him and several dozen more sat on chairs under sunny skies.
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“Today also reminds us of our obligations to all our veterans, whether they took off the uniform decades ago or days ago, to make sure that they and their families receive the respect they deserve,” he added.
Yet unlike past events when groups have been invited to the Rose Garden -sometimes to help pitch the president’s agenda _ the White House did not release a list of those honored Tuesday.
Moreover, the White House brushed aside without comment requests Monday for the names and home towns of the veterans being honored, a routine request to facilitate media coverage in the honorees’ home town newspapers.
It was a stark contrast to an event two weeks ago in the Rose Garden, when the White House rolled out a group of doctors in a very public show of support for Obama’s proposed health care overhaul.
Before the Oct. 5 event, the White House called reporters to tell them local doctors would attend, inviting coverage.
Also before the event, the White House issued a detailed list of every doctor there, including name and hometown to make it easier for the media to find them, interview them, and send home the stories of how much they liked the Obama health care proposals.
It was not a private meeting. It was held in the Rose Garden so the media could cover it. The purpose, as the president said, was to give them the public recognition and honor they'd long deserved.
Posted by: Steve Thomma | October 24, 2009 at 08:52 AM
Did it every occur to the reporter that not everyone is looking for a five minute stay in the news? Obama had what was essentially a private meeting with the vets to honor their service. Why does the world need to know who they were? Perhaps the vets wanted it private, if they don't they can certainly call up the reporter and add their names to the list of publicy clones like balloon boy.
Posted by: mfellion | October 24, 2009 at 01:01 AM
Thanks for the post, it is informative and very well structured. I like the way you post in this blog and will keep reading in the future. I have been reading it for a long time but it is my first time posting here. About the article I think they did the right thing by not mentioning the names of the vets and emphasizing in the group.
Posted by: microgaming | October 22, 2009 at 02:46 PM
Douglas' comment is very informative. Thank you. And if understandably proud mommas and poppas or even honorees want to brag a little in the local papers, they can easily get an item inserted. It's Good News, and local papers like that.Planet Washington staff need to educate themselves a little, and ratchet down the righteous indignation when it's not justified, as apparently it isn't in this case.
Posted by: cserpent | October 22, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Not that I think the White House planned it this way but it is fitting that they didn't publicize this with a list of individual names. It is a Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the unit, not the individual men. All current and future members of A Trp, 11th ACR will wear PUC device. If it seems wrong that some private just off the block will be wearing an award these guys won, you're kinda missing a big reason for this kind of award. It is as much a standard to live up to for future members of the unit as it is an honor to those who first earned it.
Yeah, a hundred guys were in the unit that won and some of those guys also got individual citations (Silver and Bronze Stars). The individual awards were handed out in a different ceremony and presumably were publicized by name. The White House, whether by design or accident, emphasized the group nature of the citation by not making it about individuals and I like that. Maybe they passed up an easy political opportunity to get some ink in the hometown papers but the Republic will survive.
Posted by: Douglas | October 21, 2009 at 10:55 AM