Argghhh!

Say what I will about Jarheads, it still takes balls to go boating on the ocean in a tracked vehicle. PACIFIC OCEAN (July 8, 2014) An amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) assigned to Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, embarks the amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) following small boat operations during the at-sea phase of exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating...

There are 19 Medals awarded for actions on this day. As is usual when there are this many on a given day, the bulk come from the 19th Century to prior to WWI, when the award criteria (and the entire award system) were different. The Medal spread itself all over on this day. The Civil War, the Indian Campaigns, the China Relief Expedition, World War II and Vietnam.

With only two awards for this day thus far in the history of the Medal, the Medal stood idle, biding it's time on 10 July until World War II, and the invasion of Sicily. *PARLE, JOHN JOSEPH Rank and organization: Ensign, U.S. Naval Reserve. Born: 26 May 1920, Omaha, Nebr. Accredited to: Nebraska. Citation: For valor and courage above and beyond the call of duty as Officer-in-Charge of Small Boats in the U.S.S. LST 375 during the amphibious assault on the island of Sicily, 9-10 July 1943. Realizing...

There are nine Medals awarded for actions on this day in history. First up - the Civil War, a naval action involving USS Ceres and the Battle of Monocacy , Maryland.

There are six Medals awarded for actions on this day in hisotry. Today we open per usual, with the Civil War, at Cache River, Arkansas , where Union Brigadier Samuel Curtis (an officer I admire for his mental flexibility and nerve at the Battle of Pea Ridge) routed a rebel force, setting the stage to extend Union control down the Mississippi River and take Arkansas much closer to effectively out of the war. Besides, how can I not love an Infantryman (First Sergeant Pike) who saves a cannon?

There are zero, as in zilch, zip, nada, none, nil (World Cup tie-in) Medals awarded for actions on this day. That makes it a rare day in our history militant. I'm sure there were several actually earned - but no one saw them, or lived to tell the tale. So, we'll cover that with a very brief history of the Medal of Honor....

There are nine Medals awarded for actions on this day. War recognizes few holidays. As is pretty usual for the Medal, we start with the Civil War. First - the battle of Monterey Mountain, when Kilpatrick's cavalry harried Imboden's retreating Confederates and at Monterey Mountain, savaged a supply convoy. The second was earned at the siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana .

Still seems like a special breed of dumbass, however. He wasn't cheap to train, and that aircraft ain't cheap, either. And no, that's not a guy who is about to belly in because his gear isn't working, or he somehow forgot to lower 'em. He did this on purpose , with malice aforethought.