HEADLINE GOOF
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Wednesday, July 23, 2003
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Terry Oglesby has discovered a whole new meaning to Happy Birthday.
Update (1833): It occurs to me that the combo of the old headline, “BOB DOLE AWARDED MEDAL OF HONOR” and the pic above gave the wrong impression. Terry had found a bizarre headline and lead-in to a story that most definitely was not of Dole getting the MOH. I took a screen capture (above) because I figured ABC would change the headline once they realized the error. So far, they have not.
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Hmm…the ABC news article cited never says that Dole was awarded the MOH, although the headline does.
The article says an MOH recipient led the singing of Happy Birthday, but there is no mention of Dole receiving the MOH, or any other award.
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I may be wrong about this, but I believe Dole earned the Medal of Honor in Italy during WWII. He’s held the award for years.
If he received the Congressional Gold Medal at the ceremony, that’s a very different kettle of fish.
Since the article never mentions any kind of medal after the headline, it’s hard to tell if the author knows the difference.
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Don,
Yep–I think it’s just a bizarre/misleading headline. As far as I know, the highest award Dole ever won was the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.
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“at Dedication” or “needs Medication”
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And shame on the AP for running that pic.
As a (mostly) former news photog I can tell you, it is all too easy to take pictures that make people look goofy. You don’t print them if you have any class.
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According to Dole’s official web site, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bill Clinton in 1996, after the election.
It also says, “Bob Dole was twice decorated for heroic achievement, receiving two Purple Hearts for his injuries, and the Bronze Star Medal for his attempt to assist the downed radio man.”
He did not receive the MOH.
PS – pet peeve of mine: the official name of the decoration is “Medal of Honor,” not “Congressional Medal of Honor.”
Also, its wearers have earned it, not “won” it. You win a lottery or a foot race, but combat awards are earned. They are referred to as “recipients,” not “winners.”
There, I feel better.
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Oops – that last comment was mine.
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Don,
You are correct on all counts. I’m good about not calling it the CMOH but do sometimes slip into the “won” business.
The highest award I ever got was the I-was-there version of the Bronze Star Medal, no V-device. Meritorious achievement and all that.
—
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