This is bizarre
In an AP article covering what may be Gen. Peter Pace's last visit to Iraq, there's this strange bit.
Weird, huh?
And then there is his other trademark: "coining" every troop he can find — from officers to privates.
It's a sight to behold: the four-star general spinning in every direction, shouting for all to hear: "Did I miss anyone? Anyone not get a coin?"
Aides lug bags full of Pace's commemorative coin, pentagonal shaped. He hands them out by the thousands on his regular visits to Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond. On one side is depicted the blue-and-white flag of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs; on the other side are four small stars surrounded by the insignia of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.
"These things go for about 5,000 bucks on eBay," he jokingly tells troops before he begins dishing them out. "Does anybody within the sound of my voice not have a coin?"
Weird, huh?
posted by mikevotes at
8:05 AM
4 Comments:
It'll all part of the "game" mentality these people have regarding war and the military writ large.... Like little children and their Pokemon cards.
I guess if you weed out all the competent general who disagree with you, you're bound to find at least one loon who will... and this is what you get. Which leads to the broader question, does ANYONE believe ANYTHING that comes from the mouth of a Bush appointee?
By
-epm, at 10:32 AM
I was trying to figure out why.
Are they supposed to save them as commemoration of meeting the Great Gen, Pace? Are they good luck? Are they a thank you?
By
mikevotes, at 1:04 PM
OK. My limited understanding of coining is that senior officers will have these kind-of-like commemorative coins made up, usually personal to some degree and usually significant to a particular point in time. The officer uses these coins as a quiet, personal "atta-boy" token to acknowledge a personal thank you to servicemen who have help or distinguished themselves in some way. They're meant to be personal. Their not meant to be freebie tokens, like a fishbowl full of matchbooks at a restaurant.
So the curious thing here is that Pace is cheapening the tradition. Another example of him being just a political tool, long ago detached from the traditions of the corps.
By
-epm, at 4:23 PM
There we go. Thanks. I know nothing about this.
By
mikevotes, at 5:51 PM
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