The E-Sylum:  Volume 5, Number 3, January 20, 2002, Article 5

MEDAL OF HONOR FAILS AIRLINE SECURITY CHECK

  Dick Johnson sent an article from The Washington Times,
  published January 19th.

  "Airline security personnel at Phoenix's international
  airport questioned a retired general and war hero about the
  Medal of Honor he was carrying before he boarded a flight
  to Washington, D.C.

  "They just didn't know what it was but they acted like I
  shouldn't be carrying it on," retired Marine Corps Gen.
  Joseph J. Foss of Scottsdale, Ariz., said yesterday in a
  telephone interview.

  "I kept explaining that it was the highest medal you can
  receive from the military in this country, but nobody
  listened," he said.

  Gen. Foss, an 86-year-old former South Dakota governor
  whose resume also includes stints as president of the
  National Rifle Association and as commissioner of the old
  American Football League, said he was "hassled" about the
  medal by two separate security crews at Sky Harbor
  International Airport in Phoenix."

  "Gen. Foss said he normally doesn't travel with his medal.
  "I do not carry the medal around with me. But I had it with
  me this time to show to cadets at the U.S. Military Academy
  at West Point," where he was a guest speaker last week."

  http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020119-79003878.htm

  [The Medal of Honor is very unusual in that by law, there
  is no secondary market for the medal.  They may be held by
  the family of the recipient, but cannot be bought or sold.
  Officials have had examples of the medal pulled from eBay
  auctions and other trading venues.  Is anyone aware of other
  medals or awards that cannot be sold?   I believe the
  Academy of  Motion Picture Arts and Sciences frowns on
  the resale of Oscar statues, but it was only recently that
  nominees were required to sign an agreement that the
  Academy has the right of first refusal to purchase the
  statuette for the sum of $1.00.  The agreement covers the
  recipient's "heirs, legatees, executors, administrators, estate,
  successors and assigns."  See Rule 7:
  http://www.oscars.org/72academyawards/rules72.pdf
  -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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