What the Medal of Honor Means To Me

The Congressional Medal of Honor

     Respect, Honor, Courage. That’s what the Medal of Honor means to me. To others it might be something else.  Three of my cousins were enlisted one in the marines and two in the navy none of them were awarded this medal but I am sure if they would ever receive this medal they would be really proud to hold it. This medal is one of the highest awards that you could receive in the United States.

     The Medal of Honor means to respect. It means to me this because when ever you see a person wearing this medal the first thing that comes to your mind is respect. You have to respect this person wearing the medal. It means honor because it’s an honor having this medal. It’s also an honor when you greet or meet a person wearing this medal. It means courage because this person who earned this medal had to do something really courageous in order to wear the medal.

     The Medal of Honor is one of the highest awards you could receive in the United States of America. The Medal of Honor was established during the civil war on July 12, 1862.  It was originated from the United States Army then the other branches started to join in and making their own medal of honor. There were originally 2404 medals awarded between all the branches. In order to receive this medal you have to save someone’s life during war. You have to go beyond the call of Duty. Someone has to witness your action otherwise you won’t be able to receive this medal. This medal is to be awarded by the president of The United States of America.

     Some soldiers that have received the Medal of Honor say “Sometimes I think it was easier to win the Medal of Honor then to wear it.”What I think soldiers mean by saying this phrase is that it is hard to wear the Medal of Honor. Maybe because they are not so used to all the attention they get from wearing this medal. Maybe it’s just because they don’t want this award. I’ve heard some soldiers say that they were just doing their job maybe that’s why they say this.

     This is the Congressional Medal of Honor. Respect, Honor, and Courage. I hope that one of these days I could meet someone that has earned this medal. I want to ask so many questions. That one day will come.

 

 

                                                         

                                  

The Thankyou Letter

Dear,
Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz My name is Raul Cordova. I am from Chicago, Illinos
and I attend Farragut Career Academu JROTC Patton Academy. It's really amazing how yousaved all of those lives. Even though you risked your own life and could've just easily gave up you didn't.In a way you have affectyed me personally. you have taught me still people out there who actually care and aren't selfish. Well I waish you the best of the best. I wish for you to just keep on living your life to the extreme. Well I send my best thanks to you. Thank you for all you have done for this whle amazing nation. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Raul Cordova

Congrssional Medal of Honor Recipient:Alejandro R. Ruiz

Alejandro Renteria Ruiz was born and raised in New Mexico, the son of a Mexican immigrant who had been an officer in Pancho Villa’s army. In 1944, twenty-year-old Ruiz was driving to Texas to see his girlfriend when he got into a legal scrape. He went before a judge who gave him a choice between the Army and jail. Ruiz enlisted.
After training at Fort Bliss and Fort Ord, Private First Class Ruiz shipped out with the 165th Infantry. His unit landed on Okinawa in April 1945. On April 28, his company, exhausted from a series of engagements with Japanese troops in heavily fortified positions, was moving down into a deep ravine. The Japanese let his unit pass by a well-camouflaged pillbox before opening fire and lobbing grenades. As the Americans tried to find cover while Japanese grenades rained down on them, Ruiz saw his comrades falling all around him; after just a few minutes, only he and his squad leader had escaped injury.
Knowing that he needed more firepower than his rifle could offer, Ruiz grabbed a Browning Automatic Rifle and moved toward the pillbox. As he started to climb on top of it so he could open fire, the weapon jammed. At that moment, a Japanese soldier charged him; Ruiz clubbed him down, then tossed the rifle aside and ran back through the heavy fire to where his men were pinned down. Picking up another automatic rifle and grabbing some extra cans of ammunition, he headed back toward the pillbox while the Japanese machine gunners and riflemen were all concentrating their fire on him. Making it through the storm of bullets and grenades, he once again climbed on top of the emplacement and sent several bursts of fire through the aperture, killing the twelve soldiers inside and destroying the position.
Unscathed except for a minor flesh wound in the leg, Ruiz found a place to sit down after the battle and tried to light a cigarette with shaking hands. The men he had saved told him they were going to recommend him for the Medal of Honor. Ruiz didn’t think about it for the next several weeks as his unit continued the fight on Okinawa. It wasn’t until May 1946, when he was back in the United States, living in the married soldiers’ barracks, that he was told he was indeed to receive the medal. Ruiz’s wife, mother, and sister accompanied him to the White House, where President Harry Truman made the presentation on June 12, 1946.
Ruiz remained in the service for the next eighteen years. He saw action again in Korea and retired as a sergeant in 1964.

The Newly Accomplished Goals (October)

Its a new month and that means that I accomplished new goals right. One of the goals that I have accomplished that I have been waiting for since last year happened was to have some crazy halloween fun. I've been waiting since last halloween ended to have some fun this year. This year I had more than fun i've had the previous ones. I say that because the previous years it was only like three of us now this year it was the whole gang I cant even name all of them, well I can but it would take a while. It was fun because we all hung out like we have never ever done before. So im real glad that I accomplished this goal. (This was #14)

Another goal that I accomplished was to join a school sport. I've really been looking forward to this one too. I joined the guys volleyball team, the season or tryouts haven't officially started but I signed myself up and I think that's accomplishing it because at least I signed up. Im real glad that I joined this year because most of the people from my elementary school (Joseph E. Gary) joined and we're known for kicking butt at this sport. So im really looking forward to see how the season goes. (This is number #15)

MLK's Qoute And Mirror Poem

Qoute

" When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men, jews and gentiles, protestants and catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro Siritual,"Free at last! free at last! thank God almighty, we are free at last!"

Why this qoute was important to me was because I think that what he said there was true That one day they would all be free. He was right because back in the day it was real hard for them because there was a lot of hate and a lot of racism and plus there was segregation and that was wrong. They struggled a lot to be free at last but they accomplished it so that's why it's important to me.

Why I think this qoute is important to the public is because Martin Luther King J.R. was telling them that one day everyone was going to be free. They just had to be calm about it and that day will soon come and now we are ALL free. We all have the same rights no matter what's your skin color! We all have a say in mostly everything. Why I say that is because unless your not a citizen you wont be able to vote but other than that your all good.

POEM

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore-- And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

What happens to a dream not accomplished...

Does it die

like a flower or

does it hide like
kids playing hide and seek

Does it decompose like garbage or

does it stink like wrotten fruit

Maybe it just fades away like

an old shirt or

Does it just dissapear?

The All American Dream

My mom's American dream is for her to work hard so we could go on in life. She says that's what she came here for so that we could have a better life than she did when she was little. My mom came from Mexico and she said it was real hard back in Mexico to get a good education I think she only got up to 6th grade. She does know how to read though she's also pretty good at math she's even better than me at it. So she says that that is her dream for us her children to be something in life.

My dad's American dream is to be real wealthy so that he doesn't have to work. It's pretty funny to me. It could happen but I Dont Know it's going to be pretty hard to get awful wealthy so he doesn't have to work again not even rich people do that! He also says that one of jis other dreams is to sleep. My dad's dreams are funny but they could always come true if he works hard to accomplish them.

My uncle's American dream since he was at my house is to have a better job than what he does now. He says that he wants to do better in his life I don't really know what he does now but his Amercan dream is to work at in office with the A/C blating in his face.

Whats Up With This?

I hate it when people say that Immigrants should leave this country because they are here illegally. If people want them to be here legally then why don’t they give them their documents? I say that they aren’t doing us any bad by being here but some people do. They are just here to work!!!!!!!!!

I think that immigrants should be allowed to stay here in the United States. One reason immigrants should stay is because they aren’t doing anything bad .They are just here working trying to make it through the struggle trying to feed their family. The immigrants that should not really be allowed to stay here are the ones that are just here being lazy bums. But the ones trying to make it through should stay and at least get their residency. A lot of senators or something like that are already trying to pass laws for that kind of thing.

This whole country is made out of immigrants. The only ones that were not immigrants were the Native Americans. This country was built on immigrants and that’s what it’s here for and this is what’s its been here for. I even bet you that the president’s family came from immigration my family too came like that, we are not Americans we are Mexican Americans. Anyways it wouldn’t be right to send over 12 million people back to their countries.

Video

This video is about barack obama saying that we have to fix illegal immigration. He is saying that its not right that immigrants are working for less money than anyone else. He is saying that immigration is right but we have to fix it.

The goals I accomplished in September

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=Mexican+Flag&&

One of the goals I accomplished this month was to be in the Mexican Independence Parade. I want really in it because it got rained out but it wasnt my fault. So to me I accomplisehed it because i was going to be in it but it got rained out. It was funny because every one showed up to go march including myself and some of us were real wet then one of our instructors came and told us to go home that the parade was rained out. We were all real mad and dissapointed but we still had a little bit of fun.

Another goal I have accomplished is to hang out at black hole. This goal was actually accomplidhed the same day as the Mexican Indepedence day parade. It was hilarious because like I said we had fun still so when we left the school to go home we went to black hole Just Ivan and me because the others left to I dont know where. We were just there for a While but hey it was still accomplished. (black hole is an arcde at 26 street.)

I want to accomplish at least 2 more goal for october Like buy the LAX cd and have some crazy Halloween Fun.

Slave Narrative (The Life Of Wilson)

Ima bout to tell ya'll ma story I dont members much but ima tell ya'll what I does remembers. Well befo I tells ya'll anythang ima tell ya'll ma name ma names Wilson. What I members is that ise from Alabama. Slave days was real bad ya'll. Ise be workin in them fields pickin cotton fo the master to trades wit others. The master had lots of us slaves workin them fields since a lil befo the sun come out to a lil befo it go down sometimes he woulnt gives us notin to eat on. Wese were hungry most o the time. I memebers that ise try to scape once. Let me tell ya'll what happend. I members it was piiiitch dark outside ise runnin from where ise sleep in a cabin outside it was like a lil house fo us slaves. Now i didnt members that the master had some o them bloodhounds theys start barkin while ise tryin to clim up the fence. Now the master comes out and checks them cabins he notice ise missin, an he start lookin round fo me. He gave to one o them bloohounds a rag ise left at the cabin to sniff it. Ise waitin sittin by a tree fo them to leave inside so ise could try to climb again but the bloodhound fount me an ise start screamin because it was bittin on me.it had bit one of ma fingers off an when the master fountme he took me in the room where he would have slaves whipped with a long wet whip. This was ma first time bein whiped beside i had ma finger bitten off he still whipped me. He nearly had whiped me to death he still made me work in them cotton fiels next monin wit ma finger bitten off. He thn warned them slaves not to try what ise done o he will do the exact same thang or worse. After that ma slave life went worse ise was checked upon all the time now ise coulnt try to scape no moe even though ise wanted to. That was the thang ise wanted the most ise wanted to escape an be a free slave. After ise noticed ise not able to scape ise found ma self a lady. Her names be clarissa. We had 2 young beautiful chillen. We named one a boy wilson just like his daddy an the other a girl we name her flower. The master I hpoe now he fryin in hell he sold ma chillen he sold wilson ma boy he sol him to a mean master named curtis he sold him bout the time he was 3 years old. He sold clarissa to another master bot when she was 2 years old. Ma wife clarissa was whiped to death after she tried to stop the master from sellin flower. (scuse the tears ya'll). After the master did that to ma family he kilt himself he hanged himself in the room where he kilt ma wfie clarissa an dhere he would whipp all the other slaves. After he kilt himself we were free slaves we could now do whtaever we whanted to. ise left to nother area of alabama. I built maself a lil home near a lil river. Ise teach maself to write an read an ise start to write stories of real slaves that ise know while ise a slave. Ma dream of bein a freed slave came true jus comes to show you how if you work at things what could happen.

Why do you value stuff the least?

One reason that I value my stuff or things like(clothes, shoes etc.) the least is because I just don't feel that they are that important. I don't know why though I just feel like I could always get agin like whatever I have. like say I get a new shirt I wont really care for it the next day i'll wear it and when I take it off i'll just throw it anywhere. So compared to my family my stuff is the least important thing that I could think of.

Another reason I care for my stuff the least is beacuse it wont always be there like my family will. It wont last a lifetime. My shirt ain't going to tell me that its ok when I fail. My family will they will be there to push me to be a succesful person, my shirt wont do that or would it? They will are also there to talk to mwhn i need or when I have a problem.

The last and final reason is because I could never ever get another family unless i get adopted or something. I could always get another or clothes but I could never get another family at least not like the one I have.Also could not buy another family but I could buy other things.I could mistreat my things by leaving them and throwing them anywhere but I cnat mistreat my famyl unless they mistreat me real bad and I get mad.

Who I am

1.) Tell us something you have done that no one in this class has done.

One thing that I have done that no has done in this class is eat pizza or tortilla with ketchup!



2.)Provide 3 adjectives for yourself.

Respectful, Fun, Kind.



3.)Give us a brief history of your name.

How I got my name was by my dad, he gave me that name. My mom was going to name me Antonio but my dad didnt like it so he gave me my name. Thanks to him my name isnt Antonio.



4.)List 15 fun goals you would like to accomplish by June 15,2009



1.Go to millenium park.

2.Go to Virginia.

3.Go work at the auto show.

4.Get some more new shoes.

5.Get myself a WhiteSox jersey.

6.Go to a WhiteSox game.

7.Hang out at Black-Hole

8.Go to Six Flags

9.Go to Chucky Cheese

10.Buy the L.A.X Cd

11.Go see my little sister graduate

12.Be in the Mexican Independence parade

13.Read 5 books

14.Have some crazy Halloween Fun

15.Join a sport in school