Join FunTrivia for Free: Hourly trivia games, quizzes, community, and more!
Fun Trivia
Ask FunTrivia: Questions and Answers
Answers to 100,000 Fascinating Questions
Welcome to FunTrivia's Question & Answer forum!

Search All Questions


Please cite any factual claims with citation links or references from authoritative sources. Editors continuously recheck submissions and claims.

Archived Questions

Goto Qn #


Where can I find and read the actual citation for General David Petraeus' Bronze Star Medal with V Device? All such awards, even without acts of heroism, come with such detailed explanations; this one is difficult to find.

Question #116063. Asked by scalar.
Last updated Mar 21 2014.

avatar
looney_tunes star
Answer has 5 votes
Currently Best Answer
looney_tunes star
18 year member
3287 replies avatar

Answer has 5 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
According to this post from 2008, it is not available online.

"Where is the citation?
I think it is noteworthy that an Internet search for Petraeus’s bronze star citation turns up nothing by a whole bunch of other people also looking for it with no success. Some posts said that Petraeus was a major general when he got the Bronze Star with V device. I would characterize that award at that rank as extremely suspicious. Seems to me that if Petraeus is going to claim to be or acquiesce to others claiming he is a war hero, he needs to release his bronze star with V device citation. Such citations are typically publicized at the time of the award. Many recipients display in their homes or offices shadow boxes containing the citation and the medal. There are Web sites that contain the citations of every medal of honor ever awarded."

link http://www.johntreed.com/Petraeus.html

Jul 17 2010, 5:57 PM
avatar
Baloo55th star
Answer has 3 votes
Baloo55th star
21 year member
4545 replies avatar

Answer has 3 votes.
This medal has been queried on link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:David_Petraeus#Decoration_.26_Badges_section_needs_change but as no change has been made to the article, I assume no-one there knows either.

Jul 17 2010, 6:08 PM
scalar
Answer has 2 votes
scalar
19 year member
16 replies

Answer has 2 votes.
Thanks.

I asked my congressman if he could locate this information.
After a few months, I heard back that while a serviceman was on active duty, such citations were confidential and could only be released by his or her permission.
I can't find anywhere else if this is so.
It was suggested I write to the General himself for the info.

Jul 18 2010, 11:22 AM
scalar
Answer has 2 votes
scalar
19 year member
16 replies

Answer has 2 votes.
I did write General Petraeus but got no reply.
If the information I got from my congressman is correct, then the citation should now be public since he retired a week or two ago.
Still nothing recent in net searches, however.
Any ideas?

Sep 06 2011, 10:46 AM
avatar
cag1970 star
Answer has 3 votes
cag1970 star
22 year member
136 replies avatar

Answer has 3 votes.
Considering the conditions under which a Bronze Star medal is given, I would also find it suspicious that it would be accorded to a general officer, especially with a V (Valor) device.

There is such a thing as a bronze star that denotes award of a subsequent decoration, but that kind of bronze star does not include the V device.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_star_%28ribbon_device%29

Sep 11 2011, 4:22 PM
scalar
Answer has 4 votes
scalar
19 year member
16 replies

Answer has 4 votes.
After four years or more of looking, I finally came across the actual citation for former General Petraeus:

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PetraeusBSM_VDevice.jpg

Note the six week period of his bravery.

In the Wikipedia article, it says that bullets were whistling and ricocheting around him.

So give the Bronze Star with "V" device to every soldier who has been in combat.

This was a real stretch.

Mar 21 2014, 5:16 PM
free email trivia FREE! Get a new mixed Fun Trivia quiz each day in your email. It's a fun way to start your day!


arrow Your Email Address:

Sign in or Create Free User ID to participate in the discussion