Comments by "vk2ig" (@vk2ig) on "WW2-Made Medal Still Awarded Today" video.

The Victoria Cross is fairly minimalist in appearance, but not so much in what it represents.
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I've had some people tell me that (somehow) the USA knew the Japanese were about to surrender, and therefore dropping the atomic bombs was unnecessary. Whenever I hear this, I ask how did they know? (It's not like Hirohito or Tojo could pick up the phone and discuss it with Truman or Macarthur - there was no "hotline" back in those days.) But none of these people can tell me how the USA were supposed to know - they just repeat the line "It's obvious - they knew!" After I keep asking how the USA would've known at the time (as opposed to after the fact when everyone has 20/20 hindsight), these people resort to the "You wanted A-bombs dropped on them, didn't you!" line ... which is ironic, as I wasn't around at the time (my parents were still young kids and hadn't even met), and all I'm asking for is the proof to back up the assertion these people are making. Clearly they have no evidence to support their claim - it's just what they want to believe.
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Or casting the highest award for bravery from the metal of captured artillery.
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That's one of the saddest aspects of it, isn't it: someone survives a war - which is one of the most dangerous environments known to man - and then dies back home through no fault of their own, all due to the irresponsibility of someone doing something stupid like drink-driving.
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Snared the Kuril Islands, too. That's still a sore point between Japan and Russia.
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@OldNavyAirdale Same thing happened with my grandfather - the medals were issued to him. He didn't need to purchase any of them.
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The UK and Commonwealth have a somewhat different view towards certain aspects of military service. They don't have a "wound" medal like the Purple Heart, but also the general public don't say things like "Thank you for your service". An airline in Australia tried doing the latter publicly just after boarding each flight (probably the idea of some US executive posted there who hadn't had much time "in country" yet), but after unintentionally embarrassing some former serving members - as well as the rest of the passengers - on a few flights, and subsequently copping a rocket from organisations like the Returned Services League, they wisely decided to desist with that practice.
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Really? Who were they?
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@Lupinthe3rd. Possibly such opposition arises from the same sentiment where the military members / veterans aren't "thanked for their service" by the pubic, and don't expect people to say that to them.
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@andrewgillis3073 That's probably why the Commonwealth nations have never struck such a medal. Here in Australia it wouldn't cut much ice, so to speak, due to the connotations you mentioned.
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