Lyndon Johnson's Ridiculous Silver Star Decoration

image via Wikipedia

Lyndon Johnson was in Congress at the time of World War II, and like many of his colleagues he felt the need to join the US military in a patriotic furor to do their duty for the nation. He soon found himself as a Lt. Commander in the United States Navy.

Despite being rejected for combat duty (due to his position in the government), Johnson finagled himself an assignment inspecting facilities in the South Pacific war-zone. It was here that he earned his famed Silver Star award for . . . well nobody is really sure.

image via CourierJournal, SiteMaker, LBJLib, TomatoBubble, History

But God-damn if he ever let you forget that he had it.

The citation for his Silver Star reads that Lt. Commander Lyndon Baines Johnson acted cool under fire from eight Japanese fighters while acting as an observer on board a B-26 flying a dangerous bombing mission. This would be all well and good, of course, had it actually happened.

Because according to flight records, the sole B-26 flight that Johnson flew on developed generator problems before completing the mission and turned back to base without ever encountering the enemy. It is recorded as landing back at base two minutes before the rest of the group had even started dropping their bombs.

The official damage report after the bombing mission, which lists all damage down to the bullet hole, also has no entry for B-26 no. 1488, the aircraft which Johnson was on board.

image via AlbumWar2

"Pretty much exactly like this, except not on fire, not falling out of the sky, and everyone came back safe and sound."

So maybe the official records are wrong, or have been screwed around with? Well then take it from the crew of the actual aircraft in which he was flying who have stated with certainty that they never came under attack from the enemy. The entire story is fictitious.

So why did Johnson get the Silver Star, the US's third highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy? Well, it was part of a deal with US General Douglas MacArthur for Johnson to go back to Washington and lobby for more funding for the war effort in the South Pacific.

image via BadassoftheWeek

Mostly to continue funding his pipes.

As a result, Lyndon Johnson was awarded a Silver Star for fictitiously "acting cool" in combat for thirteen minutes, while the rest of the crew got nothing and continued on with their careers. Though it could've been worse.

At least he didn't write his own fake citation like some politicians did back then.