Why didn't Chewbacca get a medal in the original "Star Wars"?

[Squall]

At the end of the original Star Wars movie (otherwise known as Episode IV, A New Hope), the Rebels have a medal ceremony for the people responsible for destroying the Death Star. Luke Skywalker and Han Solo get their medals, but... not Chewbacca? :eek: Why not? :confused: He was Solo's copilot, so he deserved one too! Does anyone know why Lucas did this? I've always wondered about it myself, every time I see that movie...

[sKorpia]

They couldn't make one big enough in time for the ceremony.

[Knight]

I heard that this very question came up on TV about a month ago during the big Star Wars bonanza and someone said, "Dogs don't get medals" ( referring to Chewy). If there is any truth to this being the underline reasoning on why he wasnt depited as getting a award is unknown to me.

[AdamYJ]

I think they may have wanted to focus on the three that were considered the main characters at the end of that movie. So, they had Luke and Han get medals and Leia present them. You'll notice that R2-D2 and C-3PO didn't get medals either even though they did a great deal to help Han and Luke get to this point. Though, they did get all fixed and shined up.

If it's any consolation, Chewie did get the last line in that movie.

[Simpler Simon]

If it's any consolation, Chewie did get the last line in that movie.
And he got the MTV Lifetime Achievement award 20-odd years later. Almost makes up for him being crushed by a falling moon.

What I heard was that Wookiee culture doesn't need symbolic items like medals to celebrate their bravery and honour. Certainly Wookiees are a respected race in the Star Wars galaxy and qualify for a medal, whereas droids wouldn't have much use for them.

[Juu-kuchi]

Well... it was Luke that fired the final shot to the Death Star and although Chewie is the co-pilot of the Millenium Falcon it was in the end Han's decision to come back and save Luke in the nick of time.

Maybe Chewie was there as a representative and witness towards his friend Han as he went and received the medal and all that. In any case, I never really thought that Wookiees need medals or high recognition in that regard compared to being able to possess various qualities like honor, loyalty, and living up to their life debts. But then again there was Hanharr in KOTOR 2, but he's an exception to the rule.

Or maybe the Rebel Alliance had it's humble beginnings created originally by their version of Nathan Bedford Forrest, and eventually lost that kind of species superiority complex around the time of Return of the Jedi by allowing a fish man, non-Tommy Lee Jones Harvey Dent and an alien who sounded like he was fresh out of an institution to take part of their final run.

...But then again they had that apparent Ithorian spy in A New Hope. But I think they docked his pay for being Ithorian...