| Medal of Honor |
|---|
| |
| All recipients |
| American Civil War |
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| Other wars and conflicts |
| By ethnic group |
| By other criteria |
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously.
Although Medals of Honor can be awarded only to members of the U.S. armed forces, being a U.S. citizen is not a prerequisite for eligibility to receive the medal. Since the American Civil War, hundreds of people born outside the United States have received the medal, the most recent of these recipients being Pedro Cano and Jesus S. Duran who received their medals in March 2014 for actions performed during World War II and the Vietnam War respectively. The large number of foreign-born recipients during the 19th and early 20th centuries was mostly due to immigration waves from Europe.
This with the * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously
This with the * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously
This with the * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously
| Image | Name | Country of birth | Rank | Branch | Place of action | Date of action | Notes/Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Coleman | Ireland | Private | Marine Corps | On board USS Colorado | June 11, 1871 | ||
| James Dougherty | Ireland | Private | Marine Corps | On board USS Benicia | June 11, 1871 | ||
| Patrick H. Grace | Ireland | Chief Quartermaster | Navy | On board USS Benicia | June 10, 1871 – June 11, 1871 | ||
| William F. Lukes | Bohemia | Landman | Navy | Ganghwa Island, Korea | June 9, 1871 – June 10, 1871 | ||
| Alexander McKenzie | Scotland, United Kingdom | Boatswain's Mate | Navy | On board USS Colorado | June 11, 1871 | ||
| Michael McNamara | Ireland | Private | Marine Corps | On board USS Benicia | June 11, 1871 | ||
| James F. Merton | England, United Kingdom | Landman | Navy | Ganghwa Island, Korea | June 9, 1871 – June 10, 1871 | ||
| Samuel F. Rogers | Canada | Quartermaster | Navy | On board USS Colorado | June 11, 1871 |
| Image | Name | Country of birth | Rank | Branch | Place of action | Date of action | Notes/Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick T. Fisher | England, United Kingdom | Gunner's Mate First Class | Navy | Samoa | April 1, 1899 | ||
| Bruno A. Forsterer | Germany | Sergeant | Marine Corps | Samoa | April 1, 1899 | ||
| Henry L. Hulbert | England, United Kingdom | Private | Marine Corps | Samoa | April 1, 1899 |
This with the * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously
This with the * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously
| Image | Name | Country of birth | Rank | Branch | Place of action | Date of action | Notes/Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward G. Allen | Netherlands | Boatswain's Mate First Class | Navy | China | June 13, 1900 – June 22, 1900 | ||
| James Cooney | Ireland | Private | Marine Corps | Tientsin, China | July 13, 1900 | ||
| John O. Dahlgren | Sweden | Corporal | Marine Corps | Beijing, China | June 20, 1900 – July 16, 1900 | ||
| Hans A. Hansen | Germany | Seaman | Navy | China | June 13, 1900 – June 22, 1900 | ||
| Henry W. Heisch | Germany | Private | Marine Corps | Tientsin, China | June 20, 1900 | ||
| Martin Hunt | Ireland | Private | Marine Corps | Beijing, China | June 20, 1900 – July 16, 1900 | ||
| Joseph Killackey | Ireland | Landman | Navy | China | June 13, 1900 – June 22, 1900 | ||
| Carl E. Petersen | Germany | Chief Machinist | Navy | Beijing, China | June 28, 1900 – August 17, 1900 | ||
| William Seach | England, United Kingdom | Ordinary Seaman | Navy | China | June 13, 1900 – June 22, 1900 | ||
| Peter Stewart | Scotland, United Kingdom | Gunnery Sergeant | Marine Corps | China | June 13, 1900 – June 22, 1900 | ||
| Karl Thomas * | Germany | Coxswain | Navy | China | June 13, 1900 – June 22, 1900 | ||
| Martin T. Torgerson | Norway | Gunner's Mate Third Class | Navy | China | June 13, 1900 – June 22, 1900 | ||
| Robert H. Von Schlick | Germany | Private | Army | Tientsin, China | July 13, 1900 | ||
| Edward A. Walker | Scotland, United Kingdom | Sergeant | Marine Corps | Beijing, China | June 20, 1900 – July 16, 1900 | ||
| Axel Westermark | Finland | Seaman | Navy | Beijing, China | June 28, 1900 – August 17, 1900 |
| Image | Name | Country of birth | Rank | Branch | Place of action | Date of action | Notes/Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niels Drustrup | Denmark | Lieutenant | Navy | Veracruz, Mexico | April 21, 1914 | ||
| John Grady | Canada | Lieutenant | Navy | Veracruz, Mexico | April 22, 1914 |
This with the * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously
| Image | Name | Country of birth | Rank | Branch | Place of action | Date of action | Notes/Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Jake Allex | Serbia | Corporal | Army | Chipilly, France | August 9, 1918 | Born as Aleksa Mandušić |
| | Johannes S. Anderson | Finland | First Sergeant | Army | Consenvoye, France | October 8, 1918 | |
| | Louis Cukela | Croatia | Sergeant | Marine Corps | Villers-Cotterêts, France | July 18, 1918 | Born as Vjekoslav Lujo Cukela; double MOH recipient |
| | George Dilboy * | Ottoman Empire | Private First Class | Army | Belleau, France | July 18, 1918 | |
| | George Price Hays | China | First Lieutenant | Army | Greves Farm, France | July 14, 1918 – July 15, 1918 | Born to American parents |
| | Matej Kocak * | Slovakia | Sergeant | Marine Corps | Soissons, France | July 18, 1918 | Double MOH recipient |
| | John C. Latham | England, United Kingdom | Sergeant | Army | Le Catelet, France | September 29, 1918 | |
| | Berger Loman | Norway | Private | Army | Consenvoye, France | October 9, 1918 | |
| | James I. Mestrovitch * | Montenegro | Sergeant | Army | Fismette, France | August 10, 1918 | Born as Joko Meštrović |
| John O. Siegel | Germany | Boatswain's Mate Second Class | Navy | Chesapeake Bay | November 1, 1918 | ||
| | Joseph H. Thompson | Ireland | Major | Army | Apremont, France | October 1, 1918 | |
| | Michael Valente | Italy | Private | Army | Ronssoy, France | September 29, 1918 | |
| | Ludovicus M. M. Van Iersel | Netherlands | Sergeant | Army | Mouzon, France | November 9, 1918 | |
| | Reidar Waaler | Norway | Sergeant | Army | Ronssoy, France | September 27, 1918 |
This with the * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously
| Image | Name | Country of birth | Rank | Branch | Place of action | Date of action | Notes/Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Jose Calugas | Philippines | Sergeant | Army | Bataan, Philippines | January 16, 1942 | Despite his birth in a US territory, he was classified as an immigrant due to the Tydings–McDuffie Act |
| | Pedro Cano * | Mexico | Private | Army | Schevenhütte, Germany | December 2, 1944 – December 3, 1944 | |
| | Robert Craig * | Scotland, United Kingdom | Second Lieutenant | Army | Sicily, Italy | July 11, 1943 | Immigrated to United States with his family in 1923 at age 4 |
| | Marcario Garcia | Mexico | Staff Sergeant | Army | Grosshau, Germany | November 27, 1944 | |
| Eric G. Gibson * | Sweden | Technician Fifth Grade | Army | Isola Bella, Italy | January 28, 1944 | ||
| | Robert M. Hanson * | India | First Lieutenant | Marine Corps | Bougainville Island and New Britain | November 1, 1943 and January 24, 1944 | Born to American parents |
| | Silvestre S. Herrera | Mexico | Private First Class | Army | Mertzwiller, France | March 15, 1945 | |
| | James H. Howard | China | Major | Army Air Forces | Germany | January 11, 1944 | Born to American parents |
| Isadore S. Jachman * | Germany | Staff Sergeant | Army | Flamierge, Belgium | January 4, 1945 | ||
| | Charles A. MacGillivary | Canada | Sergeant | Army | Woelfling, France | January 1, 1945 | |
| Archibald Mathies * | Scotland, United Kingdom | Sergeant | Army Air Forces | Germany | February 20, 1944 | ||
| Nicholas Minue * | Poland | Private | Army | Medjezel Bab, Tunisia | April 28, 1943 | ||
| | Douglas A. Munro * | Canada | Signalman First Class | Coast Guard | Guadalcanal | September 27, 1942 | Born to an American father; only Coast Guard MOH recipient |
| | Peter Tomich * | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Chief Petty Officer Watertender | Navy | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | December 7, 1941 | Born as Petar Herceg |
This with the * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously
| Image | Name | Country of birth | Rank | Branch | Place of action | Date of action | Notes/Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | John K. Koelsch * | England, United Kingdom | Lieutenant Junior Grade | Navy | North Korea | July 3, 1951 | Born to American parents |
| | Tibor Rubin | Hungary | Corporal | Army | South Korea North Korea | July 23, 1950 – April 20, 1953 |
This with the * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously
| Image | Name | Country of birth | Rank | Branch | Place of action | Date of action | Notes/Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Albanese * | Italy | Private First Class | Army | Republic of Vietnam | December 1, 1966 | ||
| | Jon R. Cavaiani | Ireland | Staff Sergeant | Army | Hill 950, Republic of Vietnam | December 4, 1971 – December 5, 1971 | |
| | Jesus S. Duran * | Mexico | Specialist Fourth Class | Army | Republic of Vietnam | April 10, 1969 | |
| | Jose F. Jimenez * | Mexico | Lance Corporal | Marine Corps | Quảng Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam | August 28, 1969 | |
| | Peter C. Lemon | Canada | Specialist Fourth Class | Army | Tây Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam | April 1, 1970 | |
| | Laszlo Rabel * | Hungary | Staff Sergeant | Army | Bình Định Province, Republic of Vietnam | May 20, 1967 | |
| | Alfred V. Rascon | Mexico | Specialist Fourth Class | Army | Long Khánh Province, Republic of Vietnam | March 16, 1966 | |
| | Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. * | Austria | Sergeant | Army | Se San, Cambodia | May 10, 1970 | His parents were Hungarian refugees |
| Image | Name | Country of birth | Rank. | Branch | Place of action | Date of action | Notes/Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Florent Groberg | France | Captain | Army | Afghanistan | August 8, 2012 | [1] |
In addition to the named recipients, the United States Congress has on a few occasions passed special legislation to award the Medal of Honor to Unknown Soldiers of allied foreign nations.
| Image | Name | Date of Award | Tomb Location | Notes/Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Unknown Soldier of Belgium | Congress Column | ||
| | Unknown Soldier of France | March 4, 1921 | Arc de Triomphe | Act of Congress approved 4 March 1921 |
| | Unknown Soldier of Great Britain | March 4, 1921 | Westminster Abbey | Act of Congress approved 4 March 1921 |
| | Unknown Soldier of Italy | October 12, 1921 | Victor Emmanuel II Monument | Act of Congress approved 12 October 1921 |
| | Unknown Soldier of Romania | June 6, 1923 | Carol Park |