List of post-Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients

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 recipients 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.

Since the April 1975 end of American presence in Vietnam, the United States military has been involved in a number of conflicts and peacekeeping activities, including actions in the invasion of Grenada, Lebanese Civil War, invasion of Panama, the Yugoslav Wars, the Somali Civil War and elsewhere. ^{[1] [2]} Following the September 11 attacks, the United States entered into a War on Terror against militant Islamists, the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. ^{[3] [4]}

The Medal of Honor has been awarded to 30 U.S. servicemen for actions since Vietnam, seventeen to living recipients.

The first post-Vietnam Medal of Honor recipients were two Delta Force snipers, MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randy Shughart, who volunteered to defend a downed helicopter pilot in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia; the medals were awarded posthumously. ^[5]

Recipients

Somali Civil War

The Battle of Mogadishu or for Somalis Ma-alinti Rangers ("The Day of the Rangers") was a battle that was part of Operation Gothic Serpent that was fought on October 3 and 4, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, by forces of the United States supported by UNOSOM II against Somali militia fighters loyal to warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The battle is also referred to as the First Battle of Mogadishu to distinguish it from the Second Battle of Mogadishu in 2006. ^[6] The Medals were awarded to two Delta Force operators, both snipers, who volunteered to attempt to save the pilot of one of the downed UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, despite facing hundreds, possibly thousands of rebels around the crash site.

  Lavender background and  † indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Unit	Notes [7]
	Gary Gordon   †	Army	Master sergeant	Mogadishu, Somalia	October 3, 1993	1st SFOD-D	For volunteering to secure a helicopter crash site while under heavy enemy fire until relief could arrive
	Randy Shughart   †	Army	Sergeant first class	Mogadishu, Somalia	October 3, 1993	1st SFOD-D	For volunteering to secure a helicopter crash site while under heavy enemy fire until relief could arrive

War in Afghanistan

The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7, 2001, was launched by the United States, the United Kingdom, and NATO allies in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. It was the beginning of the War on Terrorism. The stated purpose of the invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy al-Qaeda, and remove the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbor to al-Qaeda. ^[8]

Since 2001, 20 U.S. servicemen have received the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan, five of them posthumously.

  Lavender background and  † indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Unit	Notes [9]
	Edward Byers	Navy	Chief special warfare operator	Laghman Province	December 8, 2012 – December 9, 2012	SEAL Team Six	For courageous actions while serving as part of a team that rescued a U.S. civilian being held hostage. [10]
	Kyle Carpenter	Marine Corps	Lance corporal	Marjah, Helmand Province	November 21, 2010	2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division	For risking his life by diving toward a grenade in an attempt to save a fellow Marine while their outpost was under attack. [11]
	Ty Carter	Army	Specialist	Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province	October 3, 2009	3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division	For repeatedly risking his life under enemy fire during the Battle of Kamdesh: administering life-extending first aid to wounded comrade, obtaining ammunition for firefight, helping carry wounded to aid station.
	Christopher Celiz   †	Army	Sergeant First Class	Paktia Province	July 12, 2018	Company D, 1st Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment	Voluntarily exposed himself to intense enemy machine-gun and small-arms fire in order to retrieve and employ a heavy weapon system, thereby allowing U.S. and partnered forces to regain the initiative, maneuver to a secure location, and begin treating a critically wounded partnered force member. [12]
	John A. Chapman   †	Air Force	Technical Sergeant	Paktia Province	March 4, 2002	24th Special Tactics Squadron	Engaged two enemy bunkers during the Battle of Takur Ghar, enabling a pinned rescue team to move to cover and break enemy contact. Left behind by the Seals he had rescued after being knocked unconscious, he was later killed providing covering fire for an arriving quick reaction force.
	Salvatore Giunta	Army	Specialist	Korengal Valley, Kunar Province	October 25, 2007	2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team	For risking his life to save a wounded soldier from being captured. Was the first living recipient since the Vietnam War.
	Florent Groberg	Army	Captain	Asadabad, Kunar Province	August 8, 2012	12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division	For risking his life by running toward a suicide bomber, grabbing him, and pushing him away before the bomb detonated, greatly minimizing casualties.
	Dakota Meyer	Marine Corps	Corporal	Ganjgal, Kunar Province	September 8, 2009	Embedded Training Team 2-8	Defied order from superiors and rescued 23 Afghan allies and 13 Americans in the Battle of Ganjgal.
	Robert James Miller   †	Army	Staff sergeant	Nari District, Kunar Province	January 25, 2008	3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group	Fatally shot while diverting gunfire from Taliban forces in Afghanistan so that his fellow soldiers could escape.
	Jared C. Monti   †	Army	Sergeant first class	Gowardesh, Nuristan Province	June 21, 2006	3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division	Killed while trying to rescue a wounded soldier from intense small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire
	Michael P. Murphy   †	Navy	Lieutenant	Near Asadabad, Kunar Province	June 28, 2005	SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1	Led a four-man reconnaissance team in a fight against superior numbers, exposed himself to hostile fire in order to call for help
	Leroy Petry	Army	Staff sergeant	Paktia Province	May 26, 2008	2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment	While shot through both legs, saved his fellow Rangers by picking up and throwing a live enemy grenade, thus amputating his hand.
	Ryan M. Pitts	Army	Sergeant	Kunar Province	July 13, 2008	2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team	For his courageous actions while serving as a Forward Observer during the Battle of Wanat. [13]
	Earl D. Plumlee	Army	Sergeant First Class	Forward Operating Base Ghazni	August 28, 2013	Operation Detachment Alpha 1434 (ODA-1434), 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group	For repeatedly engaging the enemy at close range, was wounded by a detonating suicide vest, risked his life to bring another Soldier to safety and provide first aid, all while continually putting himself in the line of fire in order to prevent the assault from penetrating the perimeter of the FOB.
	Clinton Romesha	Army	Staff sergeant	Kamdesh, Nuristan Province	October 3, 2009	3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division	For risking his life to save fellow soldiers and organize and repel an attack against Taliban forces during the Battle of Kamdesh.
	Ronald J. Shurer	Army	Staff sergeant	Nuristan Province	April 6, 2008	3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group	For his courageous actions while serving as a Combat Medic during the Battle of Shok Valley.
	Britt Slabinski	Navy	Senior chief special warfare operator	Paktia Province	March 4, 2002	SEAL Team Six	Senior Chief Slabinski repeatedly exposed himself to deadly fire to personally engage the enemy and orient his team's fires in the furious, close-quarters firefight. [14]
	William D. Swenson	Army	Captain	Ganjgal, Kunar Province	September 8, 2009	1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division	For risking his life, under enemy fire, to render medical aid to a fellow wounded soldier, and rescue others and recover fallen comrades, during the Battle of Ganjgal.
	Kyle J. White	Army	Specialist	Nuristan Province	November 9, 2007	2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team	For repeatedly risking his life under enemy fire to render life saving medical aid to wounded comrades, and radioing situation reports to enable counterattack and rescue.
	Matthew O. Williams	Army	Sergeant	Nuristan Province	April 6, 2008	3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group	For his courageous actions during the Battle of Shok Valley.

Iraq War

The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, ^[15] Operation Iraqi Freedom (US), ^[16] Operation TELIC (UK) ^[17] or the occupation of Iraq, ^[18] was a conflict which began on March 20, 2003, with the United States-led invasion of Iraq by a multinational coalition composed of U.S. and British troops supported by smaller contingents from Australia, Poland, and other nations. ^[19] Six service members have posthumously received the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq: four from the Army, one from the Marine Corps and one from the Navy.

  Lavender background and  † indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Unit	Notes [20]
	Travis Atkins   †	Army	Staff sergeant	Yusufiyah, Iraq	June 1, 2007	Company D, 2d Battalion, 14th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division	Fought hand-to-hand with a suicide bomber and used his body to shield fellow soldiers from the subsequent bomb blast [21]
	David Bellavia	Army	Staff sergeant	Fallujah, Iraq	November 10, 2004	2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division	For single-handedly clearing three stories of building from insurgents, even resorting to hand-to-hand combat to complete his task. [22]
	Alwyn Cashe   †	Army	Sergeant first class	Salah ad Din Governorate, Iraq	October 17, 2005	1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division	Saved the lives of six of his fellow soldiers after the Bradley fighting vehicle they were riding in struck an improvised explosive device, despite suffering second and third-degree burns over 72% of his body.
	Jason Dunham   †	Marine Corps	Corporal	Iraq, near Syrian border	April 14, 2004	3rd Battalion 7th Marines	Fought hand-to-hand with the enemy and hurled himself on a grenade to protect fellow Marines
	Ross A. McGinnis   †	Army	Specialist	Adhamiyah, Iraq	December 4, 2006	C Company, 1-26th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division	Saved the lives of four soldiers by diving on a grenade while inside HMMWV (Humvee)
	Michael A. Monsoor   †	Navy	Master-at-arms second class	Ramadi, Iraq	September 29, 2006	SEAL Team Three, Delta Platoon	Saved the lives of his fellow SEALs at his sniper position by diving on a grenade
	Paul R. Smith   †	Army	Sergeant first class	Saddam International Airport, Iraq	April 4, 2003	B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division	Held the enemy at bay by throwing grenades and returning accurate small arms fire; allowing for the wounded to be carried out, died in the process

Operation Inherent Resolve

One soldier received the Medal of Honor during the fight against ISIL during the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.

  Lavender background and  † indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Unit	Notes
	Thomas Payne	Army	Sergeant First Class	Hawija, Iraq	October 22, 2015	1st SFOD-D	Rescued 70 Iraqi prisoners in a joint operation, conducted with the Kurdish (Peshmerga) CTG (Counter Terrorism Group). Payne ran into a collapsing building three times to make sure all hostages were out and safe while taking heavy enemy fire.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History .

1. Stewart, Richard W. (23 May 2006). "Rebuilding the Army Vietnam to Desert Storm". Center of Military History. United States Army. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
2. Bullington, James R. (September 1999). "The Coming American Retreat from Global Military Interventions". American Diplomacy. University of North Carolina. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
3. Stewart, Dona J. (2012). The Middle East Today: Political, Geographical and Cultural Perspectives. Routledge. p. 251. ISBN   9780415782432.
4. "Iraq War". Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
5. "Medal of Honor Recipients Somalia". Center of Military History. United States Army. 26 June 2011. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
6. Bowden, Mark (2000). Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War . Penguin Books. ISBN   0-14-028850-3.
7. "Medal of Honor recipients". American Medal of Honor recipients for Somalia. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
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9. "Medal of Honor recipients". American Medal of Honor recipients for the Afghanistan War. United States Army Center of Military History. January 7, 2010. Archived from the original on December 12, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
10. "Dramatic Taliban hostage rescue earns Navy SEAL the Medal of Honor". USA today. February 3, 2016.
11. "President Obama Awards the Medal of Honor to Corporal William "Kyle" Carpenter". whitehouse.gov . June 19, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2017– via National Archives.
12. "Sergeant First Class Christopher A. Celiz, Medal of Honor, Operation Freedom's Sentinel". www.army.mil.
13. "President Obama to Award the Medal of Honor". whitehouse.gov . 23 June 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2018– via National Archives.
14. "Navy SEAL Receives Medal of Honor for Afghanistan Actions in 2002". DoD. May 24, 2018.
15. "Rescue Operations in the Second Gulf War". Air & Space Power Journal. Spring 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-03-10. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
16. "Operation Iraqi Freedom" . Retrieved August 2, 2007.
17. Ministry of Defence. "Operations in Iraq: History of the military campaign in Iraq" . Retrieved February 11, 2010.
18. Fattah, Hassan M. (March 2007). "Saudi King Condemns U.S. Occupation of Iraq". New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
19. Schifferes, Steve (March 18, 2003). "US Names Coalition of the Willing". BBC News. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
20. "Medal of Honor recipients". American Medal of Honor recipients for the Iraq War. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
21. "President Donald J. Trump to Award the Medal of Honor". whitehouse.gov . Retrieved 13 March 2019– via National Archives.
22. "Medal of Honor announced for soldier who fought through three floors of insurgents in Fallujah". 10 June 2019.