Medal of Honor

Last updated
Medal of Honor
Tri-service medal of honor.jpg
Medals of honor of the three military departments
TypeMilitary medal with neck ribbon
(decoration)
Awarded forConspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty [1] [2] [lower-alpha 1]
Presented byThe president of the United States in the name of the United States Congress [3]
EligibilityUnited States Armed Forces service members
StatusCurrently awarded
EstablishedNaval Service: December 21, 1861 [4]
Army: July 12, 1862 [5]
Air Force: August 10, 1956 [6]
Coast Guard: July 25, 1963 [7]
Space Force: January 1, 2021 [8]
First awardedMarch 25, 1863 [lower-alpha 2]
Last awardedSeptember 5, 2023 [9]
Total awarded posthumously618 [10]
Total recipients3,525 [11]
Medal of Honor ribbon.svg

Medal of Honor Flag with Gold Fringe.svg
Service ribbon and flag
Precedence
Next (lower)Army: Distinguished Service Cross
Naval Service: Navy Cross
Air and Space Forces: Air Force Cross
Coast Guard: Coast Guard Cross

The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians, and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. [1] [12] The medal is normally awarded by the President of the United States (the commander in chief of the armed forces) and is presented "in the name of the United States Congress." It is often, not strictly correctly, referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. [13] [14]

Contents

There are three distinct variants of the medal: one for the Army, awarded to soldiers; one for the Naval Service, awarded to sailors, marines, and coast guardsmen; and one for the Air and Space Forces, awarded to airmen and guardians. [1] [15] The Medal of Honor was introduced for the Naval Service in 1861, [16] soon followed by the Army's version in 1862. [17] The Air Force used the Army's version until they received their own distinctive version in 1965. [18] The Medal of Honor is the oldest continuously issued combat decoration of the United States Armed Forces. [19] The President typically presents the Medal of Honor at a formal ceremony intended to represent the gratitude of the American people, with posthumous presentations made to the primary next of kin. [20] [21] [22]

There have been 3,535 Medals of Honor awarded, with over 40% awarded for actions during the American Civil War. [11] 911 Army medals were revoked after Congress authorized a review in 1917, and a number of Navy medals were also revoked prior to the turn of the century—none of these are included in this total except for those that were subsequently restored. [23] In 1990, Congress designated March 25 annually as Medal of Honor Day. [24]

History

Medal of Honor (without the suspension ribbon) awarded to Seaman John Ortega in 1864. Ortega meda of Honor.jpg
Medal of Honor (without the suspension ribbon) awarded to Seaman John Ortega in 1864.
Medal of Honor awarded posthumously in 1866 to John Morehead Scott, one of the Andrews Raiders John-Morehead-Scott-MOH-crop.jpg
Medal of Honor awarded posthumously in 1866 to John Morehead Scott, one of the Andrews Raiders

In 1861, early in the American Civil War, a proposal for a battlefield decoration for valor was submitted to Lieutenant General Winfield Scott, the Commanding General of the United States Army, by Lieutenant Colonel Edward D. Townsend, an assistant adjutant at the Department of War and Scott's chief of staff. [25] Scott, however, was strongly against the American republic's awarding medals for valor, a European monarchical tradition. [25] After Scott retired in October 1861, however, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles adopted the idea of a decoration to recognize and honor distinguished naval service. [25]

On December 9, 1861, Iowa Senator James W. Grimes, Chairman on the Committee on Naval Affairs, [26] introduced bill S. 82. [27] [28] The bill included a provision authorizing 200 "medals of honor," [29] "to be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seaman-like qualities during the present war...." [30] On December 21, the bill was passed and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln. Secretary Welles directed the Philadelphia Mint to design the new military decoration. [31] [32] [33] On May 15, 1862, the United States Department of the Navy ordered 175 medals ($1.85 each) from the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia with "Personal Valor" inscribed on the back of each one. [34]

On February 15, 1862, Senator Henry Wilson, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs and the Militia, introduced a resolution for a Medal of Honor for the Army. [35] The resolution was approved by Congress and signed into law on July 12, 1862. [35] This measure provided for awarding a medal of honor "to such non-commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other soldier-like qualities during the present insurrection." [35] By mid-November the Department of War contracted with Philadelphia silversmith William Wilson and Son, who had been responsible for the Navy's design, to prepare 2,000 medals for the Army ($2.00 each) to be struck at the mint. [36] The Army's version had "The Congress to" written on the back of the medal. Both versions were made of copper and coated with bronze, which "gave them a reddish tint." [37] [38]

On March 3, 1863, Congress made the Army Medal of Honor a permanent decoration by passing legislation permitting the award to such soldiers "as have most distinguished or who may hereafter most distinguish themselves in action." [39] The same legislation also authorized the medal for officers of the Army. [40] On March 25, the Secretary of War presented the first Medals of Honor to six U.S. Army volunteers in his office. [41]

In 1896, the ribbon of the Army's version of the Medal of Honor was redesigned with all stripes being vertical. [42] Again, in 1904 the planchet of the Army's version of the Medal of Honor was redesigned by General George Lewis Gillespie. [42] The purpose of the redesign was to help distinguish the Medal of Honor from other medals, [43] particularly the membership insignia issued by the Grand Army of the Republic. [44]

In 1917, based on the report of the Medal of Honor Review Board, established by Congress in 1916, 911 recipients were stricken from the Army's Medal of Honor list because the medal had been awarded inappropriately. [45] Among them were William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Mary Edwards Walker. In 1977, the Army's board for correction of military records unilaterally restored Walker's medal at the request of a relative. [46] The board had no authority to overturn a statute, and the restoration violated not only the period law during the Civil War, but also the law requiring revocation in 1916, and modern law in 1977. [46] As a reaction to Walker's restoration, a relative of Cody's requested the same action from the Army's board for correction, and it reinstated the medals for Cody and four other civilian scouts on June 12, 1989. [47] Subsequent litigation over the Garlin Conner award, which was recommended by the Army's board for correction of military records in 2015, established that the correction boards lack the authority to unilaterally award medals of honor. In Conner's case, the board merely recommended the medal, which was then referred to the Senior Army Decorations Board, and ultimately to the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of Defense, and the President, who requested a waiver be passed by Congress. [48]

A separate Coast Guard Medal of Honor was authorized in 1963 but was not designed or awarded. [49] [7] A separate design for a version of the medal for the Department of the Air Force was authorized in 1956, [50] designed on April 14, 1965, [18] and first awarded in January 1967. [18] Previously, airmen of the U.S. Air Force received the Army's version of the medal. [51]

Appearance

There are three versions of the Medal of Honor, one for each of the military departments of the Department of Defense (DoD): the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (Naval Service), and Department of the Air Force (Air and Space Forces). Members of the Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security, are eligible to receive the Naval version. Each medal is constructed differently, and the components are made from gilding metals and red brass alloys with some gold plating, enamel, and bronze pieces. The United States Congress considered a bill in 2004 which would require the Medal of Honor to be made with 90% gold, the same composition as the lesser-known Congressional Gold Medal, but the measure was dropped. [52]

Medal of Honor U.S.Army.jpg
Army Medal of Honor
US Navy Medal of Honor.svg
Naval Medal of Honor
Air Force Medal of Honor.png
Air and Space Forces Medal of Honor

Army variant

The Army's version is described by the Institute of Heraldry as "a gold five-pointed star, each point tipped with trefoils, 1+12 inches [3.8 cm] wide, surrounded by a green laurel wreath and suspended from a gold bar inscribed VALOR, surmounted by an eagle. In the center of the star, Minerva's head surrounded by the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. On each ray of the star is a green oak leaf. On the reverse is a bar engraved THE CONGRESS TO with a space for engraving the name of the recipient." [53] The pendant and suspension bar are made of gilding metal, with the eye, jump rings, and suspension ring made of red brass. [54] The finish on the pendant and suspension bar is hard enameled, gold plated, and rose gold plated, with polished highlights. [54]

The Naval version is described as "a five-pointed bronze star, tipped with trefoils containing a crown of laurel and oak. In the center is Minerva, personifying the United States, standing with her left hand resting on fasces and her right hand holding a shield emblazoned with the shield from the coat of arms of the United States. She repulses Discord, represented by snakes (originally, she was repulsing the snakes of secession). The medal is suspended from the flukes of an anchor. It is made of solid red brass, oxidized and buffed. [55]

Air and Space Forces variant

The Air and Space Forces version is described as "within a wreath of green laurel, a gold five-pointed star, one point down, tipped with trefoils and each point containing a crown of laurel and oak on a green background. Centered on the star, an annulet of 34 stars is a representation of the head of the Statue of Liberty. The star is suspended from a bar inscribed with the word VALOR above an adaptation of Jupiter's thunderbolt from the Department of the Air Force's seal. The pendant is made of gilding metal. [56] The connecting bar, hinge, and pin are made of bronze. [56] The finish on the pendant and suspension bar is hard enameled, gold plated, and rose gold plated, with buffed relief. [56]

Historic versions

The Medal of Honor has evolved in appearance over time. The upside-down star design of the Naval version's pendant adopted in early 1862 has not changed since its inception. The Army's 1862 version followed and was identical to the Naval version except an eagle perched atop cannons was used instead of an anchor to connect the pendant to the suspension ribbon. The medals featured a female allegory of the Union, with a shield in her right hand that she used to fend off a crouching attacker and serpents. In her left hand, she held a fasces. There are 34 stars surrounding the scene, representing the number of states in the union at the time. [57] In 1896, the Army version changed the ribbon's design and colors due to misuse and imitation by nonmilitary organizations. [53] In 1904, the Army "Gillespie" version introduced a smaller redesigned star and the ribbon was changed to the light blue pattern with white stars seen today. [53] The 1904 Army version also introduced a bar with the word "Valor" above the star. [57] In 1913, the Naval version adopted the same ribbon pattern.

After World War I, the Department of the Navy decided to separate the Medal of Honor into two versions, one for combat and one for non-combat. This was an attempt to circumvent the requirement enacted in 1919 that recipients participate "in action involving actual conflict with the enemy," which would have foreclosed non-combat awards. [58] By treating the 1919 Medal of Honor as a separate award from its Civil War counterpart, this allowed the Department of the Navy to claim that it was not literally in violation of the 1919 law. [59] The original upside-down star was designated as the non-combat version and a new pattern of the medal pendant, in cross form, was designed by the Tiffany Company in 1919. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels selected Tiffany after snubbing the Commission of Fine Arts, which had submitted drawings that Daniels criticized as "un-American". [60] The so-called Tiffany Cross was to be presented to a sailor or marine who "in action involving actual conflict with the enemy, distinguish[es] himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty." [61] Despite the "actual conflict" guidelines, the Tiffany Cross was awarded to Navy CDR (later RADM) Richard E. Byrd and Floyd Bennett for their flight to the North Pole in 1926. The decision was controversial within the Navy's Bureau of Navigation (which handled personnel administration), and officials considered asking the attorney general of the United States for an advisory opinion on the matter. [62] Byrd himself apparently disliked the Tiffany Cross, and eventually requested the alternate version of the medal from President Herbert Hoover in 1930. [63] The Tiffany Cross itself was not popular among recipients—one author reflected that it was "the most short-lived, legally contentious, and unpopular version of the Medal of Honor in American history." [60] In 1942, in response to a lawsuit, the Department of the Navy requested an amendment to expressly allow noncombat awards of the Medal of Honor. [64] When the amendment passed, the Department of the Navy returned to using only the original 1862 inverted 5-point star design. [65]

In 1944, the suspension ribbons for both versions were replaced with the now-familiar neck ribbon. [53] When the Air and Space Force's version was designed in 1965, [18] it incorporated similar elements and design from the Army version. At the Department of the Air Force leadership's insistence, the new medal depicted the Statue of Liberty's image in place of Minerva on the medal and changed the connecting device from an eagle to Jupiter's thunderbolt flanked with wings as found on the Department of the Air Force's seal. [66] [67] [68] The Air Force diverged from the traditional depiction of Minerva in part due to a desire to distinguish itself from the Army, including the Institute of Heraldry that traditionally designs awards, but which falls under the Army. [68]

Neck ribbon, service ribbon and lapel button

Service ribbon Medal of Honor ribbon.svg
Service ribbon
Lapel button Moh rosette.gif
Lapel button

On May 2, 1896, Congress authorized a "ribbon to be worn with the medal and [a] rosette or knot to be worn in lieu of the medal." [33] [53] [69] [70] The service ribbon is light blue with five white stars in the form of an "M." [53] It is placed first in the top position in the order of precedence and is worn for situations other than full-dress military uniform. [53] The lapel button is a 12-inch (13 mm), six-sided light blue bowknot rosette with thirteen white stars and may be worn on appropriate civilian clothing on the left lapel. [53]

Since 1944, the Medal of Honor has been attached to a light blue colored moiré silk neck ribbon that is 1+316 in (30 mm) in width and 21+34 in (550 mm) in length. [2] [71] The center of the ribbon displays thirteen white stars in the form of three chevron. Both the top and middle chevrons are made up of 5 stars, with the bottom chevron made of 3 stars. The medal itself differs by branch:

The Medal of Honor is one of only two United States military awards suspended from a neck ribbon. [75] The other is the Commander's Degree of the Legion of Merit, and is usually awarded to individuals serving foreign governments. [76] [77]

Devices

In 2011, Department of Defense instructions in regard to the Medal of Honor were amended to read "for each succeeding act that would otherwise justify award of the Medal of Honor, the individual receiving the subsequent award is authorized to wear an additional Medal of Honor ribbon and/or a 'V' device on the Medal of Honor suspension ribbon" (the "V" device is a 14-inch-high (6.4 mm) bronze miniature letter "V" with serifs that denotes valor). The Medal of Honor was the only decoration authorized to use the "V" device (none were ever issued) to designate subsequent awards in such a fashion. Nineteen individuals, all now deceased, were double Medal of Honor recipients. [78] In July 2014, DoD instructions were changed to read, "A separate MOH is presented to an individual for each succeeding act that justified award," removing the authorization for the "V" device. [79]

Medal of Honor Flag

Medal of Honor Flag Medal of Honor Flag with Gold Fringe.svg
Medal of Honor Flag

On October 23, 2002, Pub. L. Tooltip Public Law (United States)  107–248 (text) (PDF) was enacted, modifying 36 U.S.C.   § 903, authorizing a Medal of Honor Flag to be presented to each person to whom a Medal of Honor is awarded. In the case of a posthumous award, the flag will be presented to whomever the Medal of Honor is presented to, which in most cases will be the primary next of kin of the deceased awardee. [80] [81]

The flag was based on a concept by retired U.S. Army Special Forces First Sergeant Bill Kendall of Jefferson, Iowa, [82] who in 2001, designed a flag to honor Medal of Honor recipient Army Air Forces Captain Darrell Lindsey, a B-26 pilot from Jefferson who was killed in action during World War II. Kendall's design of a light blue field emblazoned with 13 white five-pointed stars was nearly identical to that of Sarah LeClerc's of the Institute of Heraldry. LeClerc's gold-fringed flag, ultimately accepted as the official flag, does not include the words "Medal of Honor" as written on Kendall's flag. The color of the field and the 13 white stars, arranged in the form of a three-bar chevron, consisting of two chevrons of five stars and one chevron of three stars, [2] emulate the suspension ribbon of the Medal of Honor. The flag has no defined proportions. [83]

The first Medal of Honor Flag recipient was U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith, whose flag was presented posthumously. President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor and Flag to the family of Smith during the award ceremony for him in the White House on April 4, 2005. [84]

A special Medal of Honor Flag presentation ceremony was held for over 60 living Medal of Honor recipients on board the USS Constitution in September 2006. [85]

Presentation

President Calvin Coolidge bestowing the Medal of Honor upon Henry Breault, March 8, 1924 Henry Breault2.jpg
President Calvin Coolidge bestowing the Medal of Honor upon Henry Breault, March 8, 1924

There are two distinct protocols for recommending and adjudicating the Medal of Honor. The first and most common is recommendation within three years and approval within five years through the chain of command of the service member. [86] The second method, which normally applies outside of the statute of limitations, is when a recommendation is referred to a military service by a member of the U.S. Congress, generally at the request of a constituent under 10 U.S.C.   § 1130. In both cases, if the proposal is outside the time limits for the recommendation, approval to waive the time limit requires a special Act of Congress. The Medal of Honor is presented by the President on behalf of, and in the name of, the Congress. [87] Since 1980, nearly all Medal of Honor recipients—or in the case of posthumous awards, the next of kin—have been personally decorated by the president. [88] [89] [90] Since 1941, more than half of the Medals of Honor have been awarded posthumously. [91]

Evolution of criteria

  1. While engaged in action against an enemy of the United States
  2. While engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force.
  3. While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. [107] [108]

Revocation

Authority and privileges

Medal of Honor monument and Medal of Honor headstones of the Civil War recipients of "Andrews Raid" at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee. C-Chatanooga Cemetery2.jpg
Medal of Honor monument and Medal of Honor headstones of the Civil War recipients of "Andrews Raid" at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Medal of Honor gravemarker of Jimmie W. Monteith at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial Jimmie W. Monteith Jr. Gravemarker 03.jpg
Medal of Honor gravemarker of Jimmie W. Monteith at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
Medal of Honor headstone of James H. Robinson at the Memphis National Cemetery James H Robinson grave.jpg
Medal of Honor headstone of James H. Robinson at the Memphis National Cemetery

The four specific statutory sections authorizing the medal, as last amended on January 1, 2021, are as follows: [107]

"The President may award, and present in the name of Congress, a medal of honor of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to a person who while a member of the [Army] [naval service] [Air Force] [Coast Guard], distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty." [127]

Privileges and courtesies

The Medal of Honor confers special privileges on its recipients: [128] [129]

Saluting

Admiral Eric T. Olson salutes Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry at a ceremony at The Pentagon (July 2011) Defense.gov photo essay 110713-F-RG147-129.jpg
Admiral Eric T. Olson salutes Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry at a ceremony at The Pentagon (July 2011)

Duplicate medals

Medal of Honor recipients may apply in writing to the headquarters of the service branch of the medal awarded for a replacement or display Medal of Honor, ribbon, and appurtenance (Medal of Honor flag) without charge. Primary next of kin may also do the same and have any questions answered in regard to the Medal of Honor that was awarded. [163]

Recipients

On This Day In History: The Medal of Honor was created in 1862.

The 1917 Medal of Honor Board revoked 911 awards, but only 910 names from the Army's Medal of Honor list, [174] including awards to Mary Edwards Walker, William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and the first of two awards issued February 10, 1887, to George W. Mindil, who retained his award issued October 25, 1893. None of the 910 impacted recipients were ordered to return their medals, although on the question of whether the recipients could continue to wear their medals, the Judge Advocate General advised the Medal of Honor Board that the Army was not obligated to police the matter. Walker continued to wear her medal until her death. Although some sources claim that President Jimmy Carter formally restored her medal posthumously in 1977, [171] this action was actually taken unilaterally by the Army's Board for Correction of Military Records. [46] The Army Board for Correction of Military Records also restored the Medals of Honor of Buffalo Bill and four other civilian scouts in 1989. [47]

While the governing statute for the Army's Medal of Honor (10 U.S.C.   § 6241), beginning in 1918, explicitly stated that a recipient must be "an officer or enlisted man of the Army," "distinguish himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty," and perform an act of valor "in action involving actual conflict with an enemy," [97] exceptions have been made:

Awards by conflict
ConflictDateMedal count (3,530)List article
Civil War 1861–18651,523 American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients
Indian Wars 1865–1891426 Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
Korean Expedition 187115 Medal of Honor recipients in Korea
Spanish–American War 1898110 Medal of Honor recipients for the Spanish–American War
Second Samoan Civil War 18994 Medal of Honor recipients for the Samoan Civil War
Philippine–American War 1899–190286 Philippine–American War Medal of Honor recipients
Boxer Rebellion 1899–190159 Medal of Honor recipients for the Boxer Rebellion
Occupation of Veracruz 191456 Medal of Honor recipients for Veracruz
United States occupation of Haiti 1915–19348 Medal of Honor recipients for Haiti
Dominican Republic Occupation 1916–19243 Medal of Honor recipients for the Occupation of the Dominican Republic
World War I 1914–1918126 Medal of Honor recipients for World War I
Occupation of Nicaragua 1912–19332 Medal of Honor recipients for Occupation of Nicaragua
World War II 1939–1945472 Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
Korean War 1950–1953146 Korean War Medal of Honor recipients
Vietnam War 1955–1975268 Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War
USS Liberty incident 19671 Medal of Honor recipients for the USS Liberty incident
Battle of Mogadishu 19932 Medal of Honor recipients for the Battle of Mogadishu
Iraq War 2003–20117 Medal of Honor recipients for the Iraq War
War in Afghanistan 2001–202120 Medal of Honor recipients for the War in Afghanistan
Operation Inherent Resolve 2014–present1 Medal of Honor recipients for Operation Inherent Resolve
Noncombat1865–1939193 Medal of Honor recipients in non-combat incidents
Unknown soldiers 1914–19739 Unknown Medal of Honor recipients (4 American and 5 Allies)
Awards by military branch [187]
ArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir ForceCoast GuardTotal [188]
2,461749 [189] 3001913,530

Note that the number of Air Force recipients does not count recipients from its pre-September 19, 1947, Army-related predecessor organizations. Nevertheless, the Air Force's transfer agreement gave it retroactive jurisdiction over military awards to the date the Air Corps was authorized by statute: Jul. 2, 1926. Thus, were a decoration submitted retroactively for an aviator's actions on or after that date (including a Medal of Honor), it would be processed by the Air Force despite the fact that the Air Force did not yet exist as a separate service. [190]

Double recipients

Nineteen service members have been awarded the Medal of Honor twice. [191] The first double Medal of Honor recipient was Thomas Custer (brother of George Armstrong Custer) for two separate actions that took place several days apart during the American Civil War. [192]

Five "double recipients" were awarded both the Army's and Navy's Medal of Honor for the same action, with all five of these occurrences taking place during World War I. [193] This was a consequence of the marine recipients serving under Army command, which had been reviewed by the Army's judge advocate general. According to the judge advocate general, the marines were "a party 'of the Army'" since they were detached for service under the Army by presidential directive, and thus were subject to the Army's decoration statutes for that time period. [194] No modern recipients have more than one medal because of laws passed for the Army in 1918, and for the Navy in 1919, which stipulated that "no more than one medal of honor . . . shall be issued to any one person," although subsequent awards were authorized by issuance of bars or other devices in lieu of the medal itself. [195] The prohibition on double awards did not technically apply to the double recipients of WWI because they received Medals of Honor from different services, which meant the same medals were not duplicated and had independent statutory authority. Later, in 1927, President Coolidge issued an executive order that forbade issuing more than one federal decoration for the same action, a policy that continues through the present time. [178] The statutory bar on issuing multiple medals was finally repealed in the FY2014 defense bill, [196] at the request of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, meaning that recipients can now be issued more than one medal rather than simply receiving a device for subsequent awards. However, no more than one medal may be issued for the same action. [197]

To date, the maximum number of Medals of Honor earned by any service member has been two. [49] The last living individual to be awarded two Medals of Honor was John J. Kelly, on October 3, 1918; the last individual to receive two Medals of Honor for two different actions was Smedley Butler, in 1914 and 1915. None of the double awardees earned two distinct medals under modern Medal of Honor criteria, although the WWI awardees qualified under substantially modern statutes.

NameServiceRank [lower-alpha 4] War(s)Notes
Frank Baldwin Army First Lieutenant, Captain American Civil War, Indian Wars
Smedley Butler Marine Corps Major Veracruz, Haiti
John Cooper Navy Coxswain American Civil War
Louis Cukela Marine CorpsSergeant World War I Awarded both Navy and Army versions for same action.
Thomas Custer ArmySecond LieutenantAmerican Civil War Battle of Namozine Church on April 3 and Battle of Sayler's Creek on April 6, 1865.
Daniel Daly Marine CorpsPrivate, Gunnery Sergeant Boxer Rebellion, Haiti [198]
Henry Hogan ArmyFirst SergeantIndian Wars
Ernest A. Janson Marine CorpsGunnery SergeantWorld War IBoth awarded for same action. Received the Army MOH under the name Charles F. Hoffman.
John J. Kelly Marine CorpsPrivateWorld War IBoth awarded for same action.
John King NavyWater tenderPeacetime1901 and 1909
Matej Kocak Marine CorpsSergeantWorld War IBoth awarded for same action.
John Lafferty NavyFireman, First Class FiremanAmerican Civil War, peacetime
John C. McCloy NavyCoxswain, Chief BoatswainBoxer Rebellion, Veracruz
Patrick Mullen NavyBoatswain's MateAmerican Civil War
John H. Pruitt Marine CorpsCorporalWorld War IBoth awarded for same action.
Robert Sweeney NavyOrdinary SeamanPeacetime1881 and 1883
Albert Weisbogel NavyCaptain of the Mizzen TopPeacetime1874 and 1876
Louis Williams NavyCaptain of the HoldPeacetime1883 and 1884. Also known as Ludwig Andreas Olsen.
William Wilson ArmySergeantIndian Wars

Arthur MacArthur, Jr. and Douglas MacArthur are the first father and son to be awarded the Medal of Honor. The only other such pairing is Theodore Roosevelt (awarded in 2001) and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Notably, one member in each pair was strongly influenced by political considerations; Douglas MacArthur's medal was approved for service in violation of both law and policy that prohibited such action, [199] and Theodore Roosevelt's medal was approved after members of Congress successfully lobbied the Secretary of the Army to reverse a prior determination that "Theodore Roosevelt's bravery in battle did not rise to the level that would justify the Medal of Honor and, indeed, it did not rise to the level of men who fought in that engagement." [200]

Five pairs of brothers have received the Medal of Honor:

Another notable pair of related recipients are Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher (rear admiral at the time of award) and his nephew, Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher (lieutenant at the time of award), both awarded for actions during the United States occupation of Veracruz.

Late awards

Since 1979, 86 late Medal of Honor awards have been presented for actions from the Civil War to the Vietnam War. In addition, five recipients whose names were included on the Army's medal revocations in 1917 had their awards restored. [201] A 1993 study commissioned by the U.S. Army investigated "racial disparity" in the awarding of medals. [202] At the time, no Medals of Honor had been awarded to U.S. soldiers of African descent who served in World War II. After an exhaustive review, the study recommended that ten Distinguished Service Cross recipients be awarded the Medal of Honor. On January 13, 1997, President Bill Clinton presented the Medal of Honor to seven of these World War II veterans, six of them posthumously and one to former Second Lieutenant Vernon Baker. [203]

In 1998, a similar study of Asian Americans resulted in Clinton presenting 22 Medals of Honor in 2000. [204] This was following a historical review conducted by a team of historians headed by Jim McNaughton at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, located in the Presidio of Monterey, California. [205] The review ultimately forwarded at least 47 cases of Distinguished Services Crosses for potential upgrade, as well as one Silver Star. [206] Twenty of the resulting medals went to U.S. soldiers of Japanese descent of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (442nd RCT) who served in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. [204] [207] One of these Medal of Honor recipients was Senator Daniel Inouye, a former U.S. Army officer in the 442nd RCT. [203]

In 2005, President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor to Tibor Rubin, a Hungarian-born American Jew who was a Holocaust survivor of World War II and enlisted U.S. infantryman and prisoner of war in the Korean War, whom many believed to have been overlooked because of his religion. [208]

On April 11, 2013, President Obama presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to Army chaplain Captain Emil Kapaun for his actions as a prisoner of war during the Korean War. [209] This follows other awards to Army Sergeant Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. for conspicuous gallantry in action on May 10, 1970, near Se San, Cambodia, during the Vietnam War [210] and to Army Private First Class Henry Svehla and Army Private First Class Anthony T. Kahoʻohanohano for their heroic actions during the Korean War. [211]

As a result of a congressionally mandated review to ensure brave acts were not overlooked due to prejudice or discrimination, on March 18, 2014, President Obama upgraded Distinguished Service Crosses to Medals of Honor for 24 Hispanic, Jewish and black individuals—the "Valor 24"—for their actions in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. [212] Three were still living at the time of the ceremony. [212]

On November 6, 2014, President Obama presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to First Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing for actions on July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg. Lieutenant Cushing's award is the last Medal of Honor to be presented to a soldier in the American Civil War, 151 years after the date of the action. [213]

In 2010 and again in 2014, Congress directed the Department of Defense to “survey military leaders . . . to the lowest level of command to determine if there is a trend of downgrading awards . . . for medals related to acts of valor and gallantry,” and also to “review the Medal of Honor process to ensure that the nomination process, valor requirements, and timeliness of the process do not unfairly penalize service members.” This ultimately resulted in a review of all post 9/11 valor awards, several of which resulted in Medals of Honor. [214]

Another historical review for World War I medals that may have been tainted by discrimination was authorized in the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act. [215] Conducted under the George S. Rob Centre at Park University, the review is still ongoing but has already identified some 200 medals for potential upgrade. [216]

27th Maine and other revoked awards

A Medal of Honor monument at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas Medal of Honor monument, Austin, TX IMG 2206.JPG
A Medal of Honor monument at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas

During the Civil War, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton promised a Medal of Honor to every man in the 27th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment who extended his enlistment beyond his separation date. The Battle of Gettysburg was imminent, and 311 men of the regiment volunteered to serve until the battle was resolved. The remaining men returned to Maine, and with the Union victory at Gettysburg the 311 volunteers soon followed. They arrived back in Maine in time to be discharged with the men who had returned earlier. Since there seemed to be no official list of the 311 volunteers, the War Department exacerbated the situation by forwarding 864 medals to the commanding officer of the regiment. The commanding officer only issued the medals to the volunteers who stayed behind and retained the others on the grounds that, if he returned the remainder to the War Department, the War Department would try to reissue the medals. [217]

In 1916, a board of five Army generals on the retired list convened under act of law to review every Army Medal of Honor awarded. The board was to report on any Medals of Honor awarded or issued "for any cause other than distinguished conduct by an officer or enlisted man in action involving actual conflict with an enemy." [45] The commission, led by Nelson A. Miles, identified 911 awards for causes other than distinguished conduct. This included the 864 medals awarded to members of the 27th Maine regiment; 29 servicemen who served as Abraham Lincoln's funeral guard; six civilians, including Mary Edwards Walker and Buffalo Bill Cody; and 12 others. [218] [219] Walker's medal was restored by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in 1977, an action that is often attributed to President Jimmy Carter in error. [220] Cody and four other civilian scouts who rendered distinguished service in action, and who were therefore considered by the board to have fully earned their medals, also had their medals restored by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in 1989. [221] The report issued by the Medal of Honor review board in 1917 was reviewed by the Judge Advocate General, who also advised that the War Department should not seek the return of the revoked medals from the recipients identified by the board. In the case of recipients who continued to wear the medal, the War Department was advised to take no action to enforce the statute. [222]

Similarly-named U.S. decorations

The following decorations, in one degree or another, bear similar names to the Medal of Honor, but are entirely separate awards with different criteria for issuance:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legion of Merit</span> Military award of the United States Armed Forces

The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight uniformed services of the United States as well as to military and political figures of foreign governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple Heart</span> United States military decoration

The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, which took the form of a heart made of purple cloth, the Purple Heart is the oldest military award still given to U.S. military members. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Star</span> United States military medal for gallantry in action

The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.

The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth version existing for acts of joint military service performed under the Department of Defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navy and Marine Corps Medal</span> U.S. non-combat decoration

The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the highest non-combat decoration awarded for heroism by the United States Department of the Navy to members of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The medal was established by an act of Congress on 7 August 1942, and is authorized under 10 U.S.C. § 6246.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navy Cross</span> U.S. Naval Service medal for valor

The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for Sailors and Marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army's Distinguished Service Cross, the Air and Space Forces' Air Force Cross, and the Coast Guard Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Distinguished Service Cross (United States)</span> US Armys second highest medal

The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the United States Army's second highest military decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree that they are above those required for all other U.S. combat decorations, but which do not meet the criteria for the Medal of Honor. The Army Distinguished Service Cross is equivalent to the Naval Services' Navy Cross, the Air and Space Forces' Air Force Cross, and the Coast Guard Cross. Prior to the creation of the Air Force Cross in 1960, airmen were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soldier's Medal</span> United States Army heroism award

The Soldier's Medal is an individual decoration of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926. The Soldier's Medal is equivalent to the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the Air and Space Forces' Airman's Medal, and the Coast Guard Medal. Prior to the creation of the Airman's Medal in 1960, airmen were awarded the Soldier's Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces</span> Military awards and decorations of the US

The awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces include various medals, service ribbons, ribbon devices, and specific badges which recognize military service and personal accomplishments of members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Force Cross (United States)</span> United States Air and Space Forces service cross medal

The Air Force Cross (AFC) is the United States Air Force and United States Space Force's second highest military decoration for airmen and guardians who distinguish themselves with extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is awarded to any person, while serving in any capacity with the Air Force or Space Force, who distinguish themselves by extraordinary heroism, not justifying the award of a Medal of Honor.

A "V" device is a metal 14-inch (6.4 mm) capital letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes a decoration awarded for combat valor or heroism from the same decoration being awarded for a member's actions under circumstances other than combat.

The Citation Star was a Department of War personal valor decoration issued as a ribbon device which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918. When awarded, a 316-inch (4.8 mm) silver star was placed on the suspension ribbon and service ribbon of the World War I Victory Medal to denote a Citation (certificate) for "Gallantry In Action" was awarded to a soldier, or to a marine or attached to the Army's Second Division, American Expeditionary Forces. The Citation Star was replaced in 1932 with the introduction of the Silver Star Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Ortega</span>

John (Juan) Ortega, was the first Spanish sailor to be awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor in combat — the Medal of Honor. He distinguished himself, during the South Atlantic Blockade, by the Union Naval forces, during the American Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stolen Valor Act of 2005</span> U.S. law regarding unauthorized wear, manufacture, or sale of any military decorations and medals

The Stolen Valor Act of 2005, signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2006, was a U.S. law that broadened the provisions of previous U.S. law addressing the unauthorized wear, manufacture, or sale of any military decorations and medals. The law made it a federal misdemeanor to falsely represent oneself as having received any U.S. military decoration or medal. If convicted, defendants might have been imprisoned for up to six months, unless the decoration lied about is the Medal of Honor, in which case imprisonment could have been up to one year. In United States v. Alvarez (2012), the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 was an unconstitutional abridgment of the freedom of speech under the First Amendment–striking down the law in a 6 to 3 decision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiffany Cross Medal of Honor</span> US Navy award for heroism (1917–1928)

The Tiffany Cross Medal of Honor arose immediately after World War I, as the US Navy decided to recognize via the Medal of Honor two manners of heroism, one in combat and one in the line of a sailor's profession. The original upside-down star was designated as the non-combat version and a new pattern of the medal pendant, in cross form, was designed by the Tiffany Company in 1919. It was to be presented to a sailor or Marine who "in action involving actual conflict with the enemy, distinguish[es] himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty and without detriment to his mission." This pendant became the Tiffany Cross.

John B. Frisbee was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast Guard Cross</span> United States Coast Guard service cross medal

The Coast Guard Cross (CGC) is the United States Coast Guard's second highest military decoration for Coast Guardsmen who distinguish themselves extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. Established by Act of Congress on 15 October 2010, it is intended to recognize members of the United States Coast Guard for extraordinary heroism in action. Coast Guardsmen serving under the Department of the Navy would be eligible for the Navy Cross. This medal, though approved, has not yet been awarded. By virtue of having never been awarded, it is the rarest United States military award.

References

Footnotes

  1. As amended by Act of July 25, 1963
  2. For service in the American Civil War to a U.S. Army Private Jacob Parrott.
  3. U.S. Coast Guard Signalman First Class Douglas Albert Munro was posthumously awarded the Navy version of the Medal of Honor for bravery at Guadalcanal on September 27, 1942.
  4. Rank refers to rank held at time of Medal of Honor action.

Citations

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Works cited

Further reading