The Medal of Honor is the United States of America's highest military honor, awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. The medal is awarded by the President of the United States in the name of Congress to US military personnel only. There are three versions of the medal, one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Air Force. Personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard receive the Navy Medal of Honor.
The Medal of Honor is usually presented by the President at the White House in a formal ceremony intended to represent the gratitude of the American people, with posthumous presentations made to the primary next of kin.[4][5] In 1990, Congress designated March 25 annually as "National Medal of Honor Day".[6] Due to its prestige and status, the Medal of Honor is afforded special protection under U.S. law against any unauthorized adornment, sale or manufacture, which includes any associated ribbon or badge.[7]
Although the medal is sometimes referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor, the original and official name is simply the "Medal of Honor".
History
- 1780: The Fidelity Medallion was a small medal worn on a chain around the neck, similar to a religious medal, that was awarded only to three militiamen from New York state, for the capture of John André, a British officer and spy connected directly to General Benedict Arnold (American and British general-1780) during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). The capture saved West Point (fort) from the British Army.
- 1782: Badge of Military Merit: The first formal system for rewarding acts of individual gallantry by American soldiers was established by George Washington when he issued a field order on August 7, 1782, for a Badge of Military Merit to recognize those members of the Continental Army who performed "any singular meritorious action". This decoration is America's first combat decoration and was preceded only by the Fidelity Medallion, the Congressional medal for Henry Lee awarded in September 1779 in recognition of his attack on the British at Paulus Hook, the Congressional medal for General Horatio Gates awarded in November 1777 in recognition of his victory over the British at Saratoga, and the Congressional medal for George Washington awarded in March 1776.[1][11][12] Although the Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse after the American Revolutionary War, the concept of a military award for individual gallantry by members of the U.S. Armed Forces had been established.
- 1847: Certificate of Merit: After the outbreak of the Mexican-American War (1846–1848) a Certificate of Merit was established in 1847 for soldiers who distinguished themselves in action. The certificate was discontinued and reintroduced in 1876. In 1918, the certificate was granted medal status as the Certificate of Merit Medal.[13]
- 1861: There were no military awards or medals at the beginning of the Civil War (1861–1865) except for the Certificate of Merit which was awarded for the Mexican-American War. In the fall of 1861, a proposal for a battlefield decoration for valor was memorandumed to Winfield Scott, the general-in-chief of the army, by Lt. Colonel Edward D. Townsend, an assistant adjutant at the War Department and Scott's chief of staff. Scott however, was strictly against medals being awarded which was the European tradition. After Scott retired in October 1861, the Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, adopted the idea of a decoration to recognize and honor distinguished naval service. On October 9, U.S. Senator (Iowa) James W. Grimes, Chairman on the Committee on Naval Affairs, proposed Public Resolution Number 82,[14] "to promote the efficiency of the Navy" which included a provision for a Navy Medal of Valor[15] which was signed into law (12Stat329) by President Abraham Lincoln on December 21, 1861, "to be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry and other seamen-like qualities during the present war".[16] Secretary Wells directed the Philadelphia Mint to design the new military decoration.[17][18][19]
- 1862: On May 15, the Navy Department ordered 175 medals with the words "Personal Valor" on the back from the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.[20] Senator Henry Wilson, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, introduced a resolution on February 15 for an Army Medal of Honor. The resolution was approved by Congress and signed into law on July 12, 1862. 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". During the war, Townsend would have some medals delivered to some recipients with a letter requesting acknowledgement of the "Medal of Honor". The letter written and signed by Townsend on behalf of the Secretary of War, stated that the resolution was "to provide for the presentation of medals of honor to the enlisted men of the army and volunteer forces who have distinguished or may distinguish themselves in battle during the present rebellion".[21][22] By mid-November the War Department contracted with Philadelphia silversmith William Wilson and Son, who had been responsible for the Navy design, to prepare 2,000 Army medals to be cast at the mint.[23] The Army version had "The Congress to" written on the back of the medal. Both versions were made of made of copper and coated with bronze, which "gave them a reddish tint."[24][25]
- 1863: Congress made the Medal of Honor a permanent decoration. On March 3, Army officers became eligible for the Medal of Honor.[26][27] The Secretary of War first presented the Medal of Honor to six Union Army volunteers on March 25, 1863 in his office.[28]
- 1915: On March 3, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard officers became eligible for the Medal of Honor.[30][32][33]
- 1963: A separate Coast Guard medal was authorized in 1963, but not yet designed or awarded.[34]
- 1965: A separate design for a version of the medal for the U.S. Air
Force was created in 1956, authorized in 1960, and officially adopted on
April 14, 1965. Previously, members of the U.S. Army Air Corps, U.S. Army Air Forces, and the U.S. Air Force received the Army version of the medal.[35]
Appearance
There are three versions of the Medal of Honor, one for each of the military departments of the Department of Defense: Army, Navy, and Air Force. Members of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard are eligible to receive the Navy version. Each 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.[36]
Army recipients
The Army version is described by the Institute of Heraldry as "a gold five pointed star, each point tipped with trefoils, 1 1/2 inches 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."[37] The pendant and suspension bar are made of gilding metal, with the eye, jump rings, and suspension ring made of red brass.[38] The finish on the pendant and suspension bar is hard enameled, gold plated, and rose gold plated, with polished highlights.[38]
Air Force recipients
The Air Force 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 the thunderbolt from the Air Force Coat of Arms."[37] The pendant is made of gilding metal.[40] The connecting bar, hinge, and pin are made of bronze.[40] The finish on the pendant and suspension bar is hard enameled, gold plated, and rose gold plated, with buffed relief.[40]
Ribbons, lapel button, and "V" device
- Neck ribbon: Since 1944, the Medal of Honor has been attached to a light blue[41] colored moiré silk neck ribbon that is 1.1875 inches (30.16 millimetres) in width and 21.75 inches (552 millimetres) in length.[1][42] The center of the ribbon displays thirteen white stars in the form of three chevrons. The Medal of Honor is one of only two military neck order awards and is the only neck order that is awarded to members of the armed forces. The other, the Commander's Degree of the Legion of Merit, is presented to foreign dignitaries.[43]
- Service ribbon and 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".[19][37][44] The service ribbon is light blue with five white stars in the form of an "M".[37] It is placed first in the top position in the order of precedence and is worn for situations other than full-dress military uniform.[37] The lapel button is a 1/2 inch, six-sided light blue bowknot rosette with thirteen white stars and may be worn on appropriate civilian clothing on the left lapel.[37]
- "V" Device: Currently, no more than one Medal of Honor may be awarded to an individual.[45] However, as of 2010, "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."[45] The "V" device is a 1/4 inch high bronze miniature letter "V" with serifs. The Medal of Honor is the only decoration to use the "V" device to designate subsequent awards in such fashion. Nineteen individuals, now deceased, were double Medal of Honor recipients.[46]
Historical versions
The Medal of Honor has evolved in appearance over time. The upside-down star design of the Navy version's pendant adopted in early 1862 has not changed since its inception. The Army 1862 version followed and was identical to the Navy version except an eagle perched atop cannons was used instead of an anchor to connect the pendant to the suspension ribbon. In 1896, the Army version changed the ribbon's design and colors due to misuse and imitation by nonmilitary organizations.[37] 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.[37] In 1913, the Navy version adopted the same ribbon pattern.In 1944, the suspension ribbons for both the Army and Navy version were replaced with the now familiar neck ribbon.[37] When the Air Force version was designed in 1956, it incorporated similar elements and design from the Army version. It used a larger star with the Statue of Liberty image in place of Minerva on the medal and changed the connecting device from an eagle to a pair of wings with thunderbolts.[49][50]
-
Flag
On October 23, 2002, Pub.L. 107–248 was enacted, modifying 36 U.S.C. § 903, authorizing a Medal of Honor flag to be presented to recipients of the decoration.[51]
The flag was based on a concept by retired Army Special Forces First Sergeant Bill Kendall of Jefferson, Iowa,[52] who designed a flag to honor Medal of Honor recipient Captain Darrell Lindsey, a B-26 pilot from Jefferson who was killed in 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 design, ultimately accepted as the official flag, does not include the words "Medal of Honor" and is fringed in gold. 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,[1] replicate the suspension ribbon of the Medal of Honor. The flag has no set proportions.[53]
- The first Medal of Honor recipient to receive the official Medal of Honor flag was Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith. The Medal of Honor with the flag was presented by President George W. Bush to his family during a ceremony at the White House on April 4, 2005.[54]
Presenting
There are two distinct protocols for awarding the Medal of Honor. The first and most common is nomination and approval through the chain of command of the service member. The second method is nomination by a member of the U.S. Congress, generally at the request of a constituent, and the subsequent approval via a special Act of Congress. In both cases, the Medal of Honor is presented by the President on behalf of, and in the name of, the Congress.[56] Since 1941, more than half of the Medals of Honor have been awarded posthumously.[57] Medal of Honor recipients are usually personally decorated by the President.[58] If the Medal of Honor is awarded posthumously it is presented to the recipient's family.[59]Evolution of criteria
- 1800s: Several months after President Abraham Lincoln signed Public Resolution 82 into law on December 21, 1861 for a Navy medal of honor, a similar resolution was passed in July 1862 for an Army version of the medal. Six Union Army soldiers who hijacked a Confederate locomotive named the General in 1862, were the first Medal of Honor recipients;[60] James J. Andrews, a civilian, led the raid. He was caught and hanged as a Union spy, but was not awarded the medal. Many Medals of Honor awarded in the 19th century were associated with, "saving the flag" (and country), not just for patriotic reasons, but because the U.S. flag was a primary means of battlefield communication at the time. Because no other military decoration was authorized during the Civil War, some seemingly less exceptional and notable actions were recognized by a Medal of Honor during that conflict.
- 1900s: Early in the 20th century, the Navy awarded many Medals of Honor for peacetime bravery. For instance, in 1901, John Henry Helms aboard the USS Chicago (CA-14) was awarded the medal for saving the ship's cook from drowning. Seven sailors aboard the USS Iowa (BB-4) were awarded the medal after the ship's boiler exploded on January 25, 1904. Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett were awarded the medal -- combat ("Tiffany") version despite the existence then of a non-combat form of the Navy medal -- for the 1926 flight they claim reached the North Pole.[61] And Admiral Thomas J. Ryan was awarded the medal for saving a woman from the burning Grand Hotel in Yokohama, Japan, following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.[62] Between 1919 and 1942, the Navy issued two separate versions of the Medal of Honor, one for acts related to combat and one for non-combat bravery. The criteria for the award tightened during World War I for the Army version of the Medal of Honor, while the Navy version retained a non-combat provision until 1963. In an Act of Congress of July 9, 1918, the War Department version of the medal required that the recipient "distinguish himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty," and also required that the act of valor be performed "in action involving actual conflict with an enemy."[63] This was in reaction to the results of the Army Medal of Honor Review Board, which struck 911 names from the Medal of Honor Roll in February 1917 for lack of basic prerequisites. These included the members of the 27th Maine erroneously awarded the medal for reenlisting to guard the capital during the Civil War, 29 members of Abraham Lincoln's funeral detail, and six civilians including Buffalo Bill Cody and Mary Walker.[64]
- World War II: Starting in 1942, the Medal would only be awarded for action in combat, although the Navy version of the Medal of Honor technically allowed non-combat awards until 1963.[65] Official accounts vary, but generally, the Medal of Honor for combat was known as the "Tiffany Cross", after the company that designed the medal. The Tiffany Cross was first awarded in 1919, but was unpopular partly because of its design.[66] The Tiffany Cross Medal of Honor was awarded twice for non-combat. By a special authorized Act of Congress, the medal was presented to Byrd and Bennett (see above).[67][68] In 1942, the United States Navy reverted to a single Medal of Honor, although the statute still contained a loophole allowing the award for both "action involving actual conflict with the enemy" or "in the line of his profession."[69] Arising from these criteria, approximately 60 percent of the medals earned during and after World War II have been awarded posthumously.[70]
- Public Law 88-77, July 25, 1963: The requirements for the Medal of Honor were standardized among all the services, requiring that a recipient had "distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty."[71] Thus, the act removed the loophole allowing non-combat awards to Navy personnel. The act also clarified that the act of valor must occur during one of three circumstances:[72]
- While engaged in action against an enemy of the United States
- While engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force.
- 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.[73][74]
Note: In 1968, Navy Captain William McGonagle (1925–1999) was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the USS Liberty incident on June 8--9, 1967. This friendly fire incident occurred during the Arab-Israeli Six Day War (June 5--10, 1967).[78][79]
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