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Medal of Honor: History and Issues
Barbara Salazar Torreon
Analyst in Defense Budget and Military Manpower
April 10, 2015
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
95-519

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Medal of Honor: History and Issues

Summary
The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for bravery. It is awarded by the
President in the name of Congress. For this reason, it is often referred to as the Congressional
Medal of Honor. Since it was first presented in 1863, the medal has been awarded 3,510 times to
3,491 recipients. Nineteen individuals have been double recipients of the award.
Recipients of the Medal of Honor are afforded a number of benefits as a result of this award.
Since the award’s inception, the laws and regulations that apply to it have changed. In certain
cases, the award has been rescinded. Six rescinded awards have been reinstated.
On a number of occasions, legislation has been offered to waive certain restrictions and to
encourage the President to award the Medal of Honor to particular individuals. Generally
speaking, this type of legislation is rarely enacted. In a very limited number of cases, the medal
has been awarded outside the legal restrictions concerning time limits. These cases are often
based on technical errors, lost documents or eyewitness accounts, or other factors that justify
reconsideration. These cases, however, represent the exception and not the rule.
For information on recent recipients, see CRS Report RL30011, Medal of Honor Recipients:
1979-2014
, by Anne Leland.

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Contents
Background ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Current Policy and Benefits ............................................................................................................. 3
Procedures Involving Recommendations for the MoH ............................................................. 3
Presentation of the MoH ............................................................................................................ 5
Courtesies and Privileges Afforded MoH Recipients ................................................................ 5
Congressional and Other Efforts to Award the Medal of Honor ...................................................... 6
Statutory Restrictions ..................................................................................................................... 16
Stolen Valor Act ....................................................................................................................... 17
MoH Recipients in 2014 ................................................................................................................ 17
Valor 24 ................................................................................................................................... 17
Living Recipients from Afghanistan and Iraq ......................................................................... 18
Vietnam Veterans ..................................................................................................................... 19
Civil War .................................................................................................................................. 19
World War I ............................................................................................................................. 19
Legislation in the 114th Congress ................................................................................................... 20
Additional Sources of Information ................................................................................................ 21

Tables
Table 1. Medal of Honor Bills in the 113th Congress (2013-2014) .................................................. 7
Table 2.Medal of Honor Bills in the 114th Congress (2015) .......................................................... 20
Table A-1. Medal of Honor Breakdown by War and Service ........................................................ 24
Table A-2. Medal of Honor Total Numbers ................................................................................... 25

Appendixes
Appendix. Official Citation Samples and Statistics ....................................................................... 22

Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 25
Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... 25

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embers and staff of Congress often ask the Congressional Research Service to provide
information concerning the awarding of the Medal of Honor (MoH). This report briefly
Mdescribes the history of the MoH and the criteria and rules used in awarding the medal.
The benefits that are made available to Medal of Honor recipients are listed. This report also
describes the process involved in reconsidering an individual for receipt of the medal (including
what assistance a Member may provide in this process). The applicable statutes concerning those
improperly holding, trading, or selling the award as well as those who wrongly claim to be medal
recipients are summarized. Some citations of those who have been awarded the MoH are
provided as examples along with certain statistics describing the recipients. For recent official
citations, see CRS Report RL30011, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2014, by Anne Leland.
Background
According to a U.S. Senate Committee Print on the Medal of Honor:
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for bravery1 that can be given to any individual in
the United States of America. Conceived in the early 1860s and first presented in 1863, the
medal has a colorful and inspiring history which has culminated in the standards applied
today for awarding this respected honor.
In their provisions for judging whether a man is entitled to the Medal of Honor, each of the
armed services has set up regulations which permit no margin of doubt or error. The deed of
the person must be proved by incontestable evidence of at least two eyewitnesses; it must be
so outstanding that it clearly distinguishes his gallantry beyond the call of duty from lesser
forms of bravery; it must involve the risk of his life; and it must be of the type of deed
which, if he had not done it, would not subject him to any justified criticism.
A recommendation for the Army or Air Force Medal must be made within 2 years from the
date of the deed upon which it depends. Award of the medal must be made within 3 years
after the date of the deed. The recommendation for a Navy Medal of Honor must be made
within 3 years and awarded within 5 years.
Apart from the great honor which it conveys, there are certain small privileges which
accompany the Medal of Honor....
The Medal of Honor is presented to its recipients by a high official “in the name of the
Congress of the United States.” For this reason it is sometimes called the Congressional
Medal of Honor.
As a general rule, the Medal of Honor can be earned—by a deed of personal bravery or self-
sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty—only while a person is a member of the
American Armed Forces in actual combat with an enemy of the Nation. This was the case,

1 Acts of bravery and courage are not unusual among those in uniform. The fact that many members of the U.S. Armed
Forces have engaged in direct battle with an enemy or carried out their duties under enemy attack is taken as a sign of
this bravery and courage. However, the level of heroism usually cited among those who receive the Medal of Honor is
uncommonly high. The distinction of this type of valor, heroism, courage, and bravery, in an environment where
bravery and courage are the norm—and must be the norm in order to carry out effective military operations—may
prove difficult to recognize by the outsider. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Medal of Honor Recipients 1863-
1978
, committee print, 96th Cong., 1st sess., February 14, 1979, S. Committee Print no. 3.
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for example, during World Wars I and II and the Korean conflict. However, the Navy Medal
of Honor could be and has been on several occasions, awarded to noncombatants.
On a few, rare occasions, the Congress of the United States has awarded special Medals of
Honor for individual exploits taking place in peacetime. Such a Medal of Honor was
awarded Capt. Charles A. Lindbergh for his “heroic courage and skill as a navigator, at the
risk of his life, for his nonstop flight in his airplane from New York to Paris, France, 20-21
May 1927.” In peace or war, this medal is the highest decoration which can be given in any
of the Armed Forces—Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard.2
Since its beginning, the awarding of the Medal of Honor has been subjected to numerous
changes. Although not the first military award,3 the medal became very popular. Cases of abuse,
wherein soldiers obtained the award surreptitiously and used it to solicit charity, have been cited.
As of this printing, 3,510 Medals of Honor have been awarded to 3,491 recipients. There have
been 19 double recipients (14 for separate actions and five cases in which the Army and Navy
Medals of Honor were awarded for the same action). Since World War I, there has been an
implied reluctance to award the medal more than once to the same person.
During the Civil War, President Lincoln, in need of troops, awarded the medal to the members of
a single regiment (the 27th Maine Volunteer Infantry), as an inducement to keep them on active
duty. Due to a clerical error, the entire unit (864 men) received the medal, despite the fact that
only 309 men actually volunteered for extended duty (the rest went home). Others were awarded
the medal under questionable circumstances. William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody and others were
awarded the medal although they were civilians serving with the military. Mary Edwards Walker,
a contract surgeon (civilian) and the only woman to receive the medal, was allegedly awarded it
during the Civil War to placate her after the termination of her contract with the Army.4 Questions
of her medical skills and loyalties to the Union have been raised over the years (see page 10).
In 1916, a board was created to determine eligibility for the award and to review the cases of
those who had already received the award:
And in any case ... in which said board shall find and report that said medal was issued for
any cause other than that hereinbefore specified the name of the recipient of the medal so
issued shall be stricken permanently from the official Medal of Honor list. It shall be a
misdemeanor for him to wear or publicly display such medal, and, if he shall be in the Army,
he shall be required to return said medal to the War Department for cancellation.5
All of the 2,625 medals awarded up to that time were considered by the board, and nearly one-
third (911) were canceled. Most of these canceled awards constituted those issued to the 27th
Maine Volunteer Infantry. William Cody’s and Mary Edwards Walker’s awards were canceled.

2 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, Subcommittee on Veterans’ Affairs, Medal of Honor
1863-1968
, 90th Cong., 2d sess. (Washington: GPO, 1968), p. 1. For a list of recent recipients and their citations, see
CRS Report RL30011, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2014, by Anne Leland.
3 George Washington created the Purple Heart in 1782. Three men received the award in 1783. The Purple Heart was
not awarded again until World War I or later, and has been based on different criteria.
4 Rudi Williams, “Only Woman Medal of Honor Holder Ahead of Her Time,” American Forces Press Service, April
30, 1999, at http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=42772.
5 Medal of Honor, Committee Print, 1968, p. 9.
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In 1918, during U.S. participation in World War I, Congress decided to clear away any
inconsistencies of the legislation which had grown around the Army medal and make a set of
rules for its award....
[T]he provisions of existing law relating to the award of the Medals of Honor ... are amended
so that the President is authorized to present, in the name of Congress, a Medal of Honor
only to each person who, while an officer or enlisted man of the Army, shall hereafter, in
action involving actual conflict with an enemy, distinguish himself conspicuously by
gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.6
Policies, regulations and guidance were provided to commanders throughout the following years
concerning the medal for the Army as well as the other services. In many ways, these later awards
were better documented. Such documentation served as a standard for the consideration of other
deeds in awarding the Medal of Honor or other appropriate awards (e.g., the Silver Star, Bronze
Star). Examples of citations of Medal of Honor awards are included in the Appendix.
Under current law:
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—i.e., Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard—or Air Force],
distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty—
(1) While engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
(2) While engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force;
or,
(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.7
Current Policy and Benefits
The following information is from the DOD Manual of Military Decorations & Awards,
including changes as of March 4, 2015. This section provides detail on the procedures involving
recommendations for the MoH, presentation of the MoH, and courtesies and privileges afforded
MoH recipients.
Procedures Involving Recommendations for the MoH8
[1.] The Secretary concerned shall establish procedures for processing recommendations for
the award of the MoH in his or her Military Department. Minimally, those recommendations

6 Medal of Honor, Committee Print, 1968, p. 11.
7 10 U.S.C. 3741, 10 U.S.C. 6241, and 10 U.S.C. 8741; Title 10 also allows the President to delegate his authority to
award the Medal of Honor. Thus, the authority to award the Medal lies with the President alone unless he so delegates.
8 DOD, Manual of Military Decorations & Awards, 1348.33-M, Volume I, November 23, 2010, Incorporating Change
4, March 4, 2015, at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134833vol1.pdf.
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shall contain the endorsement of the subordinate Unified Combatant Commander or the JTF
Commander, if involved; the Unified Combatant Commander concerned; and the Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After endorsement by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
the recommendation shall be referred to the Secretary concerned for appropriate action.
[2.] The Army and Air Force MoH recommendations must be entered formally into official
channels within two years of the act warranting the recommendation, and awarded in three
years (except as provided in title 10 U.S.C. 3744 or 8744 ... and Section 1130 of title 10,
U.S.C.... The Navy-Marine Corps MoH recommendations must be formally entered into
official channels within three years of the act warranting the recommendation, and awarded
in five years.... However, a Member of Congress can request consideration of a proposal for
the award or presentation of a decoration not previously submitted in a timely fashion....
[3.] Recommendations for award of the MoH disapproved by a Secretary of a Military
Department, or Secretary of Defense, may only be resubmitted if new, substantive and
material information is provided in the time limits.... The information forming the basis must
have been previously unknown and not considered by the recommending and disapproving
officials. The determination of the existence of the new material and substantive information
being a basis for reconsideration may not be delegated below the Service Secretary.
[a.] The remaining bases for reconsideration are instances in which a Secretary of a Military
Department or the Secretary of Defense determines there is evidence of material error or
impropriety in the original processing of or decision on a recommendation for award of the
MoH. Examples of such instances might be loss of accompanying and/or substantiating
documents to the recommendation or proven gender or racial discrimination. Determination
of the existence of material error or impropriety in the original processing and decision shall
not be delegated below the Secretary of a Military Department. In such cases, the Secretary
of Defense shall determine the need for legislation.
[b.] All other instances of reconsideration shall be limited to those in which the formal
recommendation was submitted in statutory time limits, the recommendation was lost or
inadvertently not acted upon, and when these facts are conclusively established by the
respective Secretary of a Military Service or other official delegated appropriate authority.
Those provisions are to protect the integrity and purity of purpose of the MoH by ensuring
that all relevant information is submitted and considered while the actions are fresh in the
minds of the witnesses.
The process for restoration of a rescinded Medal of Honor is different. Since the rescissions
during World War I, no other MoH awards have been rescinded. However, if a request for a
restoration of a MoH were made, the process would be different than the procedures noted above.
For those seeking restoration of the Medal of Honor, an appeal must be considered by the
appropriate Board for Correction of Military Records.9 This appeal is requested via the President,
a Member of Congress, or the Secretary of Defense. If the board recommends reinstatement, the
decision is passed to the service Secretary and then, ultimately, to the President.

9 Contact information for the Boards for Correction of Military Records for each service is available at
https://kb.defense.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/386/~/boards-for-correction-of-military-records. A link to DD Form
149, Application for Correction of Military Records under the Provisions of 10 USC 1552, is also provided.
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Presentation of the MoH
When practical, presentation of the MoH shall be made by the President of the United States,
as CINC [Commander-in-Chief], in a formal ceremony in Washington, D.C. As such,
premature public disclosure of information concerning recommendations, processing and
approval or disapproval actions is a potential source of embarrassment to those
recommended and the Government. Additionally, in the case of approved recommendations,
it could diminish the impact of ceremonies at which the presentation is made. Therefore, to
prevent premature disclosure, the policy of the Department is not to comment on any MoH
case under consideration. Accordingly, the processing of MoH recommendations shall be
handled on a “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” basis until the awards are announced officially
or are presented. Additionally, pending MOH recommendations are pre-decisional and are
exempt from public release under section 552(b) (5) of Title 5, U.S.C. (Reference (v)), also
known as the “Freedom of Information Act.”10
Courtesies and Privileges Afforded MoH Recipients11
[1.] Each recipient receives a monthly [$1,299.61] dollar pension from the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA).12
[2.] Enlisted recipients who retire with 20 or more years of Military Service receive a 10-
percent increase in retired pay, not to exceed the 75 percent maximum.
[3.] Recipients are issued a special MoH Travel and Identification Card signed by the
Secretary of the Military Department. That entitles recipients who are not on active duty and
not military retirees to use space available military air transportation.
[4.] Unlike [active duty and reserve] military personnel and retirees, MoH recipients may
wear their uniforms at any time or place they choose.
[5.] (e) Recipients who are not on active duty or a military retiree are issued a DoD
Identification Card, as are their dependents. It authorizes them military commissary, post
exchange, and theater privileges. All of the Military Departments, consistent with DoD
policy, authorize use of morale, welfare, and recreation activities, including honorary club
membership without dues are authorized pursuant to DoDI 1330.17, DoDI 1015.10, and
DoDI 1330.21 (References (y), (z), and (aa), respectively.
[6.] Children of MoH recipients are not subject to quotas if they are qualified and desire to
attend one of the U.S. military academies.
[7.] MoH recipients receive invitations to attend Presidential inaugurations and
accompanying festivities. Military recipients and those who are civil servants have
traditionally been authorized administrative absence in lieu of chargeable leave to attend.

10 DOD, Manual of Military Decorations & Awards, DoD 1348.33-M, Volume I, November 23, 2010, Incorporating
Change 4, March 4, 2015, p.32 at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134833vol1.pdf.
11 Ibid, pp. 33-35.
12 The Veterans Benefits Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-330) created a formula for future increases in the Medal of Honor
pension tied to the annual rate of inflation. Previously, each increase in the MoH pension occurred as a result of an act
of Congress. See CRS Report RS22804, Veterans’ Benefits: Pension Benefit Programs, by Umar Moulta-Ali and Carol
D. Davis, “Medal of Honor Pension” section; and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Special Benefit Allowances
Rates: Current as of December 1, 2014, at http://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/
special_Benefit_Allowances_2014.asp.
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[8.] The VA provides a special engraved headstone for deceased recipients of the MoH.
[9.] MoH recipients should be accorded on-base billeting commensurate with the prestige
associated with the MoH.
In 2000, Congress extended permissive health care benefits to Medal of Honor recipients and
their dependents in the same manner as is currently available to military retirees and their
dependents.13
In addition, they receive a 10% increase in retired pay up to 75% of active duty pay (10 U.S.C.
§3991, See sub (a) (2)):
(2) ADDITIONAL 10 PERCENT FOR CERTAIN ENLISTED MEMBERS CREDITED
WITH EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM.—If a member who is retired under section 3914 of
this title has been credited by the Secretary of the Army with extraordinary heroism in the
line of duty, the member’s retired pay shall be increased by 10 percent of the amount
determined under paragraph (1) (but not more than 75 percent of the retired pay base upon
which the computation of such retired pay is based). The Secretary’s determination as to
extraordinary heroism is conclusive for all purposes.
Congressional and Other Efforts to Award the
Medal of Honor

Generally speaking, the originating request for military awards, including the MoH, is made by
the military commander or other appropriate uniformed personnel. Those on the scene and/or
those familiar with military operations are often considered to be in the best position to observe
the individual actions and make the recommendation for award. It is considered appropriate,
therefore, those military personnel—that is, those familiar with human behavior under the stress
of combat situations—make the originating recommendations regarding this or other awards.
In a number of instances, Members of Congress or others have urged the President to consider or
reconsider an individual for the MoH. Over the years, Members of Congress have offered
numerous bills for this purpose. Much of this legislation takes the form of extensive findings
detailing the background, situation, and exploits concerned. Where important, special mention
may be made of the reason(s) the MoH was not originally awarded (e.g., a presumption of racism,
lost documents recently uncovered, etc.). The legislation then resolves that notwithstanding
restrictions contained in Title 10 U.S.C. (i.e., restrictions pertaining to time limits), the President
is “requested” to award the MoH.14 In certain cases, Congress has held hearings concerning the
award.15 See Table 1 for a list of bills introduced during the 113th Congress (2013-2014) to award
the MOH.

13 P.L. 106-398; 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A-175; October 30, 2000.
14 For examples of legislation offered in the 113th Congress, see H.R. 658, H.R. 1237, H.R. 2082, H.R. 2106, H.R.
3304, H.R. 3364, H.Con.Res. 26, S. 993, S. 1258, and S.Con.Res. 9.
15 See U.S. Congress, House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Personnel and Compensation, H.J.Res.
279, H.R. 1730, and H.R. 3401 (Vraciu Congressional Medal of Honor and MIAs/KIAs
), HASC No. 101-77, 101st
Cong., 2d Sess., January 30, 1990; cited from opening statement provided at the hearing.
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Table 1. Medal of Honor Bills in the 113th Congress (2013-2014)
Bill Number and Date
Introduced Title Latest
Action
H.R. 658 on 2/13/2013
To authorize and request the President
2/28/2013—Referred to the House
to award the congressional Medal of
Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Honor to Arthur Jibilian for actions
behind enemy lines during World War
II while a member of the United States
Navy and the Office of Strategic
Services.
H.R. 1237 on 3/18/2013
To authorize and request the President
4/8/2013—Referred to the House
to award the Medal of Honor
Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
posthumously to Major Dominic S.
Gentile of the United States Army Air
Forces for acts of valor during World
War II.
H.R. 2082 on 5/21/2013
Private Bill; To authorize and request
6/20/2013—Referred to the House
the President to award the Medal of
Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Honor to James Megellas, formerly of
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and currently
of Colleyville, Texas, for acts of valor on
January 28, 1945, during the Battle of
the Bulge in World War II.
H.R. 2106 on 5/22/2013
To authorize and request the President
6/20/2013—Referred to the House
to award the Medal of Honor
Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
posthumously to First Lieutenant
Alonzo H. Cushing for acts of valor
during the Civil War.
H.R. 3304 on 10/22/2013
National Defense Authorization Act
12/26/2013—Became Public Law No:
(NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2014 Subtitle H, 113-66. See the fol owing:

Section 583—regarding standardization
to time limits for Recommending and
Sec. 561. Repeal of limitation on
Awarding MOH, DSC, NC, AFC, DSM;
number of medals; Sec. 562.
Section 584—recodification and
Standardization of time-limits for
revision of MOH requirements; Section
recommending and awarding Medal
587—MOH consideration for Sgt.
of Honor and other medals; Sec.
Rafael Peralta; Section 588—DSC for
563. Recodification and revision of
Sergeant Robert F. Kreiser, Korean
Medal of Honor Rol requirements.
War.
Sec. 566. Authorization for award of
the Medal of Honor to former
members of the Armed Forces
previously recommended for award
of the Medal of Honor.
Sec. 567. Authorization for award of
the Medal of Honor for acts of valor
during the Vietnam War.
Sec. 569. Authorization for award of
the Medal of Honor to First
Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing for
acts of valor during the Civil War.
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Bill Number and Date
Introduced Title Latest
Action
H.R. 3364 on 10/29/2013
To authorize and request the President
1/24/2014—Referred to the House
to issue a posthumous commission in
Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
the regular Army to Milton Holland,
who, while sergeant major of the 5th
Regiment, United States Colored
Infantry, was awarded the Medal of
Honor for gallantry during the Civil
War.
H.R. 3979 on 1/31/2014
National Defense Authorization Act
12/19/2014—Signed by the President
(NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015
Sec. 572. Authorization for award of
Sec. 572. Authorization for award of the the Medal of Honor to members of
Medal of Honor to members of the
the Armed Forces for acts of valor
Armed Forces for acts of valor during
during World War I. Waives time
World War I.
limitation for consideration of this
award for (a) Sgt. William Shemin
and (b) Sgt. Henry Johnson.
H.R. 4233 on 3/13/2014
To authorize the President to award the 06/20/2014—Referred to the
Medal of Honor posthumously to Lance
Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Corporal Jordan C. Haerter and
Corporal Jonathan Yale of the Marine
Corps for acts of valor during
Operation Iraqi Freedom in April 2008.
H.R. 5302 on 7/30/2014
Private Bil ; To authorize the President
7/30/2014—Referred to the House
to award the Medal of Honor to Special
Committee on Armed Services.

Forces Command Sergeant Major
Ramon Rodriguez of the United States

Army for acts of valor during the
Vietnam War.
H.Con.Res. 26 on 3/19/2013
Recommending the posthumous award
4/5/2013—Referred to the House
of the Medal of Honor to Sergeant
Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Rafael Peralta.
S. 993 on 5/21/2013
A bill to authorize and request the
6/4/2013—Referred to the Senate
President to award the Medal of Honor
Committee on Armed Services by

to James Megellas, formerly of Fond du
unanimous consent.
Lac, Wisconsin, and currently of
Colleyville, Texas, for acts of valor on

January 28, 1945, during the Battle of
the Bulge in World War II.
S. 1258 on 6/27/2013
A bill to authorize and request the
6/27/2013—Referred to the House
President to award the Medal of Honor
Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

posthumously to First Lieutenant
Alonzo H. Cushing for acts of valor

during the Civil War.
S. 2793 on 9/11/2014
A bill to authorize the award of the
9/19/2014—Referred to House
Medal of Honor to Henry Johnson.
committee. Status: Referred to the
House Committee on Armed
Services.
S.Con.Res. 9 on 3/19/2013
A concurrent resolution recommending
3/19/2013—Referred to Senate
the posthumous award of the Medal of
Committee. Status: Referred to the
Honor to Sergeant Rafael Peralta.
Committee on Armed Services.
Source: Legislative Information System (LIS)/Congress.gov at http://www.congress.gov.
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The handling of these requests, if and when forwarded to the services, varies depending on
whether the individual was originally recommended for the Medal of Honor versus those
instances in which no original recommendation was made.
Generally speaking, the services will not favorably consider awarding the MoH unless the
individual was originally recommended but did not receive the award because of extenuating
circumstances (e.g., the paperwork was lost and only rediscovered, allegations exist that the
individual’s award was downgraded for reasons of racism, etc.). In nearly every case, specific
findings of fact are required that the individual was originally recommended or that the
downgrade occurred under questionable, but verifiable, circumstances. In these cases, a review
may be undertaken by the Board of Correction for Military Records (BCMR) of the appropriate
military department.16 Following the findings of the BCMR, the decision is then passed to
appropriate authorities for further and/or final consideration. This approach has not usually been
successful.
In cases where no original recommendation has been made, extensive and reliable findings of
valid facts must be presented. In these instances, since there is no original record to “correct,” the
BCMR is not necessarily involved in the consideration process. Without an original
recommendation, factual data supporting the award, and compelling reasons for it to be awarded
at a later date, it is very unlikely that the MoH will be awarded. This is particularly so, given that
a great deal of time has often passed and eyewitnesses cannot be found, or do not clearly
remember the events in question.
Nevertheless, on numerous occasions, legislation has been introduced seeking to have the MoH
awarded. The legislation is assigned to the appropriate committee/subcommittee. An executive
comment is usually requested by the committee. In most cases, the executive comment proves
unfavorable and the legislation is not reported out of committee.
In recent times, there have been a number of specific instances in which the MoH was awarded or
reinstated outside of the statutory time limits. In one case, the award was renounced. The
following are examples of these instances.
For his actions in Vietnam on May 2, 1968, Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez, U.S. Army, was
awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (the second-highest Army award for heroism below the
MoH). His commander later recommended that the award be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
The upgrade was denied until a missing eyewitness was located in 1980. President Carter
approved the upgrade on December 31, 1980. On February 24, 1981, President Reagan awarded
Master Sergeant Benavidez the MoH.17
The family of Marine Colonel Donald G. Cook (deceased) received his MoH award on May 16,
1980, for his services during captivity as a POW in North Vietnam from December 31, 1964,
through his death in captivity on December 8, 1967. Information of his heroics was only obtained

16 DOD Knowledge Base, Boards for Correction of Military Records at https://kb.defense.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/
386/~/boards-for-correction-of-military-records.
17 Don Hirst, “Benavidez Receives Medal of Honor,” Army Times, March 9, 1981, p. 34. Congress enacted H.R. 8386
(P.L. 96-81) on December 18, 1980, removing the statutory time limit on the award, thereby clearing the way for MSgt.
Benavidez to receive the medal.
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after the repatriation of other POWs. Colonel Cook’s award was delayed in part because he had
not been officially declared dead.18
President Carter awarded the medal to former Army Lieutenant Colonel Matt Urban for his
services during World War II. Urban’s battalion commander promised to nominate him for the
award but was killed in action. A review of Urban’s records in 1978 revealed a copy of the
proposed letter. There is no evidence, however, that the letter was received by the headquarters of
the 9th Infantry Division in Europe. Under the provisions of the law, a President can make the
final decision of awarding the medal “at any later time in cases of administrative error.”19
On July 29, 1986, Charles Liteky, a former Army chaplain in Vietnam, renounced his Medal of
Honor in protest over U.S. policies in Central America. Liteky’s is the only known case in which
a Medal of Honor has been renounced.20
On April 24, 1991, President George H. W. Bush awarded the MoH (posthumously) to Corporal
Freddie Stowers, U.S. Army, for his services in World War I. Although African Americans had
received the award for other conflicts, Stowers was, at the time, the only African American to be
awarded the MoH for either World War. This presentation followed a review of the award by the
Army into citation records to determine whether or not African Americans were treated fairly.21
Perhaps one of the more contentious awarding of the Medal of Honor involved the case of the
Civil War civilian contract surgeon Mary Edwards Walker. She was awarded the Medal of Honor
by President Andrew Johnson on November 11, 1865, for “services rendered during the war.” She
was a flamboyant and controversial character, and it has been argued that the award was made to
placate her for being terminated by the Army. As with certain other medal recipients of her day,
no specific act of heroism was cited for receiving it.22 Under the review panel’s considerations,
Dr. Walker’s award was stricken because she was not a member of the Armed Forces and because
her services did not involve “actual conflict with an enemy, by gallantry or intrepidity, at the risk
of life, above and beyond the call of duty.”
At the behest of distant relatives, some Members of Congress and President Carter contacted the
DOD on the matter. The Army Board for Corrections of Military Records ruled (with one dissent)
that the decision to rescind the award was “unjust.” Although the board noted that if it had not
been for her sex, she would have been given a commission and her actions would have been those
of a soldier, no specific act of gallantry or heroism was noted. In 1977, her medal was restored.
The restoration of the medal remains highly contentious among both proponents and opponents of
this action.23

18 “Colonel Awarded Medal of Honor Posthumously,” Navy Times, May 26, 1980, p. 2.
19; Chip Brown, “Medal of Honor Winners: 203 Certified Heroes Here: A Pantheon of Certified Heroes Gather,”
Washington Post, January 19, 1981, p. C3.
20 “Veteran Returns Medal to Protest U.S. Policy,” Washington Post, July 30, 1986, p. B3.
21 “Medal of Honor for Black G.I.,” New York Times, April 6, 1991: 6.
22 In fact, numerous interpretations of her service record raise questions regarding her skills and loyalty. Others have
charged that these claims were the result of rampant sexism. Allen D. Spiegel and Andrea M. Spiegel, “Civil War
Doctoress Mary: Only Woman to Win Congressional Medal of Honor,” Minerva: Quarterly Report on Women and the
Military
, vol. XIII, no. 3, Fall 1994, p. 25.
23 See Gene Famiglietti, “MH Award to Dr. Walker Is Hit,” Army Times, June 1977, p. 4; and Nick Adde, “Real
American Heroes,” Army Times, April 11, 1988, p. 57.
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On September 12, 1980, President Carter awarded Anthony Casamento, a Marine Corps veteran
of combat against the Japanese on Guadalcanal during World War II, the Medal of Honor.
Lacking sufficient witnesses to attest to certain deeds, military officials argued that Casamento
should be awarded only the Navy Cross. The President overruled the Pentagon (including the
Secretary of Defense) and awarded the MoH. Critics contend that President Carter’s action was
timed for political effect, as the President awarded the medal just prior to an election-year
appearance before the National Italian-American Foundation.24
Following the example of the reinstatement of the award to Dr. Walker, relatives of William F.
“Buffalo Bill” Cody sought reinstatement of his medal, in part on the grounds that since Dr.
Walker’s was reinstated, there existed a precedent for awarding the medal to civilians who served
with the military. Cody was originally awarded the Medal of Honor on May 22, 1872, for his
gallantry while serving as an Army Scout on April 26, 1872, at the Platte River, Nebraska. At the
request of a U.S. Senator serving as the counsel for a relative, the Board for Correction of
Military Records recommended reinstatement of “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s medal, citing in part the
award of Dr. Walker.25 In June 1989, the U.S. Army Board of Correction of Military Records
restored the award, and on July 8, 1989, two Senators announced the restoration of Cody’s
medal.26 (Four others also had their medals reinstated by the board in June 1989: Amos Chapman
[Scout], William Dixon [Scout], James B. Doshier [Post Guide], and William H. Woodall
[Scout].)27
Throughout the years, many efforts to award or reinstate the Medal of Honor have proven time-
consuming and difficult. For example, advocates for Seaman Doris (a.k.a. Dorie or Dorrie) Miller
have sought for years to have his award upgraded to the Medal of Honor. During the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, while serving aboard the USS West Virginia as a
mess attendant (one of the few jobs available to African Americans in the Navy at the beginning
of World War II), Seaman Miller moved his mortally wounded captain to safety. He then
proceeded to man a machine gun, successfully returning fire on the attacking Japanese. His
heroics were initially ignored. After strong civil rights protests, he was given a letter of
commendation. The letter of commendation was upgraded to the Navy Cross. A destroyer escort
was later named in his honor. Legislative and other efforts to upgrade the Navy Cross to the
Medal of Honor have proven unsuccessful. Noting that, at the time, no African Americans
received the Medal of Honor during WWII; critics cite racism as a main reason for refusing
Seaman Miller this honor.
The reluctance to upgrade awards to the Medal of Honor or to award it outright is generally based
on efforts to award the medal to those truly deserving, to maintain the integrity of the award itself
and the awards process in general, and to avoid “opening the floodgates” to retroactive requests
for this and other awards and decorations. This reluctance has led many to feel that the system of
awarding medals is overly restrictive and that certain individuals are denied earned medals.

24 Rowland Evans and Robert Novak, “Playing Politics with the Pentagon,” Washington Post, September 12, 1980, p.
A19.
25 U.S. Department of the Army, Board for the Correction of Military Records, Washington, D.C., In the Case of:
Cody, William F., AC88-10374, January 12, 1989.
26 “‘Buffalo Bill’ Regains Medal of Honor,” Washington Post, July 9, 1989, p. A5.
27 United States of America’s Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients and Their Official Citations. Minnesota:
Highland House II, 1996, pp. 1118-1119.
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It is noteworthy that two MoH awards have gone “unclaimed.”28 A posthumous medal awarded to
Navy Chief Peter Tomich in 1942 for heroism at Pearl Harbor was never claimed since there were
no known relatives, and according to the Navy Museum curator, Edward M. Furgol, the 20th
century produced at least one other unclaimed MoH from 1904.29
In the FY1996 National Defense Authorization Act,30 Congress enacted language that could
significantly affect potential recipients. First, Congress waived the time limitation on any award
or decoration for acts of valor during the Vietnam era31 for actions in the Southeast Asia theater of
operations. (Although the findings section of the language implies the language pertains to
operations in the Ia Drang Valley, near Pleiku, South Vietnam, from October 23, 1965, to
November 26, 1965, no such limitation appears in the waiver statement. Indeed, medals—
including the MoH—were awarded for this action.)32 Under this language, the Secretary
concerned is instructed to review requests for consideration of awards/decorations, and to submit
the following to the House National Security Committee and the Senate Armed Services
Committee:
(A) A summary of the request consideration.
(B) The findings resulting from the review.
(C) The final action taken on the request for consideration.
Second, Congress waived the laws and regulations for awarding any decoration (including the
Medal of Honor) for those so deserving who were serving in intelligence activities during the
period January 1, 1940-December 31, 1990.33 The Secretary of each military department was
instructed to review each request for the award of a decoration during a one-year period
commencing February 10, 1996. This was later extended to February 9, 1998.34 The Secretary
was further instructed to file a report with the House National Security Committee and Senate
Armed Services Committee with respect to each request. The report is to contain:
(A) A summary of the request consideration.

28 Clyde Haberman, “A Medal both Coveted and Orphaned,” New York Times, April 1, 2003, p. D1, at
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/01/nyregion/nyc-a-medal-both-coveted-and-orphaned.html.
29 Ibid.
30 P.L. 104-106, Sec. 522, February 10, 1996.
31 “The term Vietnam era means the period beginning on August 5, 1964, and ending on May 7, 1975.” 38 U.S.C.
101(29).
32 According to the commander of 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, a unit involved in combat at Ia Drang: I had been pushing
my staff hard as we wrote letters of condolence to the families who had lost loved ones killed in action and prepared
recommendations for medals and awards. We had problems on the awards: We had few who could type, so many of the
forms were scrawled by hand by lantern light. Many witnesses had been evacuated with wounds or had already rotated
for discharge. Too many men had died bravely and heroically, while the men who had witnessed their deeds had also
been killed. Uncommon valor truly was a common virtue on the field at Landing Zone X-Ray those three days and two
nights. Acts of valor that on other fields, on other days, would have been rewarded with the Medal of Honor or
Distinguished Service Cross or a Silver Star were recognized only with a telegram saying “The Secretary of the Army
regrets ...” Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway, We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young, Ia Drang: The
Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam
(New York: Random House, 1992), pp. 317-318.
33 P.L. 104-106, Sec. 523, February 10, 1996.
34 P.L. 105-85, Sec. 575, November 18, 1997.
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(B) The findings resulting from the review.
(C) The final action taken on the request for consideration.
(D) Administrative or legislative recommendations to improve award procedures with respect to
military intelligence personnel.
These actions were taken in consideration of the fact that the records regarding intelligence
activities are sealed for many years. Protecting this information for intelligence reasons means
that those involved in intelligence activities are often ineligible to receive the Medal of Honor. In
other words, should a person serving in intelligence perform an act of heroism worthy of the
MoH, it is unlikely that the information could be publicly acknowledged. If the information is
ever declassified, it is usually years after the fact. This delay could well mean that the individual
who performed the act of heroism would be ineligible for the medal because of time limits on
making recommendations.
Third, Congress waived the time requirements and other restrictions and then asked the Secretary
of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy to review the records relating to the award of the
Distinguished Service Cross and Navy Cross, respectively, awarded to Asian Americans or Native
American Pacific Islanders who served during World War II.35 The purpose of this review was to
determine whether such awards should be upgraded to the Medal of Honor. The reasoning for this
review was based on claims of discrimination that confronted Americans of Asian descent during
the war. (For example, many Americans of Japanese descent were relocated to internment camps
during the war.) On October 12, 1998, the Army Center of Military History reported that Army
historians had completed a two-year search for Asian American recipients of the Distinguished
Service Cross (DSC).36 The names of 104 recipients (including the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye)
were forwarded to a board of senior officers for review. This board considered whether any of the
forwarded recipients met the criteria for an upgrade to MoH. The list of those considered worthy
of upgrading was then submitted to the President for final consideration. (The Navy determined
that its sole Asian American DSC recipient did not merit upgrading.) Proponents of the
review/upgrade viewed this process as an overdue recognition of the heroics of these individuals
long delayed by racism. Critics contend that the process was an act of “race-based political
correctness” that diminished the value of the medal.37
Finally, Congress included a section entitled, “Procedure for Consideration of Military
Decorations Not Previously Submitted in Timely Fashion.”38 Under this section:
(a) Upon request of a Member of Congress, the Secretary concerned shall review a proposal
for the award or presentation of a decoration (or the upgrading of a decoration), either for an
individual or a unit, that is not otherwise authorized to be presented or awarded due to
limitations established by law or policy for timely submission of a recommendation for such
award or presentation. Based on such review, the Secretary shall make a determination as to
the merits of approving the award or presentation of the decoration and other determinations
necessary to comply with subsection (b).

35 P.L. 104-106, Sec. 524, February 10, 1996.
36 Army Center of Military History, “U.S. Army Asian-Pacific Medal of Honor Recipients,” at
http://www.history.army.mil/html/topics/apam/ap-moh2.html.
37 Martin Kasindorf, “Veterans Might Get Late Medals of Honor,” USA Today, October 2, 1998, p. 2.
38 P.L. 104-106, Sec. 526, February 10, 1996; 10 U.S.C. 1130.
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(b) Upon making a determination under subsection (a) as to the merits of approving the
award or presentation of the decoration, the Secretary concerned shall submit to the
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on National Security39 of
the House of Representatives and to the requesting member of Congress notice in writing of
one of the following:
(1) The award or presentation of the decoration does not warrant approval on the merits.
(2) The award or presentation of the decoration warrants approval and a waiver by law of
time restrictions prescribed by law are recommended.
(3) The award or presentation of the decoration warrants approval on the merits and has
been approved as an exception to policy.
(4) The award or presentation of the decoration warrants approval on the merits, but a
waiver of the time restrictions prescribed in law is not recommended.
A notice under paragraph (1) and (4) shall be accompanied by a statement of the reasons for
the decision of the Secretary.40
Under this language, Members of Congress are able to directly request the Secretary to consider
awarding military decorations. Although this allows Members to better serve their constituents as
well as fulfill their constitutional duties in providing oversight, critics contend that it may unduly
politicize the awards process.
In April 1996, despite restrictions on discussing awarding the Medal of Honor prematurely, the
White House announced that it planned to award the medal to seven African American soldiers
who fought in World War II.41 Although a number of Members of Congress42 had been working in
favor of awarding certain of these individuals’ medals, the White House announced that these
awards would be forthcoming. On May 13, 1996, the Senate included a section in its version of
the FY1997 National Defense Authorization Act waiving the time limits for awarding the Medal
of Honor to:
(1) Vernon J. Baker, who served as a first lieutenant in the 370th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry
Division.
(2) Edward A. Carter, who served as a staff sergeant in the 56th Armored Infantry Battalion, 12th
Armored Division.

39 The House Committee on National Security is the former name of the House Armed Services Committee. When
Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 1994, the committee was renamed the Committee on
National Security. It was changed back to the House Armed Services Committee in 1999.
40 U.S. Congress, House Conference Committee, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996, 104th
Cong., 2d sess., S. 1124, H.Rept. 104-450, January 22, 1996, pp. 133-134.
41 Rick Weiss, “Seven Blacks in Line for Medal of Honor,” Washington Post, April 28, 1996, p. A10.
42 In the case of Ruben Rivers, his white commanding officer, David Williams, had sought for years to see that Rivers
was awarded the Medal of Honor. After seeing to it that his unit received the Presidential Unit Citation in 1978,
Williams was invigorated by that victory [and] shifted his sights to Sergeant Rivers’ Medal of Honor. Now, with the
help of Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma and Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, victory is at hand.” Joseph
L. Galloway, “One Officer’s 52-Year Quest,” U.S. News and World Report, May 6, 1996, pp. 40-41.
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(3) John R. Fox, who served as a first lieutenant in the 366th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry
Division.
(4) Willy F. James, Jr., who served as a private first class in the 413th Infantry Regiment, 104th
Infantry Division.
(5) Ruben Rivers, who served as a staff sergeant in the 761st Tank Battalion.
(6) Charles L. Thomas, who served as a first lieutenant in the 614th Tank Destroyer Battalion.
(7) George Watson, who served as a private in the 29th Quartermaster Regiment.43
In the cases of living recipients Vernon J. Baker, Edward A. Carter, and Charles L. Thomas, their
Medal of Honor pensions were awarded retroactively.44
On January 20, 1998, President Clinton awarded retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General James
Day the Medal of Honor for his heroism as a Marine corporal during the battle for Okinawa in
1945. The original paperwork for his award was lost. Faded carbon copies of the recommendation
surfaced in a fellow Marine’s memorabilia and served as the basis for going forward with the
award.45
Later in the same year, former U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Robert Ingram was awarded the
Medal of Honor by President Clinton. Ingram’s “comrades discovered at a 1995 reunion that he
was alive and had never been decorated for his heroism.”46 The Navy claimed to have lost the
original paperwork. Following the congressionally mandated waiver of the time limits in
November 1997, a review of Ingram’s record resulted in the awarding of the medal.
In a symbolic gesture, then-President Reagan awarded the medal to the Vietnam veteran interred
at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington Cemetery in 1984. On May 14, 1998, the remains of
the Vietnam veteran were exhumed. Advances in forensic identification using DNA testing
allowed the military to positively identify the remains as those of Air Force 1st Lieutenant
Michael Blassie, an A-37 pilot who was killed in the battle of An Loc, Vietnam, on May 11, 1972.
His remains were returned to his family in Missouri. Family members sought to retain the medal
awarded in 1984 by President Reagan. The request to retain the medal was denied. “[I]n a letter to
the family ... , Undersecretary of Defense Rudy de Leon said the Pentagon had decided that the
medal had been a symbolic award to all service members who lost their lives in the conflict and
not to any individual service member.”47
The efforts of historians searching for cases justifying the presentation of the award to African
American service members in the World Wars, and the legislation allowing Congress to waive
time restraints for such and other cases, unearthed the controversy regarding Theodore Roosevelt.

43 P.L. 104-201, Sec. 561, September 23, 1996.
44 P.L. 105-85, Sec. 577, November 18, 1997.
45 Associated Press, “Marine General James L. Day, 73, Dies; Okinawa Battle Hero,” Washington Post, November 2,
1998.
46 Associated Press, “A 32-year Wait for the Medal of Honor,” Washington Post, July 11, 1998, p. 3.
47 Steve Vogel, “Medal Honoring ‘Unknowns’ Won’t Go to Family of Identified Pilot,” Washington Post, August 22,
1998, p. 5.
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“A decade-long effort by Congress to honor black war heroes had culminated in a strange result:
Theodore Roosevelt, a famous white man, may soon receive the Medal of Honor—for a battle
some historians say was won by black soldiers.”48 Under the time waiver Congress enacted in
1996, Representative Paul McHale introduced legislation requesting the President to award the
MoH to then-Army Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt for his actions on July 1, 1898, in the
attack of San Juan Heights, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War. Representative McHale
argued that the Medal was not awarded because of resentment generated as a result of Roosevelt’s
criticism of the War Department.49 Although it has been reported that the Army opposed
presenting the MoH to Roosevelt,50 President Clinton signed the bill (H.R. 2263) into law and
requested the Army to reconsider.51 Representatives of “Buffalo soldiers” claim that providing the
award to Roosevelt would give him (Roosevelt) credit for “their success” in battle. Proponents
contend this is an opportunity to amend a 100-year slight. Still others view this as the
continuation of “identity politics” driving the awarding of the Medal of Honor.
Statutory Restrictions
In 1994, Congress passed P.L. 103-322 that stated:
(a) In General.—Whoever knowingly wears, manufactures, or sells any decoration or medal
authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States, or any of the service
medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of
any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof, except when
authorized under regulations made pursuant to law, shall be fined under this title [18 U.S.
Code
§704] or imprisoned not more than six months or both.
(b) Congressional Medal of Honor.—
(1) In General.—If a decoration or medal involved in an offense under subsection (a) is a
Congressional Medal of Honor, in lieu of the punishment provided in that subsection, the
offender shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.
(2) Definitions.—(A) As used in subsection (a) with respect to a Congressional Medal of
Honor, “sells” includes trades, barters, or exchanges for anything of value.52

48 Glenn R. Simpson, “Long Campaign to Get Teddy a Medal May Lead to a Slight of Black Heroes,” Wall Street
Journal
, November 13, 1998, p. 1.
49 Congressional Record, October 8, 1998, pp. H10121-10126.
50 Mitchell Yockelson, “‘I Am Entitled to the Medal of Honor and I Want It’: Theodore Roosevelt and His Quest for
Glory,” National Archives Prologue Magazine, Spring 1998, vol. 30, no. 1, parts 3 and 4, at http://www.archives.gov/
publications/prologue/1998/spring/roosevelt-and-medal-of-honor-1.html.
51 P.L. 105-371, November 12, 1998.
52 This language was the result of changes created by P.L. 103-322, 108 Stat. 2113, September 13, 1994. This language
increased the penalties to up to one year imprisonment and/or up to $100,000 fine for violations involving the Medal of
Honor. Prior to this change, the law stated: Whoever knowingly wears, manufactures, or sells any decoration or medal
authorized by Congress for the Armed Forces of the United States, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to
the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable
imitation thereof, except when authorized under regulations made pursuant to law, shall be fined not more than $250 or
imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
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The discharge certificate (DD 214) of a recipient of the Medal of Honor carries a notation of this
award.
Stolen Valor Act
The Stolen Valor Act of 2005 was signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 20,
2006 (P.L. 109-437). The law made it a federal misdemeanor to falsely represent oneself as
having received any U.S. military decoration or medal. If the decoration was the Medal of Honor,
a defendant could be imprisoned up to one year if convicted. In 2007, Xavier Alvarez, an elected
board member of a water district in Southern California, was charged with violating the law after
stating at a public meeting that he was a recipient of the Medal of Honor after being wounded in
action as a Marine. Alvarez declared that his remarks were protected speech under the First
Amendment and that he should not be fined $5,000 for making a false claim.
On June 28, 2012, in United States v. Alvarez, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the original
Stolen Valor Act of 2005 (6-3 decision), deeming it unconstitutional because it was, in the
Justices’ opinion, too broad in scope and violated the right of free speech. Justice Anthony M.
Kennedy, who wrote the court’s opinion, said the act “would endorse government authority to
compile a list of subjects about which false statements are punishable.”53
As a result of the Supreme Court decision, legislation was introduced in the 113th Congress to
protect the reputation and meaning of the decoration. On June 3, 2013, President Obama signed
H.R. 258, the Stolen Valor Act of 2013, into law (P.L. 113-12). This law now makes it “a federal
crime for an individual to fraudulently hold oneself out to be a recipient of any of several
specified military decorations or medals with the intent to obtain money, property, or other
tangible benefit.”54 Violators could face up to a year in prison.
MoH Recipients in 2014
In the FY2002 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 107-107, §552), Congress called for a
review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veteran war records from WWII, the Korean
War, and the Vietnam War to ensure those deserving the Medal of Honor were not denied because
of prejudice. During the review, records of several soldiers of neither Jewish nor Hispanic descent
were also found to display criteria worthy of the Medal of Honor. The 2002 act was amended to
allow these soldiers to be honored with the upgrade. As a result of the review, 24 recipients were
honored in 2014.
Valor 24
On March 18, 2014, President Obama presented Medals of Honor to 24 recipients, all Army and
many of whom were overlooked initially due to racial bias because they were Hispanic, Jewish,
or African American. He remarked that this was the single largest group of servicemembers to be

53 United States v. Alvarez, Opinion by Justice Kennedy, June 28, 2012, p.11, Supreme Court of the United States at
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/11-210d4e9.pdf.
54 “Stolen Valor Act Becomes Law,” Military.com, June 10, 2013, at http://www.military.com/military-report/stolen-
valor-act-becomes-law.
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awarded the Medal of Honor since the Second World War.55 For full detail on all 24 recipients
from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, refer to the Valor 24 website at http://www.army.mil/
medalofhonor/valor24/ and CRS Report RL30011, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2014, by
Anne Leland.
According to a White House press release on February 21, 2014, “these veterans received the
Medal of Honor in recognition of their valor during major combat operations in World War II, the
Korean War and the Vietnam War. Each of these Soldiers’ bravery was previously recognized by
award of the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest military award; that award
will be upgraded to the Medal of Honor in recognition of their gallantry, intrepidity and heroism
above and beyond the call of duty.”56
Living Recipients from Afghanistan and Iraq
Additionally, the President awarded Medals of Honor to living service members of the recent
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. On May 13, 2014, President Obama presented the Medal of
Honor to former Army Sergeant Kyle J. White for saving a soldier’s life and helping evacuate
other wounded soldiers during an ambush in Afghanistan in 2007. White received the Medal of
Honor for his courageous actions during combat operations in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.57
On June 19, 2014, President Obama presented retired Marine Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter
the Medal of Honor during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Carpenter received
the medal for taking the blast from a grenade to protect fellow Marines, sustaining major wounds
that required over 40 surgeries to repair a collapsed lung, fractured fingers, a shattered right arm,
and multiple skin grafts.58
On July 21, 2014, President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sergeant Ryan M.
Pitts. Pitts distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism at the risk of his life while
serving as a Forward Observer in 2d Platoon, Chosen Company, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d
Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade, during combat operations against an armed enemy at
Vehicle Patrol Base Kahler in the vicinity of Wanat Village, Kunar Province, Afghanistan on July
13, 2008.59 Sergeant Pitts is the ninth and most recent living recipient of the Medal of Honor
awarded for valor during combat in Afghanistan or Iraq.

55 The White House Press Office, “Remarks by the President at Presentation Ceremony for the Medal of Honor,”
March 18, 2014, at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/03/18/remarks-president-presentation-ceremony-
medal-honor.
56 The White House Press Office, “President Obama to Award Medal of Honor,” February 21, 2014, at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/02/21/president-obama-award-medal-honor.
57 The White House Blog, “President Obama Awards the Medal of Honor to Sgt. Kyle J. White,” May 13, 2014, at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/05/13/president-obama-awards-medal-honor-sgt-kyle-j-white.
58 The White House Blog, “President Obama Awards the Medal of Honor to Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter,” June
19, 2014, at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/06/19/president-awards-medal-honor-corporal-william-kyle-
carpenter.
59 The White House Press Office, “Remarks by the President at Presentation of the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant
Ryan Pitts,” July 21, 2014, at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/07/21/remarks-president-presentation-
medal-honor-staff-sergeant-ryan-pitts.
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Vietnam Veterans
On September 15, 2014, President Obama awarded Medals of Honor to Retired Army Command
Sergeant Major Bennie G. Adkins and Army Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat for heroic actions in
Vietnam.60 Adkins was present to receive his medal during the ceremony at the White House and
Sloat’s medal was awarded posthumously and accepted by his brother, Dr. Bill Sloat, on his
behalf. As the President noted in his opening remarks, “sometimes even the most extraordinary
stories can get lost in the fog of war or the passage of time. Yet when new evidence comes to
light, certain actions can be reconsidered for this honor, and it is entirely right and proper that we
have done so.”61
Civil War
The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2014 was signed into law on December 26, 2013,
as P.L. 113-66. Section 569 of this law authorized the award of the Medal of Honor to Union
Army First Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing for acts of valor during the Civil War. Specifically,
Cushing helped to stop the Confederate Army charge led by Major General George E. Pickett at
the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863.62 On November 7, 2014, President Obama presented the
medal to Helen Loring Ensign, who accepted the medal on behalf of Cushing, her first cousin
twice-removed, during the White House ceremony.63 Also in attendance were other Cushing
descendants and Margaret Zerwekh, 94, who researched Cushing’s service in the Civil War and
championed his cause for more than 30 years.64
World War I
The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2015 was signed into law as P.L. 113-291 on
December 19, 2014. Section 572 of this law authorizes award of the Medal of Honor to two
members of the Armed Forces for acts of valor during World War I. This section waives the time
limitation to award the MoH award to Army Sergeants William Shemin and Henry Lincoln
Johnson. Shemin was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second-highest
military honor, during WWI. Johnson received the Croix de Guerre with Gold Palm, one of the
French military’s highest honors, and posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in
2003.

60 David Vergun, “President Awards Medals of Honor to 2 Vietnam Veterans,” DoD News, September 16, 2014, at
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=123172.
61 The White House Press Office, “Remarks by the President at Presentation of the Medal of Honor to Command
Sergeant Major Bennie G. Adkins and Specialist Four Donald Sloat,” September 15, 2014, at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/15/remarks-president-presentation-medal-honor-command-
sergeant-major-bennie; Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins official citation at http://www.army.mil/
medalofhonor/adkins/ and Army Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat’s official citation at http://www.army.mil/
medalofhonor/sloat/.
62 Medal of Honor: First Lieutenant Alonso Cushing, U.S. Army site at http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/cushing/.
63 David Vergun, “President Awards Medal of Honor for Civil War Heroism,” DoD News, November 7, 2014, at
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=123584&.
64 Katie Zezima, “A Civil War soldier is getting the Medal of Honor. This 94-year-old woman is responsible.”
Washington Post, November 6, 2014, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/11/06/a-civil-
war-soldier-is-getting-the-medal-of-honor-this-94-year-old-woman-is-responsible/.
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Legislation in the 114th Congress
See Table 2 for a list of bills introduced in the current Congress to award the Medal of Honor as
of the date of this report.
Table 2.Medal of Honor Bills in the 114th Congress (2015)
Bill Number and Date
Introduced
Title Latest
Action
H.R. 808
Private Bil ; To authorize the
2/5/2015—Referred to House
President to award the Medal of
Committee on Armed Services.
Honor to James Megellas, formerly
of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and

currently of Colleyvil e, Texas, for
acts of valor on January 28, 1945,
during the Battle of the Bulge in
World War II.
H.R. 1010
To provide for the posthumous
2/13/2015—Referred to House
commission as a captain in the
Committee on Armed Services.
regular Army of Milton Holland,
who, while sergeant major of the 5th

Regiment, United States Colored
Infantry, was awarded the Medal of
Honor for gallantry during the Civil
War.
H.R. 1094
To authorize and request the
2/26/2015—Referred to House
President to award the Medal of
committee on Armed Services.

Honor posthumously to Navy Seal
Christopher Scott Kyle for acts of
valor during Operation Iraqi
Freedom.
H.R. 1596
Private Bill; To authorize the
3/24/2015—Referred to House
President to award the Medal of
committee on Armed Services.
Honor to Special Forces Command
Sergeant Major Ramon Rodriguez of
the United States Army for acts of
valor during the Vietnam War.

In addition, other bills related to the Medal of Honor were also introduced:
• H.R. 272, Medal of Honor Priority Care Act, would increase the priority for
enrollment of MoH recipients in the health care system of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
• H.R. 136, the Camp Pendleton Postal Service in California, and H.R. 1521, the
Great Falls Armed Forces Readiness Center in Montana, would rename
government facilities after MoH recipients.
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Additional Sources of Information
CRS Report RL30011, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2014, by Anne Leland
Congressional Medal of Honor Society at http://www.cmohs.org/
___ . Above and Beyond: A History of the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to Vietnam. Boston:
Boston Publishing Company, 1985. 346 pages
___ . United States of America’s Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients and their Official
Citations
. Columbia Heights, Minnesota: Highland House II Publishers, 1994. 1119 pages
[Part III on pp. 951-1009 lists MoH Recipients by State, 1863-1980]
DOD, U.S. Military Awards for Valor at http://valor.defense.gov/
DOD Knowledge Base, Boards for Correction of Military Records at https://kb.defense.gov/app/
answers/detail/a_id/386/~/boards-for-correction-of-military-records
Sammons, Jeffrey T. and John H. Morrow, Jr. Harlem’s Rattlers and the Great War. Lawrence:
University of Kansas Press, 2014. 616 pages
[Discussion of MoH campaign on behalf of Henry Johnson on pp. 464-6]
U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Medal of Honor Recipients 1863-1978,
committee print, 96th Congress, 1st session, February 14, 1979, S. Committee Print No. 3
(Washington, DC: GPO, 1979).
U.S. Air Force Historical Support Division, Medal of Honor Recipients at
http://www.afhso.af.mil/topics/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=15196
U.S. Army, Valor 24 website at http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/valor24/
U.S. Coast Guard, Book of Valor: A Fact Book on Medals and Decorations, 1945, 90 pages at
http://www.uscg.mil/history/awards/docs/1945_USCG_BookOfValor.pdf
[Douglas A. Munro is the only Coast Guardsman to receive the MoH, see pp.80-81]
U.S. Navy, Medal of Honor USN Recipients at http://www.navy.mil/moh/
[The Navy version is awarded to both the Navy and Marine Corps since they are both part of the
Department of the Navy.]
Yockelson, Mitchell. “‘I Am Entitled to the Medal of Honor and I Want It’: Theodore Roosevelt
and His Quest for Glory,” National Archives, Prologue Magazine, Spring 1998, vol. 30, no. 1 at
http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/spring/roosevelt-and-medal-of-honor-1.html
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Appendix. Official Citation Samples and Statistics
Citations
Below are samples of official MoH citations. (An * asterisk indicates a posthumous award.) For
citations of recent recipients, see CRS Report RL30011, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2014,
by Anne Leland.
Coates, Jefferson
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company I, 14th Michigan Infantry. Place and date: At
Gettysburg, PA, 1 July 1863. Entered service at: Boscobel, Wis. Birth: Grant County, Wis. Date
of issue:
29 June 1866. Citation: Unsurpassed courage in battle, where he had both eyes shot out.
Edgerton, Nathan H.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant and Adjutant, 6th United States Colored Troops. Place and
date:
At Chapins Farm, VA, 29 September 1864. Entered service: At Philadelphia, PA. Birth:
____. Date of issue: 30 March 1898. Citation: Took up the flag after three color bearers had been
shot down and bore forward, though himself wounded.
*Roosevelt, Theodore
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army. Place and date: At San Juan Hill, 1 July
1898. Date of issue: 16 January 2001. Citation: Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt
distinguished himself by acts of bravery on 1 July, 1898, near Santiago de Cuba, Republic of
Cuba, while leading a daring charge up San Juan Hill. Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt, in total
disregard for his personal safety, and accompanied by only four or five men, led a desperate and
gallant charge up San Juan Hill, encouraging his troops to continue the assault through withering
enemy fire over open countryside. Facing the enemy’s heavy fire, he displayed extraordinary
bravery throughout the charge, and was the first to reach the enemy trenches, where he quickly
killed one of the enemies with his pistol, allowing his men to continue the assault. His leadership
and valor turned the tide in the Battle for San Juan Hill. Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt’s
extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military
service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.65
*Flaherty, Francis C.
Rank and organization: Ensign, U.S. Naval Reserve. Born: 15 March 1919, Charlotte, Mich.
Accredited to: Michigan. Citation: For conspicuous devotion to duty and extraordinary courage
and complete disregard of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on
Pearl Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. When it was seen that the USS Oklahoma

65 “Theodore Roosevelt,” Congressional Medal of Honor Society at http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/2178/
roosevelt-theodore.php and P.L. 105-371. For additional background information, see “Remarks on Presenting the
Medal of Honor,” January 16, 2001, by President Bill Clinton at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=
64177&st=medal+of+honor&st1=roosevelt and the National Archives Prologue magazine article, “I Am Entitled to the
Medal of Honor and I Want It: Theodore Roosevelt and His Quest for Glory,” by Mitchell Yockelson, Spring 1998, at
http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/spring/roosevelt-and-medal-of-honor-1.html.
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was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Ensign Flaherty remained in a
turret, holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could escape, thereby sacrificing
his own life.
*Gilmore, Howard Walter
Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy. Born: 29 September 1902, Selma, Ala.
Appointed from: Louisiana. Other Navy award: Navy Cross with one gold star. Citation: For
distinguished gallantry and valor above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of
the USS Growler during her Fourth War Patrol in the Southwest Pacific from 10 January to 7
February 1943. Boldly striking at the enemy in spite of continuous hostile air and anti-submarine
patrols, Commander Gilmore sank one Japanese freighter and damaged another by torpedo fire,
successfully evading severe depth charges following each attack. In the darkness of night on 7
February, an enemy gunboat closed range and prepared to ram the Growler. Commander Gilmore
daringly maneuvered to avoid the crash and rammed the attacker instead, ripping into her port
side at 17 knots and bursting wide her plates. In the terrific fire of the sinking gunboat’s heavy
machine guns, Commander Gilmore calmly gave the order to clear the bridge, and refusing safety
for himself, remained on the deck while his men preceded him below. Struck down by the
fusillade of bullets and having done his utmost against the enemy, in his final living moments,
Commander Gilmore gave his last order to the officer of the deck, “Take her down.” The Growler
dived; seriously damaged but under control, she was brought safely to port by her well-trained
crew inspired by the courageous fighting spirit of their dead captain.
*Bobo, John P.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps Reserve, 3rd Battalion, 9th
Marines, 3rd Marine Division (Rein) FMF. Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of
Vietnam, 30 March 1967. Entered service at: Buffalo, N.Y. Date and place of birth: February 14,
1943, Niagara Falls, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty. Company I was establishing night ambush sites when the
command group was attacked by a reinforced North Vietnamese company supported by heavy
automatic weapons and mortar fire. Lieutenant Bobo immediately organized a hasty defense and
moved from position to position encouraging the outnumbered Marines despite the murderous
enemy fire. Recovering a rocket launcher from among friendly casualties, he organized a new
launcher team and directed its fire into the enemy machine gun positions. When an exploding
enemy mortar round severed Lieutenant Bobo’s right leg below the knee, he refused to be
evacuated and insisted upon being placed in a firing position to cover the movement of the
command group to a better location. With a web belt around his leg serving as a tourniquet and
with his leg jammed into the dirt to curtail the bleeding, he remained in this position and
delivered devastating fire into the ranks of the enemy attempting to overrun the Marines.
Lieutenant Bobo was mortally wounded while firing his weapon into the main point of the enemy
attack but his valiant spirit inspired his men to heroic efforts, and his tenacious stand enabled the
command group to gain a protective position where it repulsed the enemy onslaught. Lieutenant
Bobo’s superb leadership, dauntless courage, and bold initiative reflected great credit upon him
and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He
gallantly gave his life for his country.
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Table A-1. Medal of Honor Breakdown by War and Service
(as of April 10, 2015)
Total
Air
Coast
Air
War
Awards Army Navy Marines Force
Guard Posthumous Civilian Corps
Civil War
1,523
1,199
307
17


30
(2) Navy

(2) Army
Indian
426 426



12 (4)
Army
Campaigns
Korea 1871
15

9
6





Spanish
110 31 64 15
1


American
Samoa
4
1 3


Philippine
80 69 5 6
4


Insurrection
Philippine
6 1
5


Outlaws
Boxer
59 4
22 33
1

Rebellion
Mexican
56 1
46 9


Campaign
Haiti
6 6


Dominican
3 3


Republic
World War I
124
95
21
8


33

Army
(4)
Haiti 1919-
2 2


1920
Nicaraguan
2 2


Campaign
World War
471 331 57 82 1
273
Army
II
(37)
Korean War
145
92
7
42
4

107


Vietnam 258
171
16
57
14
162
Somalia 2
2



2
Afghanistan 12 9 1 2
3

Iraq 4
2
1
1


4


Non-
193 3
185 5
5
Army
Combat
(1)
Unknowns 9 9
9

TOTALS
3,510 2,445 747 299 18
1
646


Notes: Updated data provided to CRS courtesy of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. These totals
reflect the total number of Medals of Honor awarded. Nineteen (19) men received a second award. Fourteen
(14) of these men received two (2) for separate actions, five (5) received the Navy and Army Medals for Honor
for the same action. The Air Corps was the predecessor of the U.S. Air Force from 1926-1947 and known
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officially as the Army Air Corps according to the “Centennial of Army Aviation” at http://www.army.mil/aviation/
aircorps/.
Table A-2. Medal of Honor Total Numbers
(As of April 3, 2015)
Total Medals of Honor Awarded
3,510
Total Numbers of Recipients
3,491
Total Number of Double Recipients
19
Total Number of Living Recipients
79
Source: Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Author Contact Information

Barbara Salazar Torreon

Analyst in Defense Budget and Military Manpower
btorreon@crs.loc.gov, 7-8996


Acknowledgments
This report was previously authored by David F. Burrelli, specialist in Military Manpower Policy, who is
retired.
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