Medal of Honor Recipients in the 113th Congress: A Fact Sheet

Medal of Honor Recipients in the 113th Congress: A Fact Sheet

Medal of Honor Recipients in the 113th Congress: A Fact Sheet

March 13, 2015 (R43939)

This fact sheet lists names of recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor, awarded during the 113th Congress.

Previous congressional use of the information contained in this fact sheet has included examinations of legislative measures that have waived or accelerated timeline reviews for potential Medal of Honor recipients. The material has been used in speeches, including Memorial and Veterans Day holiday observations.

Each name is linked to the citation published by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Each general order is linked to the official citation published by the Army Decorations and Awards Branch. The authorizing legislation is also linked to the "section" that is germane to the Medal of Honor. For service members who served in the Global War on Terror, recommendations were awarded without the need for authorizing legislation.

This fact sheet will be updated following each subsequent Congress in which the Medal of Honor is awarded.

Table 1. Civil War

Name

Date of Issue

Place of Birth

General Orders

Authorizing Legislation

First Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing

11/6/2014

WI

not yet published

P.L. 113-66, Title V, Section 569

Source: Table compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

Note: Posthumously awarded.

Table 2. World War II

Name

Date of Issue

Place of Birth

General Orders

Authorizing Legislation

Private Pedro Cano

3/18/2014

Mexico

2014-20

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Private Joe Gandara

3/18/2014

CA

2014-22

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Private First Class Salvador J. Lara

3/18/2014

Not available

2014-32

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Private First Class William F. Leonard

3/18/2014

NJ

2014-34

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Staff Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza

3/18/2014

AZ

2014-35

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Sergeant Alfred B. Nietzel

3/18/2014

NY

2014-38

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

First Lieutenant Donald K. Schwab

3/18/2014

NE

2014-42

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Source: Table compiled by CRS.

Note: Posthumously awarded.

Table 3. Korea 1950-1953

Name

Date of Issue

Place of Birth

General Orders

Authorizing Legislation

Corporal Joe R. Baldonado

3/18/2014

CO

2014-24

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Corporal Victor H. Espinoza

3/18/2014

TX

2014-28

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Sergeant Eduardo C. Gomez

3/18/2014

CA

2014-30

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Chaplain (Captain) Emil J. Kapaun

4/11/2013

KS

2013-13

P.L. 112-81, Title V, Section 594

Private First Class Leonard M. Kravitz

3/18/2014

NY

2014-33

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Sergeant Juan E. Negron

3/18/2014

Puerto Rico

2014-37

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Master Sergeant Mike C. Pena

3/18/2014

TX

2014-39

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Private Demensio Rivera

3/18/2014

Puerto Rico

2014-40

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Private Miguel A. Vera

3/18/2014

Puerto Rico

2014-43

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Sergeant Jack Weinstein

3/18/2014

MO

2014-31

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Note: Posthumously awarded.

Table 4. Vietnam 1956-1973

Name

Date of Issue

Home of Record or Birthplace

General Orders

Authorizing Legislation

Sergeant First Class Bennie G. Adkins

9/15/2014

AL

2014-70

P.L. 113-66, Title V, Section 567

Specialist Four Leonard L. Alvaradoa

3/18/2014

CA

2014-23

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Staff Sergeant Felix M. Condé-Falcona

3/18/2014

Puerto Rico

2014-25

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Specialist Four Ardie R. Copasa

3/18/2014

FL

2014-26

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Specialist Four Jesus S. Durana

3/18/2014

Mexico

2014-27

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Specialist Four Santiago J. Erevia

3/18/2014

TX

2014-21

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Sergeant Candelario Garciaa

3/18/2014

TX

2014-29

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris

3/18/2014

OK

2014-36

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Sergeant First Class Jose Rodela

3/18/2014

TX

2014-41

P.L. 107-107, Title V, Section 552

Specialist Fourth Class Donald P. Sloata

9/15/2014

OK

2014-69

P.L. 113-66, Title V, Section 567(2)

Source: Compiled by CRS.

a. Posthumously awarded.

Table 5. Global War on Terror 2001-2014

Name

Date of Issue

Home of Record or Birthplace

General Orders

Lance Corporal William Kyle Carpenter

6/19/2014

MS

not yet published

Specialist Ty M. Carter

8/26/2013

WA

2013-72

Sergeant Ryan M. Pitts

7/21/2014

NH

2014-68

Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha

2/11/2013

CA

2013-04

Captain William D. Swenson

10/15/2013

Not available

2013-89

Specialist Kyle J. White

05/13/2014

WA

2014-50

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Notes: Recipients were awarded the MOH according to Department of Defense Manual of Military Decorations and Awards: General Information, Medal of Honor, and Defense/Joint Decorations and Awards. Therefore, no legislative action was required.

Sources:

Recommendation Process for the Medal of Honor Recipients

Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients

Congressional Medal of Honor Society

Department of the Army General Orders, Human Resources Command, Awards and Decorations Branch

The United States Army Medal of Honor: The Nation's Highest Medal for Valor

The Navy's Medal of Honor

U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet: Air Force Medal of Honor Recipients

Valor 24: Medal of Honor World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War

Acknowledgments

This report was previously authored by [author name scrubbed], information research specialist.