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The Medal of Honor
Officially called the Congressional Medal of Honor, it is the nation's
highest military award for “uncommon valor” by men and women
in the armed forces. It is given for actions that are above and beyond the
call of duty in combat against an armed enemy. The first medal was awarded
on March 25, 1863. More than 3,450 men have been awarded the medal, as
well as one woman, Dr. Mary Walker, a surgeon in the Civil War. Recipients
of the medal are awarded $400 per month for life, a right to burial at
Arlington National Cemetery, admission for them or their children to a
service academy (if they qualify and quotas permit), and free travel on
government aircraft. In April 2007, there were 110 Medal of Honor
recipients living.
Medal of Honor Recipients
| |
Total1 |
Army |
Navy |
Marines |
Coast Guard |
Air Force |
Civilian |
| Civil War |
1,522 |
1,196 |
305 |
17 |
— |
— |
4 |
| Noncombat, 1865–1870 |
13 |
1 |
12 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Indian Wars (1861–1898) |
426 |
422 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
4 |
| Korea (1871) |
15 |
— |
9 |
6 |
— |
— |
— |
| Noncombat, 1871–1899 |
106 |
— |
104 |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
| Spanish-American War |
110 |
31 |
64 |
15 |
— |
— |
— |
| Samoa |
4 |
— |
1 |
3 |
— |
— |
— |
| Philippines |
80 |
69 |
5 |
6 |
— |
— |
— |
| China |
59 |
4 |
22 |
33 |
— |
— |
— |
| Noncombat, 1901–1910 |
49 |
1 |
46 |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
| Philippines (1911) |
6 |
1 |
5 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Mexican Campaign (1914) |
56 |
1 |
46 |
9 |
— |
— |
— |
| Haiti (1915) |
6 |
— |
— |
6 |
— |
— |
— |
| Noncombat, 1915–1916 |
8 |
— |
8 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Dominican Republic |
3 |
— |
— |
3 |
— |
— |
— |
| World War I |
124 |
95 |
21 |
8 |
— |
— |
— |
| Haiti (1919–1920) |
2 |
— |
— |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
| Nicaragua (1927–1933) |
2 |
— |
— |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
| Noncombat, 1920–1940 |
17 |
1 |
15 |
1 |
— |
— |
— |
| World War II |
464 |
324 |
57 |
82 |
1 |
— |
— |
| Korean War |
132 |
82 |
7 |
42 |
— |
— |
— |
| Vietnam War |
246 |
160 |
16 |
57 |
— |
13 |
— |
| Somalia (1993) |
2 |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Iraq (2003– ) |
2 |
1 |
— |
1 |
— |
— |
— |
| Unknown Soldiers |
9 |
9 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Total
|
3,463
|
2,401
|
743
|
297
|
1
|
13
|
8
|
1. These totals reflect the total number
of Medals of Honor awarded through 2007. Nineteen men received a second
award, and 5 of these double awardees received both the Army and Navy
Medals of Honor for the same action.
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson
Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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