Congressional Medal of Honor

The Congressional Medal Of Honor is our nations highest award for bravery, it is not given, it is earned! It has, to date, been awarded 3445 times. Regretfully, many of those recognized received it posthumously. Despite the fact that the Navy was the first to adopt this award, (Dec.,1861) it was the Army (adopted Feb. 1862) that was the first to award it. Also interesting is the fact that it was originally conceived to be given only to enlisted personnel and NCOs; officers were excluded. It was not until March 1863 that the Army would allow it’s presentation to Officers and March 1915 before the Navy (including Marines and Coast Guard) would include officers.



Medal of Honor recipients may be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, their children are eligible for consideration for any military academy without a Congressional sponsor. They are lifetime eligible for “space A” travel. They currently receive a monthly stipend of $1,067; the original pension, established in 1916 was $10.00 monthly. Contrary to popular belief, there is no military regulation requiring all ranks to salute a MOH recipient; it is, however, permissible though not mandatory, to render the salute when the medal is worn.



MOH Factoids

13, February, 1861, Bernard J.D. Irwin,an Assistant Army Surgeon rescued sixty soldiers at Apache Pass, Arizona. This was the first heroic act for which an MOH would later (1894) be awarded. . This action actually took place before the award had been proposed.



21, July,1861 Dr. Mary Walker became the only woman recipient. Interestingly, because of the overuse of this award, hers and a number (actually 911) of others were revoked in 1917. In 1977, Dr. Walker’s MOH was restored.



12, April, 1862, The Andrew’s Raid, led to the first Medals of Honor actually presented….this being done on 25, March, 1863



12, May, 1862, Drewery’s Bluff, Va. while aboard the U.S.S. Galena, Corporal John Mackie, became the first Marine to win the MOH



3, April, 1863, the Navy presents it’s first Medals to forty one sailors for actions at Ft.s Jackson and St. Phillip



18, July, 1863, Ft Wagner, S.C. William Harvey Carney of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry, a former slave became the first black to win the Medal



6, April, 1865, 2nd. Lt. Thomas Custer, brother of George Custer, won a second MOH becoming the only Army man in the Civil War to win two. He became the first of nineteen recipients who would share this notability. He was to later die with his brother at The Little Big Horn,



27, September, 1942, Guadalcanal, Canadian born Douglas Monro became the first and only Coast Guardsman to receive the Medal Honor. His award was posthumous.



5, August, 1950, Korea. Louis Sebille became the first member of the newly created USAF to earn the MOH. A WW II, B-26 bomber pilot, his award was posthumous.



22, October, 2007. Navy Seal, Lt. Michael P. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal for actions in Afghanistan.



As on June 1, 2006, there was only one MOH recipient still on active duty.



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Hal Fulton