Misplaced Pages

#451548

77-625: The Southwest Asia Service Medal ( SASM or SWASM ) was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members who performed duty as part of the Persian Gulf War and for a time thereafter. The medal was designed by Nadine Russell of the Army's Institute of Heraldry. The colors of

154-477: A Medal of Honor Flag to be presented to each person to whom a Medal of Honor is awarded. In the case of a posthumous award, the flag will be presented to whomever the Medal of Honor is presented to, which in most cases will be the primary next of kin of the deceased awardee. The flag was based on a concept by retired U.S. Army Special Forces First Sergeant Bill Kendall of Jefferson, Iowa , who in 2001, designed

231-571: A Medal of Honor), it would be processed by the Air Force despite the fact that the Air Force did not yet exist as a separate service. Nineteen service members have been awarded the Medal of Honor twice. The first double Medal of Honor recipient was Thomas Custer (brother of George Armstrong Custer ) for two separate actions that took place several days apart during the American Civil War. Five "double recipients" were awarded both

308-753: A battlefield decoration for valor was submitted to Lieutenant General Winfield Scott , the Commanding General of the United States Army , by Lieutenant Colonel Edward D. Townsend , an assistant adjutant at the Department of War and Scott's chief of staff. Scott, however, was strongly against the American republic's awarding medals for valor, a European monarchical tradition. After Scott retired in October 1861, however, Secretary of

385-532: A crew member in one or more aerial flights directly supporting military operations in the areas designated; or serving on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days, except, if a waiver is authorized for personnel participating in actual combat. For those service members who performed "home service" during the Persian Gulf War, such as support personnel in the United States,

462-528: A crown of laurel and oak on a green background. Centered on the star, an annulet of 34 stars is a representation of the head of the Statue of Liberty . The star is suspended from a bar inscribed with the word VALOR above an adaptation of Jupiter's thunderbolt from the Department of the Air Force's seal. The pendant is made of gilding metal. The connecting bar, hinge, and pin are made of bronze. The finish on

539-422: A fashion. Nineteen individuals, all now deceased, were double Medal of Honor recipients. In July 2014, DoD instructions were changed to read, "A separate MOH is presented to an individual for each succeeding act that justified award," removing the authorization for the "V" device. On October 23, 2002, Pub. L.   107–248 (text) (PDF) was enacted, modifying 36 U.S.C.   § 903 , authorizing

616-530: A flag to honor Medal of Honor recipient Army Air Forces Captain Darrell Lindsey , a B-26 pilot from Jefferson who was killed in action during World War II. Kendall's design of a light blue field emblazoned with 13 white five-pointed stars was nearly identical to that of Sarah LeClerc's of the Institute of Heraldry . LeClerc's gold-fringed flag, ultimately accepted as the official flag, does not include

693-405: A green laurel wreath and suspended from a gold bar inscribed VALOR , surmounted by an eagle. In the center of the star, Minerva 's head surrounded by the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA . On each ray of the star is a green oak leaf. On the reverse is a bar engraved THE CONGRESS TO with a space for engraving the name of the recipient." The pendant and suspension bar are made of gilding metal, with

770-580: A lawsuit, the Department of the Navy requested an amendment to expressly allow noncombat awards of the Medal of Honor. When the amendment passed, the Department of the Navy returned to using only the original 1862 inverted 5-point star design and retired the Tiffany Cross. In 1944, the suspension ribbons for both versions were replaced with the now-familiar neck ribbon. When the Air and Space Force's version

847-414: A light blue colored moiré silk neck ribbon that is 1 + 3 ⁄ 16  in (30 mm) in width and 21 + 3 ⁄ 4  in (550 mm) in length. The center of the ribbon displays thirteen white stars in the form of three chevron . Both the top and middle chevrons are made up of 5 stars, with the bottom chevron made of 3 stars. The medal itself differs by branch: The Medal of Honor

SECTION 10

#1732801325452

924-565: A reddish tint." On March 3, 1863, Congress made the Army Medal of Honor a permanent decoration by passing legislation permitting the award to such soldiers "as have most distinguished or who may hereafter most distinguish themselves in action." The same legislation also authorized the medal for officers of the Army. On March 25, the Secretary of War presented the first Medals of Honor to six U.S. Army volunteers in his office. In 1896,

1001-462: A shield emblazoned with the shield from the coat of arms of the United States. She repulses Discord, represented by snakes (originally, she was repulsing the snakes of secession ). The medal is suspended from the flukes of an anchor. It is made of solid red brass, oxidized and buffed. The Air and Space Forces version is described as "within a wreath of green laurel, a gold five-pointed star, one point down, tipped with trefoils and each point containing

1078-547: A statute, and the restoration violated not only the period law during the Civil War, but also the law requiring revocation in 1916, and modern law in 1977. As a reaction to Walker's restoration, a relative of Cody's requested the same action from the Army's board for correction, and it reinstated the medals for Cody and four other civilian scouts on June 12, 1989. Subsequent litigation over the Garlin Conner award, which

1155-472: A waiver be passed by Congress. A separate Coast Guard Medal of Honor was authorized in 1963 but was not designed or awarded. A separate design for a version of the medal for the Department of the Air Force was authorized in 1956, designed on April 14, 1965, and first awarded in January 1967. Previously, airmen of the U.S. Air Force received the Army's version of the medal. There are three versions of

1232-526: Is one of only two United States military awards suspended from a neck ribbon. The other is the Commander's Degree of the Legion of Merit , and is usually awarded to individuals serving foreign governments. In 2011, Department of Defense instructions in regard to the Medal of Honor were amended to read "for each succeeding act that would otherwise justify award of the Medal of Honor, the individual receiving

1309-519: The 442nd Regimental Combat Team (442nd RCT) who served in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. One of these Medal of Honor recipients was Senator Daniel Inouye , a former U.S. Army officer in the 442nd RCT. In 2005, President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor to Tibor Rubin , a Hungarian -born American Jew who was a Holocaust survivor of World War II and enlisted U.S. infantryman and prisoner of war in

1386-472: The American Civil War . A total of 911 Army medals were revoked after Congress authorized a review in 1917, and a number of Navy medals were also revoked before the turn of the century—none of these are included in this total except for those that were subsequently restored. In 1990, Congress designated March 25 as Medal of Honor Day . In 1861, early in the American Civil War , a proposal for

1463-610: The Korean War , whom many believed to have been overlooked because of his religion . On April 11, 2013, President Obama presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to Army chaplain Captain Emil Kapaun for his actions as a prisoner of war during the Korean War. This follows other awards to Army Sergeant Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. for conspicuous gallantry in action on May 10, 1970, near Se San , Cambodia , during

1540-3321: The U.S. Armed Forces . Such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career. The precedence of particular awards will vary slightly among the different branches of service. All awards and decorations may be awarded to any service member unless otherwise designated by name or notation. [REDACTED]    Medal of Honor [REDACTED]    Distinguished Service Cross (Army) [REDACTED]    Navy Cross [REDACTED]    Air Force Cross [REDACTED]    Coast Guard Cross [REDACTED]    Defense Distinguished Service Medal [REDACTED]    Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal [REDACTED]    Navy Distinguished Service Medal [REDACTED]    Distinguished Service Medal (Air and Space Forces) [REDACTED]    Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal [REDACTED]    Silver Star Medal [REDACTED]    Defense Superior Service Medal [REDACTED]    Distinguished Flying Cross [REDACTED]    Soldier's Medal [REDACTED]    Navy and Marine Corps Medal [REDACTED]    Airman's Medal [REDACTED]    Coast Guard Medal [REDACTED]    Bronze Star Medal [REDACTED]    Purple Heart [REDACTED]    Defense Meritorious Service Medal [REDACTED]    Joint Service Commendation Medal [REDACTED]    Army Commendation Medal [REDACTED]    Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal [REDACTED]    Air and Space Commendation Medal [REDACTED]    Coast Guard Commendation Medal [REDACTED]    Joint Service Achievement Medal [REDACTED]    Army Achievement Medal [REDACTED]    Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal [REDACTED]    Air and Space Achievement Medal [REDACTED]    Coast Guard Achievement Medal [REDACTED]    Navy Combat Action Ribbon [REDACTED]    Combat Action Medal (Air and Space Forces) [REDACTED]    Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon Also see: Army combat badges [REDACTED]    Presidential Unit Citation (Army) [REDACTED]    Presidential Unit Citation (Navy and Marine Corps) [REDACTED]    Presidential Unit Citation (Air and Space Forces) [REDACTED]    Presidential Unit Citation (Coast Guard) [REDACTED]   DHS Outstanding Unit Award [REDACTED]    Valorous Unit Award (Army) [REDACTED]    Navy Unit Commendation [REDACTED]    Gallant Unit Citation (Air and Space Forces) [REDACTED]    Coast Guard Unit Commendation [REDACTED]    Army Meritorious Unit Commendation [REDACTED]    Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation [REDACTED]    Meritorious Unit Award (Air and Space Forces) [REDACTED]    Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal of Honor There are three distinct variants of

1617-549: The 864 medals awarded to members of the 27th Maine regiment; 29 servicemen who served as Abraham Lincoln's funeral guard; six civilians, including Mary Edwards Walker and Buffalo Bill Cody; and 12 others. Walker's medal was restored by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in 1977, an action that is often attributed to President Jimmy Carter in error. Cody and four other civilian scouts who rendered distinguished service in action, and who were therefore considered by

SECTION 20

#1732801325452

1694-495: The Army " Gillespie " version introduced a smaller redesigned star and the ribbon was changed to the light blue pattern with white stars seen today. The 1904 Army version also introduced a bar with the word "Valor" above the star. In 1913, the Naval version adopted the same ribbon pattern. After World War I, the Department of the Navy decided to separate the Medal of Honor into two versions, one for combat and one for non-combat. This

1771-450: The Army's and Navy's Medal of Honor for the same action, with all five of these occurrences taking place during World War I. This was a consequence of the marine recipients serving under Army command, which had been reviewed by the Army's judge advocate general. According to the judge advocate general, the marines were "a party 'of the Army'" since they were detached for service under the Army by presidential directive, and thus were subject to

1848-439: The Army's decoration statutes for that time period. No modern recipients have more than one medal because of laws passed for the Army in 1918, and for the Navy in 1919, which stipulated that "no more than one medal of honor . . . shall be issued to any one person," although subsequent awards were authorized by issuance of bars or other devices in lieu of the medal itself. The prohibition on double awards did not technically apply to

1925-576: The Army's version until they received their own distinctive version in 1965. The Medal of Honor is the oldest continuously issued combat decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The president typically presents the Medal of Honor at a formal ceremony intended to represent the gratitude of the American people, with posthumous presentations made to the primary next of kin. As of September 2023, there have been 3,536 Medals of Honor awarded, with over 40% awarded for actions during

2002-523: The Civil War to the Vietnam War. In addition, five recipients whose names were included on the Army's medal revocations in 1917 had their awards restored. A 1993 study commissioned by the U.S. Army investigated "racial disparity" in the awarding of medals. At the time, no Medals of Honor had been awarded to U.S. soldiers of African descent who served in World War II. After an exhaustive review,

2079-491: The George S. Rob Centre at Park University, the review is still ongoing but has already identified some 200 medals for potential upgrade. During the Civil War, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton promised a Medal of Honor to every man in the 27th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment who extended his enlistment beyond his separation date. The Battle of Gettysburg was imminent, and 311 men of the regiment volunteered to serve until

2156-403: The Korean War and the Vietnam War. Three were still living at the time of the ceremony. In 2010 and again in 2014, Congress directed the Department of Defense to "survey military leaders . . . to the lowest level of command to determine if there is a trend of downgrading awards . . . for medals related to acts of valor and gallantry," and also to "review the Medal of Honor process to ensure that

2233-426: The Medal of Honor that was awarded. The 1917 Medal of Honor Board revoked 911 awards, but only 910 names from the Army's Medal of Honor list, including awards to Mary Edwards Walker, William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and the first of two awards issued February 10, 1887, to George W. Mindil, who retained his award issued October 25, 1893. None of the 910 impacted recipients were ordered to return their medals, although on

2310-481: The Medal of Honor, one for each of the military departments of the Department of Defense (DoD): the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard), and Department of the Air Force (Air and Space Forces). Members of the Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security , are eligible to receive the Naval version. Each medal is constructed differently, and

2387-445: The Medal of Honor. The first and most common is recommendation within three years and approval within five years through the chain of command of the service member. The second method, which normally applies outside of the statute of limitations, is when a recommendation is referred to a military service by a member of the U.S. Congress, generally at the request of a constituent under 10 U.S.C.   § 1130 . In both cases, if

Southwest Asia Service Medal - Misplaced Pages Continue

2464-437: The Medal of Honor. The only other such pairing is Theodore Roosevelt (awarded in 2001) and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Notably, one member in each pair was strongly influenced by political considerations; Douglas MacArthur's medal was approved for service (rather than gallantry) in violation of both law and policy that prohibited such action, and Theodore Roosevelt's medal was approved after members of Congress successfully lobbied

2541-512: The Medals of Honor have been awarded posthumously. The four specific statutory sections authorizing the medal, as last amended on January 1, 2021, are as follows: 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] [Air Force] [Coast Guard], distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at

2618-524: The Medals of Honor of Buffalo Bill and four other civilian scouts in 1989. While the governing statute for the Army's Medal of Honor ( 10 U.S.C.   § 6241 ), beginning in 1918, explicitly stated that a recipient must be "an officer or enlisted man of the Army," "distinguish himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty," and perform an act of valor "in action involving actual conflict with an enemy," exceptions have been made: Note that

2695-617: The Navy Gideon Welles adopted the idea of a decoration to recognize and honor distinguished naval service. On December 9, 1861, Iowa Senator James W. Grimes , Chairman on the Committee on Naval Affairs, introduced bill S. 82. The bill included a provision authorizing 200 "medals of honor," "to be bestowed upon such petty officers , seamen , landsmen , and marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seaman-like qualities during

2772-447: The Secretary of the Army to reverse a prior determination that "Theodore Roosevelt's bravery in battle did not rise to the level that would justify the Medal of Honor and, indeed, it did not rise to the level of men who fought in that engagement." Seven pairs of brothers have received the Medal of Honor: Two other notable pairs of related recipients include two uncle and nephew recipients. Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher (rear admiral at

2849-728: The Southwest Asia Service Medal is not authorized. The award is also not authorized for those who performed support of the Persian Gulf War from European or Pacific bases. In April 2016, the appearance of the suspension and service ribbon of the SWASM was slightly modified by the United States Department of Defense through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The DLA made the two vertical green bars and one vertical black bar in

2926-486: The Vietnam War and to Army Private First Class Henry Svehla and Army Private First Class Anthony T. Kahoʻohanohano for their heroic actions during the Korean War. As a result of a congressionally mandated review to ensure brave acts were not overlooked due to prejudice or discrimination, on March 18, 2014, President Obama upgraded Distinguished Service Crosses to Medals of Honor for 24 Hispanic, Jewish and black individuals—the "Valor 24"—for their actions in World War II,

3003-473: The airspace and territorial waters) directly supporting combat operations between January 17, 1991, and April 11, 1991, are also eligible for this award. To receive the award, a service member must be: attached to or regularly serving for one or more days with an organization participating in ground/shore military operations; attached to or regularly serving for one or more days aboard a naval vessel directly supporting military operations; actually participating as

3080-459: The attorney general of the United States for an advisory opinion on the matter. Byrd himself apparently disliked the Tiffany Cross, and eventually requested the alternate version of the medal from President Herbert Hoover in 1930. The Tiffany Cross itself was not popular among recipients—one author reflected that it was "the most short-lived, legally contentious, and unpopular version of the Medal of Honor in American history." In 1942, in response to

3157-608: The battle was resolved. The remaining men returned to Maine, and with the Union victory at Gettysburg the 311 volunteers soon followed. They arrived back in Maine in time to be discharged with the men who had returned earlier. Since there seemed to be no official list of the 311 volunteers, the War Department exacerbated the situation by forwarding 864 medals to the commanding officer of the regiment. The commanding officer only issued

Southwest Asia Service Medal - Misplaced Pages Continue

3234-502: The board to have fully earned their medals, also had their medals restored by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in 1989. The report issued by the Medal of Honor review board in 1917 was reviewed by the Judge Advocate General , who also advised that the War Department should not seek the return of the revoked medals from the recipients identified by the board. In the case of recipients who continued to wear

3311-604: The chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs and the Militia, introduced a resolution (equivalent to a bill) for a Medal of Honor for the Army. The resolution (equivalent to a modern Act of Congress) was approved by Congress and signed into law on July 12, 1862. This measure provided for awarding a medal of honor "to such non-commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other soldier-like qualities during

3388-522: The components are made from gilding metals and red brass alloys with some gold plating, enamel, and bronze pieces. The United States Congress considered a bill in 2004 which would require the Medal of Honor to be made with 90% gold, the same composition as the lesser-known Congressional Gold Medal , but the measure was dropped. The Army's version is described by the Institute of Heraldry as "a gold five-pointed star, each point tipped with trefoils, 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches [3.8 cm] wide, surrounded by

3465-412: The double recipients of WWI because they received Medals of Honor from different services, which meant the same medals were not duplicated and had independent statutory authority. Later, in 1927, President Coolidge issued an executive order that forbade issuing more than one federal decoration for the same action, a policy that continues through the present time. The statutory bar on issuing multiple medals

3542-520: The enemy, distinguish[es] himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty." Despite the "actual conflict" guidelines, the Tiffany Cross was awarded to Navy CDR (later RADM) Richard E. Byrd and Floyd Bennett for their flight to the North Pole in 1926. The decision was controversial within the Navy's Bureau of Navigation (which handled personnel administration), and officials considered asking

3619-442: The eye, jump rings, and suspension ring made of red brass . The finish on the pendant and suspension bar is hard enameled, gold plated, and rose gold plated, with polished highlights. The Naval version is described as "a five-pointed bronze star, tipped with trefoils containing a crown of laurel and oak. In the center is Minerva, personifying the United States, standing with her left hand resting on fasces and her right hand holding

3696-402: The form of an "M." It is placed first in the top position in the order of precedence and is worn for situations other than full-dress military uniform. The lapel button is a 1 ⁄ 2 -inch (13 mm), six-sided light blue bowknot rosette with thirteen white stars and may be worn on appropriate civilian clothing on the left lapel. Since 1944, the Medal of Honor has been attached to

3773-466: The medal: one for the Department of the Army , awarded to soldiers; one for branches of the Department of the Navy , awarded to sailors, marines, and coast guardsmen; and one for military branches of the Department of the Air Force , awarded to airmen and guardians. The Medal of Honor was introduced for the Naval Service in 1861, soon followed by the Army's version in 1862. The Air Force used

3850-642: The medals to the volunteers who stayed behind and retained the others on the grounds that, if he returned the remainder to the War Department, the War Department would try to reissue the medals. In 1916, a board of five Army generals on the retired list convened under act of law to review every Army Medal of Honor awarded. The board was to report on any Medals of Honor awarded or issued "for any cause other than distinguished conduct by an officer or enlisted man in action involving actual conflict with an enemy." The board, led by Nelson A. Miles , identified 911 awards for causes other than distinguished conduct. This included

3927-892: The middle wider than in the original 1991 version. The following are the approved campaign phases and respective inclusive dates for the Southwest Asia Service Medal (SWASM): The following ribbon devices are authorized for wear on the Southwest Asia Service Medal: Examples of campaign stars worn on the Southwest Asia Campaign service ribbon: While several operations occurred in the geographical areas described above between April 12, 1991, and November 30, 1995, including Operation Provide Comfort (June 1, 1992 – November 30, 1995), Operation Southern Watch (August 27, 1992 – April 29, 2003) and Operation Vigilant Warrior (October 14, 1994 – December 21, 1994), these operations were covered under

SECTION 50

#1732801325452

4004-509: The nomination process, valor requirements, and timeliness of the process do not unfairly penalize service members." This ultimately resulted in a review of all post 9/11 valor awards, several of which resulted in Medals of Honor. Another historical review for World War I medals that may have been tainted by discrimination was authorized in the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Conducted under

4081-468: The number of Air Force recipients does not count recipients from its pre-September 19, 1947, Army-related predecessor organizations . Nevertheless, the Air Force's transfer agreement gave it retroactive jurisdiction over military awards to the date the Air Corps was authorized by statute: Jul. 2, 1926. Thus, were a decoration submitted retroactively for an aviator's actions on or after that date (including

4158-430: The pendant and suspension bar is hard enameled, gold plated, and rose gold plated, with buffed relief. The Medal of Honor has evolved in appearance over time. The upside-down star design of the Naval version's pendant adopted in early 1862 has not changed since its inception. The Army's 1862 version followed and was identical to the Naval version except an eagle perched atop cannons was used instead of an anchor to connect

4235-459: The pendant to the suspension ribbon. The medals featured a female allegory of the Union, with a shield in her right hand that she used to fend off a crouching attacker and serpents. In her left hand, she held a fasces . There are 34 stars surrounding the scene, representing the number of states in the union at the time. In 1896, the Army version changed the ribbon's design and colors due to misuse and imitation by nonmilitary organizations. In 1904,

4312-407: The present insurrection." By mid-November the Department of War contracted with Philadelphia silversmith William Wilson and Son, who had been responsible for the Navy's design, to prepare 2,000 medals for the Army ($ 2.00 each) to be struck at the mint. The Army's version had "The Congress to" written on the back of the medal. Both versions were made of copper and coated with bronze, which "gave them

4389-562: The present war...." On December 21, the bill was passed and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln . Secretary Welles directed the Philadelphia Mint to design the new military decoration. On May 15, 1862, the United States Department of the Navy ordered 175 medals ($ 1.85 each) from the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia with "Personal Valor" inscribed on the back of each one. On February 15, 1862, Senator Henry Wilson ,

4466-529: The proposal is outside the time limits for the recommendation, approval to waive the time limit requires a special Act of Congress . The Medal of Honor is presented by the President on behalf of, and in the name of, the Congress. Since 1980, nearly all Medal of Honor recipients—or in the case of posthumous awards, the next of kin—have been personally decorated by the president. Since 1941, more than half of

4543-590: The question of whether the recipients could continue to wear their medals, the Judge Advocate General advised the Medal of Honor Board that the Army was not obligated to police the matter. Walker continued to wear her medal until her death. Although some sources claim that President Jimmy Carter formally restored her medal posthumously in 1977, this action was actually taken unilaterally by the Army's Board for Correction of Military Records. The Army Board for Correction of Military Records also restored

4620-448: The report of the Medal of Honor Review Board, established by Congress in 1916, 911 recipients were stricken from the Army's Medal of Honor list because the medal had been awarded inappropriately. Among them were William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Mary Edwards Walker . In 1977, the Army's board for correction of military records unilaterally restored Walker's medal at the request of a relative. The board had no authority to overturn

4697-707: The ribbon are tan, representing sand, with the black, white, red, blue, and green colors symbolizing the colors of coalition countries' national flags. Individuals awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal must have participated in or supported military operations in Southwest Asia between August 2, 1990, and November 30, 1995. That period of inclusion includes participation in Operations Desert Shield or Desert Storm : Individuals serving in Israel , Egypt , Turkey , Syria and Jordan (including

SECTION 60

#1732801325452

4774-535: The ribbon of the Army's version of the Medal of Honor was redesigned with all stripes being vertical. Again, in 1904 the planchet of the Army's version of the Medal of Honor was redesigned by General George Lewis Gillespie . The purpose of the redesign was to help distinguish the Medal of Honor from other medals, particularly the membership insignia issued by the Grand Army of the Republic . In 1917, based on

4851-430: The risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. The Medal of Honor confers special privileges on its recipients: Medal of Honor recipients may apply in writing to the headquarters of the service branch of the medal awarded for a replacement or display Medal of Honor, ribbon, and appurtenance (Medal of Honor flag) without charge. Primary next of kin may also do the same and have any questions answered in regard to

4928-464: The study recommended that ten Distinguished Service Cross recipients be awarded the Medal of Honor. On January 13, 1997, President Bill Clinton presented the Medal of Honor to seven of these World War II veterans, six of them posthumously and one to former Second Lieutenant Vernon Baker . In 1998, a similar study of Asian Americans resulted in Clinton presenting 22 Medals of Honor in 2000. This

5005-403: The subsequent award is authorized to wear an additional Medal of Honor ribbon and/or a 'V' device on the Medal of Honor suspension ribbon" (the "V" device is a 1 ⁄ 4 -inch-high (6.4 mm) bronze miniature letter "V" with serifs that denotes valor). The Medal of Honor was the only decoration authorized to use the "V" device (none were ever issued) to designate subsequent awards in such

5082-682: The third campaign, Southwest Asia Cease-Fire. Service in Operations that extended beyond the final campaign date of November 30, 1995, were recognized by awards of either the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or the Armed Forces Service Medal . Awards and decorations of the United States military Various medals, service ribbons , ribbon devices , and specific badges recognize military service and personal accomplishments of members of

5159-476: The time of award) and his nephew, Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher (lieutenant at the time of award), both awarded for actions during the United States occupation of Veracruz . Guy W. S. Castle for actions during the United States occupation of Veracruz , and his nephew Frederick Walker Castle for actions during World War II . Since 1979, 86 late Medal of Honor awards have been presented for actions from

5236-458: The traditional depiction of Minerva in part due to a desire to distinguish itself from the Army, including the Institute of Heraldry that traditionally designs awards, but which falls under the Army. On May 2, 1896, Congress authorized a "ribbon to be worn with the medal and [a] rosette or knot to be worn in lieu of the medal." The service ribbon is light blue with five white stars in

5313-420: The words "Medal of Honor" as written on Kendall's flag. The color of the field and the 13 white stars, arranged in the form of a three-bar chevron , consisting of two chevrons of five stars and one chevron of three stars, emulate the suspension ribbon of the Medal of Honor. The flag has no defined proportions. The first Medal of Honor Flag recipient was U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith , whose flag

5390-465: Was John J. Kelly , on October 3, 1918; the last individual to receive two Medals of Honor for two different actions was Smedley Butler , in 1914 and 1915. None of the double awardees earned two distinct medals under modern Medal of Honor criteria, although the WWI awardees qualified under substantially modern statutes. Arthur MacArthur, Jr. and Douglas MacArthur are the first father and son to be awarded

5467-414: Was an attempt to circumvent the requirement enacted in 1919 that recipients participate "in action involving actual conflict with the enemy," which would have foreclosed non-combat awards. By treating the 1919 Medal of Honor as a separate award from its Civil War counterpart, this allowed the Department of the Navy to claim that it was not literally in violation of the 1919 law. The original upside-down star

5544-626: Was designated as the non-combat version and a new pattern of the medal pendant, in cross form, was designed by the Tiffany Company in 1919. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels selected Tiffany after snubbing the Commission of Fine Arts, which had submitted drawings that Daniels criticized as "un-American". The so-called Tiffany Cross was to be presented to a sailor or marine who "in action involving actual conflict with

5621-463: Was designed in 1965, it incorporated similar elements and design from the Army version. At the Department of the Air Force leadership's insistence, the new medal depicted the Statue of Liberty's image in place of Minerva on the medal and changed the connecting device from an eagle to Jupiter's thunderbolt flanked with wings as found on the Department of the Air Force's seal. The Air Force diverged from

5698-580: Was finally repealed in the FY2014 defense bill, at the request of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, meaning that recipients can now be issued more than one medal rather than simply receiving a device for subsequent awards. However, it is still true that no more than one medal may be issued for the same action. To date, the maximum number of Medals of Honor earned by any service member has been two. The last living individual to be awarded two Medals of Honor

5775-583: Was following a historical review conducted by a team of historians headed by Jim McNaughton at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, located in the Presidio of Monterey, California. The review ultimately forwarded at least 47 cases of Distinguished Services Crosses for potential upgrade, as well as one Silver Star. Twenty of the resulting medals went to U.S. soldiers of Japanese descent of

5852-596: Was presented posthumously. President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor and Flag to the family of Smith during the award ceremony for him in the White House on April 4, 2005. A special Medal of Honor Flag presentation ceremony was held for over 60 living Medal of Honor recipients on board the USS ; Constitution in September 2006. There are two distinct protocols for recommending and adjudicating

5929-484: Was recommended by the Army's board for correction of military records in 2015, established that the correction boards lack the authority to unilaterally award Medals of Honor. In Conner's case, the board merely recommended the medal, which was then referred to the Senior Army Decorations Board, and ultimately to the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of Defense, and the President, who requested

#451548