More than 300 marines have earned the medal of honor since awards inception in 1861. Bestowed by congress, the award recognizes valor in action against an enemy force. The navy department board of decorations and medals. Jan 23, 2015 shadowspear special operations news and community network. Sep 15, 2011 dakota meyer, a former marine corps corporal, was awarded the medal of honor for saving the lives of 36 us and afghan troops pinned down in a taliban ambush in afghanistan in 2009. Military, and in the navy and marine corps it could only be presented to enlisted sailors and marines. Oct 01, 2018 congressional medal of honor recipient ronald shurer ii was an army medic, served as a special agent in the secret service, and is battling cancer. During those six months of combat for the united states in 1918, the medal of honor was awarded to 119 recipients, 33 of whom received the medal of honor posthumously.
James lewis day was born 5 october 1925, in east st. Legislation in 1915 made naval officers eligible for the award. In judging men for receipt of the medal, each service has established its own regulations. Canley, united states marine corps, read more staff sergeant ronald shurer ii, u. Complete guide to united states marine corps medals. The united states armed forces awards and decorations are primarily the medals, service ribbons, and specific badges which recognize military service and personal accomplishments while a member of the u. Canley, united states marine corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy while serving as company gunnery sergeant, alpha company, first battalion, first. Major general james lewis day, usmc deceased medal of honor citation. The president, in the name of congress, has awarded more than 3,400 medals of honor to our nations bravest soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen since the decorations creation in 1861. Second medal of honor, distinguished service medal. Corporal meyer maintained security at a patrol rally point while other members of his team moved on foot with two platoons of afghan national army and border. Pages in category united states marine corps medal of honor recipients the following 3 pages are in this category, out of 3 total.
Washington the president of the united states in the name of the congress takes pride in presenting the medal of honor posthumously to corporal jason l. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Paul united states marine corp for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a fire team leader with company h, second battalion, fourth marines, third marine division reinforced during operation starlite near chu lai in the republic of. He also served in korea during the first year of the korean war and retired from the marine corps in february 1962.
He received the medal of honor in recognition of his role in air combat during the guadalcanal campaign. The first military decoration formally authorized by the american government as a badge of valor was the medal of honor for enlisted men of the navy and. Data on all 19 double medal of honor recipients table of all marine medal of honor recipients by home state and town. For the president of the united states of america, in the name of congress. Daniel joseph daly november 11, 1873 april 27, 1937 was a united states marine and one of only nineteen men including seven marines to have received the medal of honor twice. Medal of honor recipients motivate marsoc marines, sailors. Thomason was posthumously awarded the medal of honor for heroism at the cost of his life while leading an assault on makin island, 17 august 1942. Disambig redirects reflinks recent changes united states marine corps recipients of the medal of honor. The medal of honor was presented to corporal fardys parents at ceremonies conducted by the marine corps league in chicago, 15 september 1946. Established on july 12, 1862, the medal of honor is the highest award for gallantry given to u. The medal s history on december 9, 1861 iowa senator james w. Medal of honor recipients with citations home of heroes. Their names are followed by their rank and rate, if known, the vessel or unit on which they served, and the date of the action.
Prior to his enlistment in the marine corps reserve in charleston, west virginia, on 26 may 1943, the young man was employed as a truck driver for. Army special forces detachment defending camp nam dong against a viet cong attack. He received the medal of honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action, in 1968. Dunham united states marine corps for service as set forth in the following citation. Other than the now obsolete certificate of merit and marine corps brevet medal, it was the only award available in the u. Our site is currently under construction, but visitors can still find most research materials available using the links to the left. The medal of honor is considered the ultimate sign of courage and devotion above and beyond the call of duty. Citations for the most awards of the navy, army, air force, and coast guard distinguished service medals. New listing lot of 30 prewwi us military medal rosettes.
John basilones medal of honor citation unto the breach. This reference provides an alphabetical listing of all united states marines and their comrades of the united states navy who were awarded the medal of honor from 1861 to the present. From the boxer rebellion to belleau wood to iwo jima and khe sanh, 28 of navy medicine s owndentists, physicians and hospital corpsmen have distinguished themselves beyond the call of duty to earn this award. Table of contents for united states marine corps medal of. Marine corporal receives medal of honor united states.
This will bring up your browsers find function, where you can enter the last name of an individual and skip to them on the list. Citations for the most awards of the navy, army, air force, and coast guard distinguished service. She earned this honor for her volunteer service to the. The recipients must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the united states. The first medal of honor recipient for actions during the battle of iwo jima, stein charged right into the thickest parts of the fray on dday, with the 1st battalion, 28th reg. Medal of honor recipients naval history and heritage navy.
With complete guide to united states marine corps medals, badges and insignia world war ii to present, military medal expert james g. Williams, a world war ii medal of honor recipient, was born in fairmont, west virginia, on 2 october 1923. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifle squad leader. Marine corps university research marine corps history. Find recipients of the purple heart, medal of honor, and other military medals in our database of u. From the american revolution to the persian gulf, this comprehensive book features detailed information on 293 marine corps medal of honor winners, with 150 indepth accounts of those who demonstrated the courage and determination which are the cornerstones of the united states marine corpsin a compelling chronicle of those who have truly earned the rank of heroes. William kyle carpenter received the nations highest military honor from president barack obama at the white house june 19. Sergeant thomason was the first marine during wwii to recieve the medal of honor sergeant clyde a. May 01, 2016 this book was a fast easy read for its length of stories about all the medal of honor recipients from the battle for iwo jima. In over two hundred years of marine corps existence, only 293 marines have received this honor. He was the last surviving of 19 twotime medal of honor recipients when he died.
For the president of the united states of america, in the name of congress, takes pleasure in presenting the medal of honor to sergeant john manila john basilone mcsn. Kenneth ambrose walsh november 24, 1916 july 30, 1998 was a united states marine corps lieutenant colonel and a medal of honor recipient who was the fourth ranking usmc fighter ace in world war ii with a record of 21 enemy planes destroyed. United states marine corps recipients of the medal of. All marine double recipients except daly and major general smedley butler received both medals of honor for the same action. Livingston, a medal of honor recipient, retired on 1 september 1995, following over 33 continuous years on active duty in the united states marine corps. Marine corps forces special operations command marsoc at stone bay, jan. During the american civil war the medal of honor was established and presented nearly 3,000 times before world war i. This reference book a repeat of an edition first published by mcfarland in 2005 presents all 296 united states marines and one coast guardsman, 21 united states navy corpsmen and doctors and a chaplain, who served marines in combat who were awarded the medal of honor from 1861 to. Since 1861, the medal of honor has been awarded to more than 3,000 members of the military. Navy medical personnel honored for serving marines in combat. The sole purpose of the information provided on this website is to publicly recognize those u.
This information is based on awards reporting made available to the military departments. What is the most hardcore medal of honor citation youve. She earned this honor for her volunteer service to the local community during the coronavirus pandemic. During the american civil war the medal of honor was established and. Marine corps corporal dakota meyer became the third living recipient awarded the medal of honor for his actions during the battle of ganjgal. Medal of honor citations are peppered with terms like gallantry and intrepidity, and descriptions of action above and beyond the. James h hallas when the smoke cleared on iwo jima in march 1945, 19,000 american marines had been wounded and 7,000 were dead, a casualty rate of nearly 39 percent.
A senior marine official told mcclatchy that after that decision, the marines were determined that one of their own would earn a medal of honor by the time commandant james t. Statistics of the medal of honor for the united states army. Navy medical personnel honored for serving marines in combat reprint edition. Returning to the kill zone a fourth time in a humvee, he exited the vehicle, evaded a hail of bullets and shells to recover three fallen marines and a navy corpsman, working alongside then marine corps cpl. James amos at the marine corps barracks washington, june 20, 2014. Guadalcanal medal of honor recipients unto the breach. Lance corporal carpenter was a member of a platoonsized coalition force, comprised of two reinforced marine squads partnered with an afghan national army squad. A little more than a month later, on july 6, he enlisted in the regular marines corps. Carpenter received the medal of honor for his actions while. United states marine corps medal of honor recipients. It is the highest military decoration presented by the united states government to a member of its armed forces. List of medal of honor recipients for the vietnam war. Navy recipients select name for complete citation byers, edward c. Table of contents for united states marine corps medal of honor recipients.
My selection is a soldier i served together with on active duty named. Created during the civil war, the medal of honor, our nations highest military distinction, has been awarded to 3,516. Marine corps history division marine corps university. Statistics of the medal of honor recipients, citations, and other resources concerning the nations highest medal for valor in combat. Marines promoted inflated story for medal of honor winner. His last assignment was the commanding general of marine forces reserve in new orleans, louisiana. For information on medal of honor recipients visit the congressional medal of honor society. View all digital collections for medal of honor recipients listed alphabetically. New listing named and engraced ww1 era usmc good conduct medal seagoing marine. Vargas born july 29, 1938, is an american and a retired united states marine corps colonel who served in the vietnam war. Medal of honor recipient is an inspiration, donald trump says. The marine corps medal of honor recipients marine medals.
The medal of honor was created during the american civil war and is the highest military decoration presented by the united states government to a member of. Born 12 august 1931 in terre haute, he attended public schools in las vegas, nevada, before enlisting in the marine corps 17 august 1948 at the age of 17. The medal of honor is the highest award for bravery that can be given to any individual in the united states. Medal of honor recipients congressional medal of honor. Bush, alert and courageous in extremity as in battle, unhesitatingly pulled the deadly missile to himself and absorbed the shattering violence of the exploding charge in his body, thereby saving his fellow marines from severe injury or death despite the certain peril to his own life. John canley, who has received a recommendation from congress to receive a medal of honor for his actions in the battle of hue city in 1968.
Reinterment services for cpl fardy, with military honors by the chicago detachment of the marine corps league, were held on 7. Although originally awarded for both combat and noncombat heroism, the medal. Raymond gilbert ray davis january, 1915 september 3, 2003 was a united states marine corps fourstargeneral who had served in world war ii, the korean war, and the. The navy and marine corps medal of honor is our countrys oldest. Although prostrate under medical treatment when a japanese hand grenade landed in the midst of the group, cpl.
Such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a. Joseph jacob foss april 17, 1915 january 1, 2003 was a united states marine corps major and a leading marine fighter ace in world war ii. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an automatic rifleman with company f, 2d battalion, 9th marines, regimental combat team 1, 1st marine division forward, 1 marine. John joseph kelly june 24, 1898 november 20, 1957 was a united states marine who was awarded both the army and navy medals of honor for his heroic actions on october, 1918, at the battle of blanc mont ridge, france during world war i. Our militarys first medal was the badge for military merit, established by general george washington during the american revolution and presented only three times. The president of the united states, in the name of congress, takes pleasure in awarding the congressional medal of honor to gunnery sergeant john l. Is it time to give chesty puller the medal of honor. United states marine corps recipients of the medal of honor this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a printed book. Awards and decorations of the united states armed forces. The last actions to earn a medal of honor in this war were those.
For the president of the united states of america, in the name of congress, takes pride in presenting the medal of honor posthumously to major kenneth dillon bailey mcsn. He enlisted in the marine corps in 1943 and participated in combat action during world war ii in the marshall islands, on guam and on okinawa, where he earned the medal of honor for heroism during the fight for sugar loaf hill. As commanding officer of detachments from the 5th, th, 23d companies and the marine and sailor detachment from the u. The united states marine corps medal of honor, awarded for outstanding courage and sacrifice in combat, is the greatest honor a marine can hope to attain. Texas, to enlist in the united states marine corps reserve. Corporal abrell was the 14th marine to receive the medal of honor for heroism in korea. Below are five recent recipients of the medal of honor, along with their stories of heroism. A marine who earned the medal of honor for throwing himself on a grenade. Because the navy cross medal is a distinctive decoration, it is only awarded for acts performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk. The platoon had established patrol base dakota two days earlier in a small village in the marjah district in order to disrupt enemy activity and provide security for the local afghan. Marine corps corporal dakota meyer became the third living recipient awarded the medal of. Medal of honor research guides at library of the marine corps. Just one step below the medal of honor, the navy cross medal is awarded to individuals who have distinguished themselves by extraordinary heroism while serving with the navy or marine corps. The book encourages us to become our best selves in the time weve.
Butler led the attack on fort riviere, haiti, 17 november 1915. United states marine corps medal of honor recipients mcfarland. The first medal of honor presentation for vietnam was to captain roger donlon for actions on 6 july 1964 as commanding officer of the u. This book should be read by everyone to learn of the harrowing experiences of war that all marines, not just the recipients faced on that tiny island. These individuals earned the navy medal of honor during the period specified. Camp lejeune, nc lance cpl steven fox two medal of honor recipients visited u.
Navy, hostage rescue force team member, afghanistan, 89. Dakota meyer, a marine who disregarded orders, is awarded. Paul lance corporal united states marine corp joe c. This book was a fast easy read for its length of stories about all the medal of honor recipients from the battle for iwo jima. Citations for all recipients of the marine corps brevet medal. The marine corps medal of honor recipients featuring marine medal of honor recipients from wwiikoreaviet nam and iraqi freedom honor couragecommitment. Us military medals and ribbons are properly worn on chests, lapels and collars of conventional civilian dress. Navy medical personnel honored for serving marines in combat edited by george b. Zeelie scruggs, an intelligence specialist with the battalion, with a navy and marine corps achievement medal at camp lejeune, n. But missing from that list is perhaps the most legendary marine, whose memory still looms large in the lore of. The navy and marine corps medal of honor is our countrys oldest continuously awarded decoration, even though its appearance and award criteria has changed since it was created for enlisted men by secretary of the navy gideon welles on 16 december 1861. The medal of honor was created during the american civil war.
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