Croix de guerre

The Croix de guerre (English translation: Cross of War) is a military decoration of both France and Belgium, where it is also known as the Oorlogskruis (Dutch). It was first created in 1915 in both countries and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts. The Croix de guerre was also commonly bestowed on foreign military forces allied to France and Belgium.

The Croix de guerre may either be bestowed as a unit award or to individuals who distinguish themselves by acts of heroism involving combat with enemy forces. The medal is also awarded to those who have been "mentioned in despatches", meaning a heroic deed was performed meriting a citation from an individual's headquarters unit. The unit award of the Croix de guerre was issued to military commands who performed heroic deeds in combat and were subsequently recognized by headquarters.

Appearance

The Croix de guerre medal varies depending on which country is bestowing the award and for what conflict. Separate French medals exist for the First and Second World War, and the French medals are different in appearance from the Belgian design.

For the unit decoration of the Croix de guerre, a fourragère is awarded which is suspended from the shoulder of an individual's uniform.

Because the Croix de guerre is issued as several different medals, and as a unit decoration, situations typically arose where an individual was awarded the decoration several times, for different actions, and from different sources. Regulations also permitted the wearing of multiple Croix de guerre, meaning that such medals were differentiated in service records by specifying French Croix de guerre, Belgian Croix de guerre, French Croix de guerre (WWI), etc.

French Croix de guerre

There are five distinct Croix de guerre medals in the French system of honours :

Ribbon Awards

Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (for World War I service)

Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (for World War II service)

Croix de guerre (Vichy France) (for World War II service)

Croix de guerre de la Légion des Volontaires Français (for World War II service)

Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures (TOE) for wars other than World War I and World War II not fought on French soil

The Croix was created by a law of April 2, 1915, proposed by French deputy Émile Briant. The Croix reinstated an older system of mentions in dispatches, which were only administrative honours with no medal. The sculptor Paul-André Bartholomé created the medal, a bronze cross with swords, showing the effigy of the republic.

The French Croix represents a mention in dispatches awarded by a commanding officer, at least a regimental commander. Depending on the officer who issued the mention, the ribbon of the Croix is marked with extra pins.

Mentioned in Despatches :

a bronze star for those who had been mentioned at the regiment or brigade level.

a silver star, for those who had been mentioned at the division level.

a silver gilt star for those who had been mentioned at the corps level.

a bronze palm for those who had been mentioned at the army level.

a silver palm stands for five bronze ones.

a silver gilt palm for those who had been mentioned at the Free French Forces level (World War II only).

French Croix de guerre des TOE

The French Croix de guerre des TOE was created in 1921 for wars fought in theatres of operation outside of France. It was awarded during Indochina War, Korean War, and other wars up to Kosovo War in 1999

When World War II broke out in 1939, a new Croix de guerre was created by Édouard Daladier. It was abolished by Vichy Government in 1941, which created a new Croix de guerre. In 1943 General Giraud in Algiers created another Croix de guerre. Both Vichy and Giraud Croix were abolished by General de Gaulle in 1944, who reinstated the 1939 Croix.

The Croix de guerre takes precedence between the Ordre national du Mérite and the Croix de la Valeur Militaire, the World War I Croix being senior to the World War II one, itself senior to TOE Croix.

Belgian Croix de guerre or Oorlogskruis

Belgian Croix de guerre (WWII), or Oorlogskruis

Belgian Croix de guerre (WWII), or Oorlogskruis with Palm

There are three distinct Croix de guerre medals in the Belgian system of honours :

Ribbon Awards

Belgian Croix de guerre (for World War I service)

Belgian Croix de guerre (for World War II service)

Belgian Croix de guerre (since 1954)

The Belgian Croix de guerre also included attachments, pinned into the ribbon, to designate the degree of citation:

a bronze lion for those who had been cited at the regiment level

a silver lion for those who had been cited at the brigade level

a gold lion for those who had been cited at the division level

a bronze palm for those who had been cited at the army level. A silver palm is used for five bronze ones and a gold one for five silver ones.

The Croix de guerre or Oorlogskruis would be referred with the different type of attachment, such as the Croix de guerre avec palme et étoile (War Cross with palm and star) or the Croix de guerre avec palme et lion (War Cross with palm and lion).

The multiple attached pins can also designate the number of Croix de guerre citations earned, but displayed with only one medal. Some soldiers earned more than ten or twenty Croix de guerre citations.

Unit Award

The coat of arms of Leuven, featuring a French Croix de guerre. Presumably to commemorate the sacking of Leuven by the Germans in 1914.

The Croix can be awarded to military units, as a manifestation of a collective Mention in Despatches. It is then displayed on the unit's flag. A unit, usually a regiment or a battalion, is always mentioned at the army level. The Croix is then a Croix de guerre with palm. Other communities, such as cities or companies can be also awarded the Croix.

When a unit is mentioned twice, it is awarded the fourragère of the Croix de guerre. This fourragère is worn by all men in the unit, but it can be worn on a personal basis: those permanently assigned to a unit, at the time of the mentions, were entitled to wear the fourragère for the remainder of service in the military.

Temporary personnel, or those who had joined a unit after the actions which had been mentioned, were authorized to wear the award while a member of the unit but would surrender the decoration upon transfer. This temporary wearing of the fourragère only applied to the French version of the Croix de guerre.

United States issuance

In the United States military, the Croix de guerre was commonly accepted as a foreign decoration. In the modern age, however, it remains one of the most difficult foreign awards to verify entitlement. This is because the Croix de guerre was often presented with original orders only and rarely entered into a permanent service record. The unit award was virtually never entered into U.S. records, especially since in most cases it was considered a temporary decoration which was surrendered when an individual departed a unit. An added complication is that the 1973 National Archives Fire destroyed a large number of World War II personnel records, meaning that there are very few sources from which to verify a veteran's entitlement to the Croix de guerre.

Today, members of United States 5th Marine Regiment and 6th Marine Regiment, the Army's 2nd Infantry Division, the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, the Army's 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, the 1st BN U.S. 28th Infantry Regiment, and the National Guard's 45th Infantry Brigade Separate Brigade are authorized to wear a fourragère signifying that brigade's award of three Croix de guerre during the World War I, but only while that individual is assigned to the unit. The wearing of the decoration is considered ceremonial and the fourragère is not entered as an official military award in permanent service records.

Notable recipients

Individuals in World War I

Hobey Baker, an American fighter pilot.

Lieutenant (later Temporary Captain) Harold Bassett, Royal Engineers, French Bronze with Palm, Jan 1916? (London Gazette 28 January 1919).

Bl. Daniel Brottier, beatus in the Roman Catholic Church; acted as a military chaplain during the war.

Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Melbourne and later Prime Minister of Australia, in 1917.

Eugene Bullard, wounded in the 1916 battles around Verdun, was awarded the Croix de guerre for his heroism.

Georges Carpentier, Aviator during the war as well as a world champion boxer.

Father John B. DeValles, A chaplain with the Yankee Division, he was known as the "Angel of the Trenches" for his valiant deeds in caring for both Allied and German soldiers on the battlefields of France. Fr. DeValles was injured in a mustard gas attack while attending to a fallen soldier and died two years later.

T/Lieutenant Hugh Ravensford Dixon, 121st Field Company R.E. was awarded the Croix de guerre with palm for his part in the bridging of the River Lys on 19 October 1918.

Thomas J. Evans, part of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. He was awarded the cross on 31 July 1917 after the attack on Pilkem Ridge near Ypres.

Dorothie Feilding, a British volunteer nurse awarded the Croix de guerre for bravery in the field.

George L. Fox, awarded the Croix de guerre for his service on the Western Front. He was also one of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives when the troopships USAT Dorchester was hit by a torpedo and sank on February 3, 1943, during World War II.

Robert Gauthiot, French Orientalist, linguist, and explorer, interrupted his exploration of the Pamir Mountains in July 1914 to return home to serve as a captain in the infantry. He received the Croix de guerre before he was mortally wounded at the Second Battle of Artois in May 1916.

George Hedges No.9540, 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment,1914-1918.

Frank H. Hullinger, awarded Croix de Guerre for bravery. Also awarded with Hullinger was Earl Sleeth. Both "volunteered under violent bombardment to insure liaison of its advance post, which was attacked by a strong enemy detachment." - cited from The Chicago Tribune, along with the book WITH THE HELP OF GOD AND A FEW MARINES (p. 48-49)

Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Iremonger

Henry Lincoln Johnson served with the 369th Infantry Division, better known as the Harlem Hellfighters or the Black Rattlers, a regiment consisted entirely of African Americans excepting their commanding officers.

American poet Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918), a sergeant and intelligence observer with the 69th Volunteer Infantry, 42nd Rainbow Division, was posthumously awarded the Croix de guerre for service.

Arthur Jefferson Lane, an Australian private in the 60th Battalion, Recommendation date: 30 September 1917 (Polygon Wood), Killed in Action 25 April 1918 (Villers-Bretonneux).

Charles Lolah, a Passamaquoddy Indian from Pleasant Point reservation, Maine, who heroically fought and died in the Battle of Xivray-Marvoisin on 16 June 1918.

Henri de Lubac, a Roman Catholic Jesuit novice serving in the Third Infantry Regiment, who was severely wounded in the head on 1 November 1917 while fighting near Verdun. He later became an influential Catholic theologian and Cardinal.

Batista Maraglia of the 305th Infantry Regiment was awarded the Croix de guerre for his valor in the Battle of Meuse River-Argonne Forest, France.

William March, American writer, awarded the Croix de guerre with palm.

Lawrence Dominic McCarthy, was also an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Harry Morton, Lieut. Colonel, 1st and 15th Bns Sherwood Foresters DSO MC, awarded for many brilliant military qualities and exceptional services in Flanders during September and October 1917.

Isabel Weld Perkins, awarded the Croix de guerre for Red Cross volunteer work.

Joseph Edny Powell, awarded the Croix de guerre in 1918 by then CIC, later Marshal Pétain, for valor. His company "Le Terrible" was H Company, the first to occupy Germany after breaking the Hindenburg Line in September, 1918.

Eddie Rickenbacker, Captain and flying ace of the 94th Aero Squadron, United States Army Air Service, during World War I; also recipient of the U.S. Medal of Honor.

James E. Rieger, Major (later Colonel), led a key attack during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross

Milunka Savić, was awarded the French Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 with Palm. She is the only woman in the world awarded with this medal for service in World War I.

James M. Sellers, U.S. Marine awarded the Croix de Guerre for heroism at Belleau Wood

Jess William Snyder, Major, United States Army, American Expeditionary Force (the first American unit to enter WWI) was awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm and silver star, concurrently with a Purple Heart and U.S. Silver Star, France 1918.

Laurence Stallings, American writer.

Sir Norman Stronge, 8th Baronet, was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre.

Leslie R. Taber, an American pilot in the Lafayette Flying Corps who flew in 1917 as a fighter and bomber pilot. He also served in the US Navy as a Naval Aviator after the US entered the war and won the Navy Cross.

John Tovey, Royal Navy, later became a senior naval commander and an Admiral of the Fleet.

Stephen W. Thompson, American aviator, was awarded the Croix de guerre with palm. He is credited with the first aerial victory by the U.S. military.

Dennis Walaker, awarded the Croix de Guerre on 22 February 1916 by the French President, the 2nd by HM the King of Belgium on 11 March 1918.

Major Frederick Lawrence Wall, Australian Army Medical Corps, served in France during WWI.

Edwin "Pa" Watson, served in France. Earning the U.S. Army Silver Star and the Croix de Guerre from the French government.

William A. Wellman, American fighter pilot in the Lafayette Flying Corp awarded Croix de Guerre with two palm leaves, 1918

Samuel Woodfill, an American Major who disabled several German machine-gun nests and killed many enemy combatants with rifle, pistol and pickaxe. He was awarded the French Croix de guerre.

Alvin C. York was awarded the Croix de guerre with bronze palm for his valor in the Battle of Meuse River-Argonne Forest near the town of Verdun, France.

William Henry Galpin was awarded the Croix de Guerre for his bravery in agreeing to continue helping local villagers bring in the harvest in Marseille, France, despite being under enemy shelling. A shell exploded over him, and the medal was sent home to his mother.

Oliver James George (M.M) CPL East Surrey Regiment He volunteered in September 1914, and after serving at stations in England, he was sent to France in October of the following year. There he fought at St. Eloi and Ypres, but being wounded two months later was invalided home to hospital, returning to the front in April 1916. He was in action at Messines, but at Guillemont during the Somme offensive, received a second wound which necessitated his evacuation to England. Early in 1917 he was again in action this time at Nieupoort and in November was drafted to Italy. Returning to France two months afterwards, he served at Bapaume & on the Somme during the “retreat and advance” and for conspicuous gallantry whilst in charge of a “mopping up” section in an operation in Menin in October, which resulted in the capture of 28 prisoners & 2 officers was awarded the military medal and Croix de Guerre. Also serving with the army of occupation, he was demobilised in March 1919 and holds the 1914-1918 star and general service & victory medals.

Source: National Roll of the greeat war. REF: Z2579

[[1]] Link: www.familyrelatives.com

[edit]Individuals in World War II

Władysław Anders, Polish general, commander of the 2nd Polish Corps 1943-1946.

Vera Atkins, part of the French section of the SOE.

Maurice Bambier, French politician and former Mayor of Montataire, awarded the French Croix de guerre for his services around Dunkirk.

Josephine Baker, American-born dancer, actress, and singer, for her work in the French Resistance.

Samuel Beckett, awarded the Croix de guerre by General Charles de Gaulle in March, 1945.

Marcel Bigeard, highly decorated French general and veteran of World War II, French Indochina and Algeria; received both the Croix de guerre 1939-1945 and the Croix de guerre TOE with a total of 25 citations, including 17 palms.

Frederick Charles Bothwell, Jr., Colonel, USAAF, Awarded Croix de Guerre avec Palme for service in enemy occupied Yugoslavia. Upon retirement was appointed Director of the New York State Civil Defense Authority.

Phil H. Bucklew, US Sailor and "Father of American Naval Special Warfare".

Thomas A. Cassilly, was awarded the French Croix de guerre while in the US Army, retired from the US Foreign Service in 1972 and taught at Montclair State University and Manhattanville College.

Frederick Walker Castle, U.S. Army Air Forces general and posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor

Lionel Guy D'Artois, a Canadian Army officer and SOE agent. Awarded the Croix de guerre for service with the Interior French Forces in occupied France.

Philippe Daudy, journalist and novelist.

Guy de Rothschild, awarded the Croix de guerre for his military valor.

Philippe de Rothschild, awarded the Croix de guerre for his service with the Free French Forces.

Gabriel Brunet de Sairigné, French colonel who participated with the Free French Forces to the East African Campaign (in Eritrea and Syria), the Tunisia Campaign, the Allied invasion of Sicily , the Operation Dragoon and the campaign of Alsace.

Avery Dulles, S.J., awarded the Croix de guerre for his liaison work with the French navy.

Ben F. Ellis, Georgia recipient for gallant and heroic action in battle.

Frantz Fanon, awarded the French Croix de guerre by Raoul Salan for service in the French Free Forces in North Africa and Alsace.

Carl Gustav Fleischer, Norwegian general, who won the first major victory against the Germans.

Stephen Galatti, Director of AFS, American Field Service

Francis Grevemberg, United States lieutenant colonel, later superintendent of the Louisiana state police.

Tony Halik Polish pilot in RAF, after being the only Polish/RAF pilot shot down over France, he joined the French resistance

Cpl. Edwin Allison Hosford, a rifleman of the North Shore Regiment (New Brunswick), Canadian Infantry, for heroism at Carpiquet, France in July 1944.

John Howard (American actor), awarded the Croix de guerre in 1944 for his valor. When his ship struck a mine off the French coast, killing the captain, Howard took over command and fought valiantly to save his ship and crew, even jumping into the sea to rescue wounded sailors.

Agnès Humbert, art historian, was awarded the Croix de guerre with silver gilt palm, for heroism in her work for the French Resistance.

Arthur Jessup, a Canadian major with the Governor General's Foot Guards received the Belgian cross de guerre with bronze palm during the campaign to liberate Belgium in World War II. Major Jessup would return to Canada after the War and eventually become an Ontario Supreme Court Justice.

Noor Inayat Khan, a wireless operator in the French section of the SOE.

Curtis E. LeMay, was awarded the French Croix de guerre with palm; Belgium Croix de guerre with palm.

Jean Mayer, future president of Tufts University, awarded for his courage and bravery.

Lt.Colonel Blair "Paddy" Mayne, British Special Air Service, Croix de Guerre with Palm. Awarded Légion d'honneur, awarded the Distinguished Service Order (U.K) four times.

General Dragoljub Mihailovic, Serbian Chetnik leader, awarded by Charles de Gaulle.

Paul de Montgolfier, fighter pilot for the French Air Force

Audie Murphy, the most decorated U.S. Army soldier during the war, received the French Croix de guerre twice (with palm) and the Belgian Croix de guerre once, as well as the Medal of Honor.

Leonard W. Murray, Canadian admiral, awarded the Croix de guerre with bronze palm for his role in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Eileen Nearne, was a member of the UK's SOE. She served in occupied France as a radio operator under the codename "Rose".

John B. Oakes, future editor of the editorial page of the New York Times, awarded for his counter-espionage activities with the O.S.S.

Marcel Oopa, Polynesian politician.

Peter J. Ortiz, Marine officer and member of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

Origene Paquette, Jr., served as a First Lieutenant of the Counter Intelligence Corps in the Seventh Army.[2]

George S. Patton, U.S. Army general. Awarded for leading U.S. Third Army during the liberation of France.

Andree Peel(1905–2010), French member of resistance.

Frank Perconte, member of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Col. David E. Pergrin, awarded the Croix de guerre for his help in the Battle of the Bulge.

Harry Peulevé, a wireless operator and organiser in the French Section of the SOE.

Abbé Pierre (1912–2007), French priest and founder of Emmaus.

Col. William Wilson Quinn, G2 Officer of the U.S. 7th Army. Awarded the Croix de guerre with palm for participating in the battle of France, and later retired as Lt. Gen. William Wilson "Buffolo Bill" Quinn. He planned the invasion of Southern France and also predicted a battle of the Battle of the Bulge.

Robert Rosenthal of the Eighth Air Force of the USAF.

Guy de Rothschild, French Army, Free French Forces

Col. Jimmy Stewart being awarded the Croix de guerre with palm, in 1944.

Desmond J. Scott, a New Zealand fighter pilot and Group Captain who flew for the RAF. He was awarded both the Belgian and the French Croix de guerre.

Jan Smuts, South African Prime Minister.

George Reginald Starr, of the SOE.

James Stewart, American actor awarded the Croix de guerre with palm in 1944 by Lt. Gen. Henri Valin, Chief of Staff of the French Air Force, for his role in the liberation of France. He retired from the United States Air Force Reserve a Brigadier General.

Violette Szabo, a British SOE who underwent intense training and was eventually sent into the field. Her first mission was a success, but during her second mission she was captured. Eventually sent to a concentration camp, she was brutally tortured for information and finally executed.

Fernand Van Geert, ship's officer, rescued 12 passengers from a torpedoed Belgian freighter in the North Atlantic. He secured a compass from the burning ship before returning to the lifeboat which he then commanded for 9 days in open waters. His actions and moral leadership were commended.

Nancy Wake of the SOE was the highest decorated Allied servicewoman of the war. Awarded the Croix de guerre three times for service with the French maquis.

F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas, member of RF Section of the SOE. He was a Special Operations Executive Liaison officer working with the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action (BCRA) of the Free French forces to organise and co-ordinate resistance in both Vichy and Occupied France.

Frank Harding Burchell, surgeon of the USS McLanahan received the Croix de guerre for saving the lives of his crew by performing emergency surgery after his ship the USS McLanahan was hit by a large caliber projectile fired by a shore battery which exploded 20 to 40 feet off her port quarter off the coast of San Remo, Italy in 1945.

Tony Rao US Army 94th infantry division

[edit]Other

During the First World War a homing pigeon named Cher Ami (Dear friend) saved the lives of many American soldiers by carrying a message across enemy lines in the heat of battle. Cher Ami was shot in the chest and the leg, losing most of the leg to which the message was attached, but continued the 25 minute flight avoiding shrapnel and poison gas to get the message home. Cher Ami was awarded the French 'Croix de Guerre' for heroic service.

(source:wikipeia)

Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor
From left, the Army, Navy/Marine Corps/Coast Guard, and Air Force medals
Awarded by the United States of America
Type	Single-grade neck order
Eligibility	Military personnel only
Awarded for	"[Conspicuous] gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against any enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party."
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	July 12, 1862
First awarded	American Civil War
Last awarded	October 6, 2010
Total awarded	3,470
Posthumous awards	625
Distinct recipients	3,451
Precedence
Next (higher)	None
Next (lower)	Army: Distinguished Service Cross Navy: Navy Cross Marine Corps: Navy Cross Air Force: Air Force Cross Coast Guard: Navy Cross
ribbon bar and rosette

Honorable  Medal

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on members of the United States armed forces who distinguish themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States." Due to the nature of its criteria, it is often awarded posthumously (more than half have been since 1941).

Members of all branches of the U.S. military are eligible to receive the medal, and each service has a unique design with the exception of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard, which both use the Navy's medal. The Medal of Honor is often presented personally to the recipient or, in the case of posthumous awards, to next of kin, by the President of the United States. Due to its honored status, the medal is afforded special protection under U.S. law.

The Medal of Honor is one of two military neck order awards issued by the United States, but is the sole neck order awarded to the US armed forces. The other is the Commander's Degree of the Legion of Merit, which is only authorized for issue to foreign dignitaries.

As the award citation includes the phrase "in the name of Congress", it is sometimes erroneously called the Congressional Medal of Honor; however, the official title is the Medal of Honor.

Origin

The first formal system for rewarding acts of individual gallantry by American soldiers was established by George Washington on August 7, 1782, when he created the Badge of Military Merit, designed to recognize "any singularly meritorious action." This decoration is America's first combat award and the second oldest American military decoration of any type, after the Fidelity Medallion.

Although the Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse after the American Revolutionary War, the concept of a military award for individual gallantry by members of the U.S. armed forces had been established. In 1847, after the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, a Certificate of Merit was established for soldiers who distinguished themselves in action. The certificate was later granted medal status as the Certificate of Merit Medal.

Early in the Civil War, a medal for individual valor was proposed by Iowa Senator James W. Grimes to Winfield Scott, the Commanding General of the United States Army. Scott did not approve the proposal, but the medal did come into use in the Navy. Senate Bill 82, containing a provision for a "Medal of Honor", was signed into law (12Stat329) by President Abraham Lincoln on December 21, 1861. The medal was "to be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and Marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry and other seamanlike qualities during the present war." Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles directed the Philadelphia Mint to design the new decoration. Shortly afterward, a resolution of similar wording was introduced on behalf of the Army and was signed into law on July 12, 1862. This measure provided for awarding a Medal of Honor, as the Navy version also came to be called: "to such noncommissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities, during the present insurrection."

Appearance

1862–1895 Army Medal	1862–1912 Navy Medal	1896–1903 Army Medal	1904–1944 "Gillespie" Army Medal	1913–1942 Navy Medal
1919–1942 Navy "TiffanyCross" Medal	Modern Army Medal	Modern Navy Medal	Modern Air Force Medal

The Medal of Honor has evolved in appearance since its creation in 1862. The present Army medal consists of a gold star surrounded by a wreath, topped by an eagle on a bar inscribed with the word "Valor." The medal is attached by a hook to a light blue moiré silk neckband that is 13⁄16 inches (30 mm) in width and 21¾ inches (552 mm) in length.

There is a version of the medal for each sub-cabinet component of the Department of Defense: the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, and Department of the Air Force. Before 1965, when the U.S. Air Force design was adopted, members of the U.S. Army Air Corps, U.S. Army Air Forces, and the U.S. Air Force received the Army version of the medal.

The Coast Guard Medal of Honor, which was distinguished from the Navy medal in 1963, has never been awarded, partly because the U.S. Coast Guard is subsumed into the U.S. Navy in time of declared war. No design yet exists for it. Only one member of the Coast Guard has received a Medal of Honor, Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro, who was awarded the Navy version for action during the Battle of Guadalcanal.

In the rare cases (19 thus far) where a service member has been awarded more than one Medal of Honor, current regulations specify that an appropriate award device be centered on the Medal of Honor ribbon and neck medal. To indicate multiple presentations of the Medal of Honor, the U.S. Army and Air Force bestow oak leaf clusters, while the Navy Medal of Honor is worn with gold award stars.

A ribbon bar that is the same shade of light blue as the neckband, and includes five white stars, pointed upwards, in the shape of an "M" is worn for situations other than full dress uniform. When the ribbon is worn, it is placed in the first position (top left when seen on the uniform) in order of precedence. For wear with civilian clothing, a rosette is issued instead of a miniature lapel pin (which usually shows the ribbon bar). The rosette is the same shade of blue as the neck ribbon and includes white stars. The ribbon and rosette are presented at the same time as the medal.

Flag

Medal of Honor Flag

On October 23, 2003, Pub.L. 107-248 was enacted, modifying 36 U.S.C. § 903, authorizing a Medal of Honor flag to be presented to recipients of the decoration.

The flag was based on a concept by retired Army Special Forces First Sergeant Bill Kendall of Jefferson, Iowa, who designed a flag to honor Medal of Honor recipient Captain Darrell Lindsey, a B-26 pilot killed in World War II who was also from Jefferson. Kendall's design of a light blue field emblazoned with thirteen white five pointed stars was nearly identical to that of Sarah LeClerc's of the Institute of Heraldry. LeClerc's design, ultimately accepted as the official flag, does not include the words "Medal of Honor" and is fringed in gold. The color of the field and the 13 white stars, arranged in the form of a three bar chevron, consisting of two chevrons of 5 stars and one chevron of 3 stars, replicate the Medal of Honor ribbon. The flag has no set proportions.

The first Medal of Honor recipient to receive the official flag was Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith. The flag was cased and presented to his family along with his medal. A special ceremony presenting this flag to 60 Medal of Honor recipients was held onboard USS Constitution on September 30, 2006.

Awarding

President Calvin Coolidge bestowing the Medal of Honor upon Henry Breault, March 8, 1924.

There are two distinct protocols for awarding the Medal of Honor. The first and most common is nomination and approval through a service member's chain of command. The second method is nomination by a member of Congress (generally at the request of a constituent) and approval by a special act of Congress. In both cases, the Medal of Honor is presented by the President on behalf of the Congress.

Evolution of criteria

Several months after President Abraham Lincoln signed Public Resolution 82 into law on December 21, 1861, a similar resolution for the Army was passed. Six Union soldiers who hijacked the General, a Confederate locomotive were the first recipients. Raid leader James J. Andrews, a civilian hanged as a Union spy, did not receive the medal. Many Medals of Honor awarded in the 19th century were associated with saving the flag, not just for patriotic reasons, but because the flag was a primary means of battlefield communication. During the time of the Civil War, no other military award was authorized, and to many this explains why some seemingly less notable actions were recognized by the Medal of Honor during that war. The criteria for the award tightened after World War I. In the post-World War II era, many eligible recipients might instead have been awarded a Silver Star, Navy Cross or similar award.

Early in the 20th century, the Navy awarded many Medals of Honor for peacetime bravery. For instance, seven sailors aboard the USS Iowa (BB-4) received the medal when a boiler exploded on January 25, 1904. Aboard the USS Chicago (CA-14) in 1901, John Henry Helms received the medal for saving the ship's cook from drowning. Even after World War I, Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett received the medal for exploration of the North Pole.Thomas J. Ryan received it for saving a woman from the burning Grand Hotel in Yokohama, Japan following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.

Between 1919 and 1942, the Navy issued two separate versions of the Medal of Honor, one for non-combat bravery and the other for combat related acts. Official accounts vary, but generally the non-combat Medal of Honor was known as the Tiffany Cross, after the company that manufactured the medal. The Tiffany Cross was first issued in 1919, but was rare and unpopular, partly because it was presented only for combat,while noncombat awards remained the previous version. As a result, in 1942, the United States Navy reverted to a single Medal of Honor, awarded only for heroism.

Since the beginning of World War II, the medal has been awarded for extreme bravery beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against an enemy. Arising from these criteria, approximately 60% of the medals earned during and after World War II have been awarded posthumously. Capt. William McGonagle is an exception to the enemy action rule, receiving his medal for his actions during the USS Liberty incident.

Authority and privileges

The U.S. Army Medal of Honor was first authorized by a joint resolution of Congress on July 12, 1862. The specific authorizing statute was 10 U.S.C. § 3741, which states:

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, distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

The grave of a recipient at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

Grave of a recipient at the Memphis National Cemetery

Later authorizations created similar medals for other branches of the service.

The Medal of Honor confers special privileges on its recipients. By law, recipients have several benefits.

Each Medal of Honor recipient may have his or her name entered on the Medal of Honor Roll (38 U.S.C. § 1560). Each person whose name is placed on the Medal of Honor Roll is certified to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being entitled to receive the special pension of US$1,027 per month above and beyond any military pensions or other benefits for which they may be eligible. As of December 1, 2004, the pension is subject to cost-of-living increases.

Enlisted recipients of the Medal of Honor are entitled to a supplemental uniform allowance.

Recipients receive special entitlements to air transportation under the provisions of DOD Regulation 4515.13-R.

Special identification cards and commissary and exchange privileges are provided for Medal of Honor recipients and their eligible dependents.

Eligibility for interment at Arlington National Cemetery if not otherwise eligible.

Fully qualified children of recipients are eligible for admission to the United States military academies without regard to the nomination and quota requirements.

Recipients receive a 10% increase in retired pay under 10 U.S.C. § 3991.

Those awarded the medal after October 23, 2002 receive a Medal of Honor Flag. The law also specified that all 103 living prior recipients as of that date would also receive a flag. (14 U.S.C. § 505).

As with all medals, retired personnel may wear the Medal of Honor on "appropriate" civilian clothing. Regulations also specify that recipients of the Medal of Honor are allowed to wear the uniform "at their pleasure" with standard restrictions on political, commercial, or extremist purposes; other former members of the armed forces may do so only at certain ceremonial occasions.

Saluting

Although not required by law or military regulation, members of the uniformed services are encouraged to render salutes to recipients of the Medal of Honor as a matter of respect and courtesy regardless of rank or status.

[edit]Privileges and courtesies

Many states offer distinctive Medal of Honor vehicle license plates to recipients without additional charges or fees.

Living Medal of Honor recipients are often invited to Presidential inaugurations and accompanying festivities.




Legal protection

Until late 2006, the Medal of Honor was the only service decoration afforded special protection under federal law to prevent it from being imitated or privately sold. The Stolen Valor Act of 2005, enacted December 20, 2006 but later ruled to be unconstitutional, extended federal protection to include false verbal, written, or physical claims to other military decorations, service medals, or military badges to which a person is not entitled. In 2010, in a 2-1 majority decision, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Stolen Valor Act was unconstitutional, stating it was a violation of free speech, that there was no evidence that such lies harm anybody, and there was no compelling reason for the government to ban such lies. The dissenting justice commented that the majority refused to follow clear Supreme Court precedent that false statements of fact are not entitled to First Amendment protection.

The Medal of Honor on display

All Medals of Honor are issued in the original only, by the Department of Defense, to a recipient. Misuse of the medal, including unauthorized manufacture or wear, is punishable by a fine up to $100,000 and imprisonment up to one year pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 704(b). After the Army redesigned its medal in 1903, a patent was issued (USD37,236 (PDF version) (1904-11-22) United States Army, United States Medal of Honor.) to legally prevent others from making the medal. When the patent expired, the Federal government enacted a law making it illegal to produce, wear, or distribute the Medal of Honor without proper authority. A number of veterans' organizations and private companies devote themselves to exposing those who falsely claim to have received the Medal of Honor.

Enforcement

HLI Lordship Industries Inc., a former Medal of Honor contractor, was fined in 1996 for selling 300 fake medals for US$75 each.

Also that year, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, resident Jackie Stern was convicted of wearing a medal to which he was not entitled; instead of six months in jail, a federal judge sentenced him to serve one year's probation and to write a letter of apology to each of the then living 171 recipients of the medal; the letter was also published in the local newspaper.

In 2003, Edward Fedora and Gisela Fedora were charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 704(b), Unlawful Sale of a Medal of Honor, for selling medals awarded to U.S. Navy Sailor Robert Blume (for action in the Spanish-American War) and to U.S. Army First Sergeant George Washington Roosevelt (for action in the Civil War) to an FBI agent. Edward Fedora, a Canadian businessman, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison.

Recipients

Medal of Honor recipients

By conflict

Civil War 1,522 Indian Wars 426

Korean Expedition 15 Spanish-American War 110

Samoan Civil War 4 Philippine-American War 86

Boxer Rebellion 59 Mexican Expedition 56

Haiti (1915–1934) 8 Dominican Republic Occupation 3

World War I 124 Occupation of Nicaragua 2

World War II 464 Korean War 133

Vietnam War 246 USS Liberty incident 1

Battle of Mogadishu 2 Iraq War (2003–2010) 4

Afghanistan War 4 Peacetime 193

Unknown soldiers 9

In total, 3,470 medals have been awarded to 3,451 different people. Nineteen men received a second award: 14 of these received two separate medals for two separate actions, and five received both the Navy and the Army Medals of Honor for the same action. For actions since the beginning of World War II, 855 Medals of Honor have been awarded, 527 (or 62%) posthumously. In total, 624 of the medals have been awarded posthumously.

By branch of service

Service Awards

Army 2401

Navy 747

Marines 297

Air Force 18

Coast Guard 1

The first Army Medal of Honor was awarded to Private Jacob Parrott during the American Civil War for his role in the Andrews Raid. The only female Medal of Honor recipient is Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War surgeon. Her medal was rescinded in 1917 along with many other non-combat awards, but it was restored by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 (see Evolution of Criteria, above).

While current regulations, (10 U.S.C. § 6241), beginning in 1918, explicitly state that recipients must be serving in the U.S. Armed Forces at the time of performing a valorous act that warrants the award, exceptions have been made. For example, Charles Lindbergh, while a reserve member of the U.S. Army Air Corps, received his Medal of Honor as a civilian pilot. In addition, the Medal of Honor was presented to the British Unknown Warrior by General Pershing on October 17, 1921; later the U.S. Unknown Soldier was reciprocally awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry, on November 11, 1921. Apart from these few exceptions, Medals of Honor can only be awarded to members of the U.S. armed forces—although being a U.S. citizen is not a prerequisite. Sixty-one Canadians who were serving in the United States armed forces have been awarded the Medal of Honor, with a majority awarded for actions in the American Civil War. Since 1900, only four have been awarded to Canadians. In the Vietnam War, Peter C. Lemon was the only Canadian recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Double recipients

Nineteen men have been awarded the Medal of Honor twice. Five of these men were awarded both the Army and Navy Medal of Honor for the same action. Since February 1919, no single individual can be awarded more than one Medal of Honor for the same action although a member of one branch of the armed forces can receive the Medal of Honor from another branch, if the actions for which it was awarded were under the authority of the said branch. The maximum number of Medals of Honor earned by any service member has been two.

§ Rank refers to rank held at time of Medal of Honor action.

Name Service Rank§ War(s) Notes

Frank Baldwin Army First Lieutenant, Captain American Civil War, Indian Wars

Smedley Butler Marine Corps Major Veracruz, Haiti

John Cooper Navy Coxswain American Civil War

Louis Cukela US Army/Marine Corps Sergeant World War I Both awarded for same action.

Thomas Custer Army Second Lieutenant American Civil War

Daniel Daly Marine Corps Private, Gunnery Sergeant Boxer Rebellion, Haiti 

Henry Hogan Army First Sergeant Indian Wars

Ernest A. Janson Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant World War I Both awarded for same action. Received the Army MOH under the name Charles F. Hoffman.

John J. Kelly Marine Corps Private World War I Both awarded for same action.

John King Navy Water tender Peacetime 1901 and 1909

Matej Kocak Marine Corps Sergeant World War I Both awarded for same action.

John Lafferty Navy Fireman, First Class Fireman American Civil War, peacetime

John C. McCloy Navy Coxswain, Chief Boatswain Boxer Rebellion, Veracruz

Patrick Mullen Navy Boatswain's Mate Civil War

John H. Pruitt Marine Corps Corporal World War I Both awarded for same action.

Robert Sweeney Navy Ordinary Seaman Peacetime 1881 and 1883

Albert Weisbogel Navy Captain of the Mizzen Top Peacetime 1874 and 1876

Louis Williams Navy Captain of the Hold Peacetime 1883 and 1884

William Wilson Army Sergeant Indian Wars

Post-Vietnam

For actions occurring since the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam in 1973, the Medal of Honor has been awarded ten times, nine of them posthumously. The first two were earned by Delta Force snipers Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart and Master Sergeant Gary Gordon, who defended downed Black Hawk helicopter pilot Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant and his crew during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. Both men lost their lives in doing so.

The Medal of Honor has only been awarded to one living person for service in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Army Times published an article analyzing the awards in its March 30, 2009 issue, before the September 2010 award to Salvatore Giunta. It was suggested that because of the intense partisan politics in Washington, D.C. over these wars, the Bush Administration subjected potential Medal of Honor recipients to intense background checks so as to avoid scrutiny, from political opponents, of both the administration and the recipient.

Four servicemen were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in the Iraq War: Army Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith, Army Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis, Marine Corps Corporal Jason Dunham and Navy Master-at-Arms Second Class Michael A. Monsoor. In April 2003, Smith organized the defense of a prisoner of war holding area that was attacked by a company-sized Iraqi force, personally manning a machine gun under fire until being killed. The remaining three medals were awarded for falling on a grenade; Dunham threw himself on a grenade to save his fellow Marines in an April 2004 mission, McGinnis covered a grenade which was tossed into his vehicle while on a mounted patrol in December 2006, and Monsoor jumped on a grenade which was thrown in the midst of his sniper team in September 2006.

Three medals have been awarded for action in Afghanistan, and another has been announced but not yet presented. The recipients are Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, Army Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti, Army Staff Sergeant Robert James Miller, and Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta. Murphy received the award for exposing himself to hostile fire in order to make a call for help after his SEAL team was attacked in June 2005. Monti's award was for braving intense fire in an attempt to rescue a wounded soldier in a June 2006 engagement. Miller's medal, presented to his surviving family on October 6, 2010, was for his actions during a January 2008 attack by a numerically superior force. Since Vietnam, only one living person has been awarded the Medal of Honor. This has affected the number of living holders with fewer than 100 recipients still alive, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. On September 10, 2010, the White House announced that Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta will be the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since Vietnam for his actions during a fierce firefight October 25, 2007, in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The date of his presentation ceremony has not yet been determined.

Since 1979, 47 belated awardings of the medal have been made to recognize actions from the Civil War to Vietnam. The most recent of these occurred on September 21, 2010, when President Obama presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Richard Etchberger for his actions during the Vietnam War. Etchberger was killed during the Battle of Lima Site 85 and his initial Medal of Honor nomination was rejected because the Lima Site mission was highly classified at the time. The next most recent belated award occurred on March 3, 2008, when President Bush presented the medal posthumously to Master Sergeant Woodrow W. Keeble for his actions during the Korean War. Keeble's family had waged a long campaign for the medal after the recommendation was twice lost during the conflict. Keeble, who died in 1982, was the first member of the Sioux tribe to be awarded the medal.

Awarding controversies

Civil War awardings

During the Civil War, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton promised a Medal of Honor to every man in the 27th Regiment, Maine Infantry who extended his enlistment beyond the agreed upon date. The Battle of Gettysburg was imminent and 311 men of the regiment volunteered to serve until the battle was resolved. The remaining men returned to Maine but with the Union victory at Gettysburg the 311 volunteers soon followed. The volunteers arrived back in Maine in time to be discharged with the men who had earlier returned. 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 medals to the volunteers who stayed behind and retained the others on the grounds if he returned the remainder to the War Department, the War Department would try to reissue the medals.

In 1916, a board of five generals on the retired list convened by 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 service. The commission, led by Nelson Miles, identified 911 awards for causes other than distinguished service. This included the 864 medals awarded to members of the 27th Maine, 29 who served as Abraham Lincoln's funeral guard, six civilians (including Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to have been awarded the medal, and Buffalo Bill Cody), as well as 12 others. Dr. Walker's medal was restored by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Cody and four other civilian scouts who rendered distinguished service action and who were considered by the board to have fully earned their medals had theirs restored in 1989. The report was endorsed by the Judge Advocate General who advised that the War Department should not seek the return of the medals from the recipients identified by the board. In the case of recipients who continued to wear the medal the War Department was advised to take no action to enforce the statute.

Past racial discrimination

A 1993 study commissioned by the Army investigated racial discrimination in the awarding of medals. At the time, no Medals of Honor had been awarded to black soldiers who served in World War II. After an exhaustive review of files, the study recommended that several black Distinguished Service Cross recipients be upgraded to the Medal of Honor. On January 13, 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded the medal to seven African American World War II veterans. With the recent passing of Vernon Baker, all the recepients of this prestigious medal have now died. A similar study of Asian Americans in 1998 resulted in President Bill Clinton awarding 21 new Medals of Honor in 2000, including 20 to Japanese American members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, among them Senator Daniel Inouye. In 2005, President George W. Bush awarded the Medal of Honor to Jewish veteran and Holocaust survivor Tibor Rubin, who many believed to have been overlooked because of his religion.

Wounded Knee Massacre controversy

The 20 medals awarded at Wounded Knee have been called into question. Some American Indians had called for "the immediate rescindment of the twenty Medals of Honor awarded for actions contributing to the Massacre at Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890."

Similar decorations within the United States

The following United States decorations bear similar names to the Medal of Honor, but are separate awards with different criteria for issuance.

Cardenas Medal of Honor: decoration of the Revenue Cutter Service, merged into the United States Coast Guard

Chaplain's Medal of Honor: awarded posthumously for a single action to four recipients

Congressional Gold Medal: the highest civilian honor (along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom)

Congressional Space Medal of Honor: for astronauts but despite its name, not equal to the Medal of Honor

Presidential Medal of Freedom: the highest civilian honor (along with the Congressional Gold Medal)

The Southern Cross of Honor was a military decoration meant to honor the officers, noncommissioned officers, and privates for their valor in the armed forces of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. It was formally approved by the Congress of the Confederate States on October 13, 1862, and was originally intended to be on par with the Union Army's Medal of Honor.

Several United States law enforcement decorations also bear the name "Medal of Honor". The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, established by Congress in 2001, "the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer", is also awarded by the President.

See also 

Médaille militaire

Medal of Valour (Russia)

Param Vir Chakra

Nishan-e-Haider

Victoria Cross

(source:wikipdia)