National Medal of Honor Day 2023: Date, History, Facts

On March 25, National Medal of Honor Day, we honour the valour of the most valiant servicemen and servicewomen in the United States military. This distinction is awarded by the President of the United States to military personnel who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. There are essentially three versions of the Medal of Honor, one each for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, with Coast Guard and Marines eligible to earn the Navy version. To date, 3,468 Medals of Honor have been awarded to those who fight for the safety of our nation; today is the day to recognise their exemplary service.

The background of National Medal of Honor Day

Military personnel who go above and beyond the call of duty are deserving of every award possible. In the end, it was these courageous individuals who secured and continue to protect the unique liberties we enjoy in this country, something we often take for granted. Today, we will examine the annals of the award in order to better recognise its recipients.

In spite of the fact that the first request for a medal of valour was submitted in 1861, at the onset of the American Civil War, the general-in-chief denied the proposal because a medal of valour sounded too European. After his retirement in late 1861, the General of the Navy adapted the concept for his branch, and the Navy ordered nearly 200 medals from the US Mint in Philadelphia shortly thereafter.

Lincoln sanctioned the US Navy Medal of Valor in December 1861, and less than a year later, the US Army Medal of Honor was approved. In 1863, during the American Civil War, the first Medal of Honor was awarded. These six men became the first recipients of the award after a Union assault party recently destroyed Confederate railways and vital transportation in Tennessee and Georgia.

During the American Civil War, forty percent of all Medals of Honor awarded to date were presented. During this period, the first African-American recipients of the Medal of Honor were designated; sixteen Navy and sixteen Army soldiers were recognised for their valour during the American Civil War. Mary Edwards Walker, a surgeon in the Union Army during the American Civil War, was the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor.

The Army Medal underwent a redesign in 1904, but has otherwise remained substantially unaltered for the majority of its existence. In 1917, 911 medal recipients, including Buffalo Bill, had their medals revoked due to improper awarding. In 1977, an investigation into this conduct began, and in 1989, Buffalo Bill and four other civilian scouts received their medals back.

Other sectors of the military have been designated, but only a select few have been established. The Air Force effectively developed their own version of the Medal of Honor, which was adopted on April 14, 1965 after being authorised in 1960. Although a comparable medal for the Coast Guard was established in 1963, it has never been awarded. In 2008, Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to Master Sergeant Matthew O. Williams for acts of extraordinary valour.

5 IMPORTANT FACTS CONCERNING THE MEDAL OF HONOR

The Medal of Honor is the only military award that is worn around the neck rather than fastened on.

In 1861, when the first rumblings of creating an award similar to the Medal of Honor were documented, a respected Union Army commander dismissed the notion as being too European.

In this circumstance, the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to Theodore Roosevelt for commanding the Rough Riders volunteer regiment. He is the sole president to receive this honour.

13-year-old Willie Johnston was the youngest Medal of Honor recipient in 1863. At the age of 11, he displayed valour while serving as a drummer boy in his father’s platoon.

Despite some confusion, the award is merely known as the Medal of Honor and not the Congressional Medal of Honor.