JULY 12, 1862 CONGRESS AUTHORIZED THE FIRST MEDAL OF HONOR
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President in the name of Congress, and is conferred only upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through “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 an enemy of the United States.” Due to the nature of its selection criteria, it is often awarded posthumously, with more than half of all awards since 1941 given to individuals who were deceased. As the award citation includes the phrase “in the name of Congress”, it is sometimes erroneously called the “Congressional Medal of Honor”. The official title, however, is simply the “Medal of Honor”.
The only President to receive the Medal of Honor was Theodore Roosevelt who was denied it in his lifetime. One hundred years later he got the Medal posthumously from President Bill Clinton.
Comments are closed.
