In their provisions for judging whether a man is entitled to the Medal of Honor, each of the armed services has set up regulations which permit no margin of doubt or error. Conceived in the early 1860s and first presented in 1863, the medal has a colorful and inspiring history which has culminated in the standards applied today for awarding this respected honor.
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for bravery 2 that can be given to any individual in the United States of America. Senate committee print on the Medal of Honor, Since World War I, there has been an implied reluctance to award the medal more than once to the same person. There have been 19 double recipients (14 for separate actions and 5 cases in which the Army and Navy Medals of Honor were awarded for the same action). As of this printing, 3,512 Medals of Honor have been awarded to 3,493 recipients. Although not the first military award, 1 the medal became one of the most popular and prestigious awards. Since its beginning, the practices for awarding the Medal of Honor have changed over time. For recent official citations, see CRS Report R元0011, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2014, by and CRS Report R43939, Medal of Honor Recipients in the 113th Congress: A Fact Sheet, by. Some citations of those who have been awarded the MoH are provided as examples along with certain statistics describing the recipients. The applicable statutes concerning those improperly holding, trading, or selling the award as well as those who wrongly claim to be medal recipients are summarized. This report also describes the process involved in reconsidering an individual for receipt of the medal (including what assistance a Member may provide in this process). The benefits that are made available to MoH recipients are listed. This report briefly describes the history of the MoH and the criteria and rules used in awarding the medal. Members and staff of Congress often ask the Congressional Research Service to provide information concerning the awarding of the Medal of Honor (MoH). Six rescinded awards have been reinstated. In certain cases, the award has been rescinded. Since the award's inception, the laws and regulations that apply to it have changed. Nineteen individuals have been double recipients of the award. Since it was first presented in 1863, the medal has been awarded 3,512 times to 3,493 recipients. For this reason, it is often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is awarded by the President in the name of Congress. The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military award for bravery. The two most recent recipients from World War I, Army Private Henry Johnson and Army Sergeant William Shemin, were awarded Medals of Honor posthumously by President Obama on June 2, 2015.įor information on recent recipients, see CRS Report R元0011, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2014, and CRS Report R43939, Medal of Honor Recipients in the 113th Congress: A Fact Sheet. These cases, however, represent the exception and not the rule. These cases are often based on technical errors, lost documents or eyewitness accounts, or other factors that justify reconsideration. In a very limited number of cases, the medal has been awarded outside the legal restrictions concerning time limits. Generally speaking, this type of legislation is rarely enacted. On a number of occasions, legislation has been offered to waive certain restrictions and to encourage the President to award the Medal of Honor to particular individuals.
Since the award’s inception, the laws and regulations that apply to it have changed. Recipients of the Medal of Honor are afforded a number of benefits as a result of this award. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for bravery.