How People Become Medal of Honor Winners

Medal of Honor winners are the most heroic and distinguished Americans. While there are many military medals for valor and achievement, the Medal of Honor is the highest achievement that a member of the military can earn. Since it was first created more than 100 years ago, fewer than 3,500 Medals of Honor have been given for valor, many of them awarded posthumously.

Medal of Honor History
The Medal of Honor was proposed in 1861 for meritorious Sailors and Marines. Gideon Welles, who was Secretary of the Navy at the time, agreed that this was a good way to offer military medals to distinguish military personnel who, in the line of duty, had gone above and beyond what is expected, and who had conducted themselves gallantly while under threat of loss of life and limb. President Abraham Lincoln agreed, and the Medal of Honor was created. A year later, soldiers were added to the list of men and women who could receive the award.

Those distinguished enough by their conduct and valor to receive the Medal of Honor are recognized by this phrase: "…service must have been performed in action as such conspicuous character to clearly distinguish the man for gallantry and intrepidity above his comrades-service that involved extreme jeopardy of life or the performance of extraordinary hazardous duty."

This honor is one that is not taken lightly. Every effort is given to make sure the heroic information regarding a soldier is correct long before this military medal is awarded. The nomination process is lengthy, often requiring nearly two years of checking and rechecking facts. Individuals can be nominated by any branch of the US military, or by a member of Congress. In either case, a lengthy investigation of the circumstances for the nomination takes place, including interviews with surviving participants.

Who Receives the Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is primarily given for valor in combat and, with the exception of one woman, who was not a soldier, has only been awarded to men who serving active duty in the United States Military.

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a surgeon, and the only woman ever awarded the Medal of Honor, worked in the Civil War as a nurse because the United States Army would not hire a female doctor. Dr. Walker's determination to save both soldiers and civilians led her to cross enemy lines time and time again to get necessary supplies. Her medal was revoked in 1919, but reinstated in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.

The Purge of 1917
Because the Medal of Honor is so prestigious, it is intended to be awarded sparingly. In 1917, it was decided that an accounting of those who had already received the medal was in order. At that time, 911 medals were revoked, which included 864 that had been awarded to a division for re-enlisting. Six civilian awards were also rescinded, including that of Buffalo Bill Cody, who was not considered military personnel despite the fact that he was an Army Scout and continually crossed into enemy lines as he helped maneuver the Army throughout the Civil War. Six additional medals that were revoked had been given to the soldiers who accompanied the body of President Lincoln as his funeral guard.

Since the Purge of 1917, several other reassessments have taken place. Additional soldiers have been awarded the Medal of Honor, after a review found that they were neglected due to racial or religious bias. This new group of medal winners included Navajo Code Talkers from World War II, who used their native language to confuse the Japanese as important strategic information was passed back and forth within the United States Marine Corps. The Navajo language is a very complex dialect. It has no numbers or symbols and has never been written down. It is spoken only by the Navajo in America's Southwest. The Code Talkers were crucial to the success of the campaign in Japan. President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor to living members of this heroic group of men.

President Bush also reinstated six Medals of Honor for Army Scouts, including the medal awarded to Buffalo Bill Cody. In 1997, President Bill Clinton corrected another oversight by awarding medals to several African-Americans who fought in World War II.