On Feb. 15, 1862, Sen. Henry Wilson, R-Mass., then chair of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs and the Militia, introduced a resolution for a Medal of Honor for the Army, according to the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Congress approved this resolution — and President Abraham Lincoln signed it into law on this day in history, July 12, 1862.
"A Resolution to provide for the Presentation of ‘Medals of Honor’ to the Enlisted Men of the Army and Volunteer Forces who have distinguished, or may distinguish, themselves in Battle during the present Rebellion," was presented, per the same source.
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The Medal of Honor, also known as the Congressional Medal of Honor, is the foremost U.S. military decoration, says Britannica.com.
Instituted by Congress in 1861 for the Navy, then in 1862 for the Army, the honor was at first awarded only to enlisted men, with officers later permitted to receive the award, according to the same source.
To be eligible to receive the Medal of Honor, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, a military service member can be bestowed — while engaged in an action against an 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.
The Medal of Honor is given for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty," Britannica.com indicated.
"The Army medal has always been awarded solely for valor in combat, but the Navy medal could be, and was, awarded for noncombat purposes such as lifesaving, although since 1942 it has been awarded only for combat."
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All recommendations require thorough reports on the act itself, the battlefield and its setting; at least two sworn eyewitness statements; and any other compelling evidence that can be gathered, said the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
"Recommendation packets must be approved all the way up the military command structure, ending with the United States president as the commander-in-chief," the same source indicated.
This prestigious medal is suspended from a blue ribbon with a center pad containing 13 white stars, cites multiple sources.
"Etched within are the very values that each recipient displayed in the moments that mattered —bravery, courage, sacrifice, integrity. A deep love of country and a desire to always do what is right," stated the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
Medals of Honor are awarded sparingly, and are bestowed only to the bravest of the brave.
It is the United States’ highest military award for valor, according to the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum.
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"The Medal of Honor is authorized for any military service member who distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty," noted the same source.
To date, there have been 3,526 Medals of Honor awarded to 3,516 individuals since the decoration’s creation, with over 40% awarded for actions during the American Civil War.
There are only 65 living Medal of Honor recipients, according to the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States.
The Medal of Honor is awarded by the U.S. president, typically during a formal ceremony at the White House.
A small number of service members have received the Medal of Honor twice, all for actions during or before World War I, according to Military.com.
Theodore Roosevelt is the only U.S. president to have been given the Medal of Honor, according to numerous sources.
He was given it posthumously in 2001 in recognition of his actions during the Spanish-American War 100 years earlier..
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a civilian who served with the U.S. Army during the Civil War, is the only female Medal of Honor recipient, the same source said.
Since its creation during the American Civil War, the Medal of Honor has undergone several design changes, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
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The U.S. Army and U.S. Navy have always had separate designs for their personnel — and until the U.S. Air Force introduced its design in 1965, all airmen received the Army design, the same source indicated.
The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard receive the U.S. Navy design, the same source stated.
In 1990, Congress declared March 25th as National Medal of Honor Day, according to the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum.
