TheMedal of Honor was created during theAmerican Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by theUnited States government to a member of its armed forces.^[1] Recipients must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States.^[2] Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presentedposthumously.^[3] ThePresident of the United States, in the name of theUnited States Congress, has awarded more than 3,520 Medals of Honor, including 19 second awards, to the nation's soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen since the decoration's creation in 1861.^[4]

The citations highlighting acts of gallantry that received the Medal of Honor have been and continue to be regularly released by book publishers. After the Second World War, both the Army and Navy produced hardbound Medal of Honor compilations.^[5] Between 1964 and 1979, the United States Senate Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare and later the Committee on Veterans' Affairs produced a number of consolidated compilations of all Medal of Honor citations to date.^[6] Additions and changes to the list of recipients of the medal since 1979 have been regularly published by theCongressional Research Service.^[7]

The first Army Medal of Honor was awarded to PrivateJacob Parrott during the American Civil War for his role in theGreat Locomotive Chase.

Bernard John Dowling Irwin was the first (chronologically by action)Medal of Honor recipient during theApache Wars. His actions on February 13, 1861, are the earliest for which the Medal of Honor was awarded.^[8]

The first African American recipient for this award wasRobert Blake, who manned his post during a naval engagement against infantry while under heavy fire (William Harvey Carney is commonly and erroneously cited as the first African-American to receive a medal because his actions in combat did precede those of the other African-American recipients, although his physical medal was not presented until 1900). The only female Medal of Honor recipient isMary Edwards Walker, a Civil War surgeon. Her medal was rescinded in 1917 along with many other non-combat awards, but it was restored by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in 1977.^[9]

While current law, (10 U.S.C. § 6241), beginning in 1918, explicitly states that recipients must be serving in the U.S. Armed Forces at the time of performing a valorous act that warrants the award, exceptions have been made. Notably,Charles Lindbergh, while a reserve member of theU.S. Army Air Corps, received his Medal of Honor as a civilian pilot. Although Medals of Honor can only be awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces, being a U.S. citizen is not a prerequisite for eligibility to receive the medal. Sixty-oneCanadians who were serving in the United States Armed Forces have received the Medal of Honor; most received it for actions in the American Civil War. Since 1900, only four have been awarded to Canadians.^[10] In the Vietnam War,Peter C. Lemon was the only Canadian-born recipient of the Medal of Honor. However, he was a U.S. citizen.^[11]

TheAmerican Civil War (1861–1865) was a war between the United States (theUnion) and the Southern states of the newly formedConfederate States of America underJefferson Davis. The Medal of Honor was established during this conflict; 1523 were awarded (33 posthumously) for acts of bravery and gallantry in combat.^[12] Most awards were granted after the end of the Civil War with two late awards toAndrew Jackson Smith andAlonzo Cushing in 2001 and 2014.^[7]

The termIndian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between colonial or federal governments and the American Indian population resident in North America before the arrival of settlers.^[13] During this conflict the Medal of Honor was presented to 426 soldiers, 13 posthumously for acts of bravery and gallantry in combat.^[12]

TheUnited States expedition to Korea in 1871, also known asShinmiyangyo (Western Disturbance of the Shinmi (1871) year), was the first American military action in Korea. It took place predominantly on and around the Korean island ofGanghwa. The reason for the presence of the American military expeditionary force in Korea was to support an American diplomatic delegation sent to establish trade and diplomatic relations with Korea and to ascertain the fate of theGeneral Sherman merchant ship. The isolationist nature of theJoseon Dynasty government and the assertiveness of the Americans led to an armed conflict between the two parties. Eventually, the United States failed to secure its objectives.^[14]

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Unit	Notes[15]
—	John Andrews	Navy	Ordinary Seaman	aboardUSS Benicia	Jun 9, 1871 –Jun 10, 1871	USS Benicia	Stood on the gunwale on the Benicia's launch, lashed to the ridgerope and remained unflinchingly in this dangerous position and gave his soundings with coolness and accuracy under a heavy fire.
(Brown at right)	Charles Brown	Marine Corps	Corporal	aboardUSS Colorado	June 11, 1871	USS Colorado	Assisted in capturing the Korean flag from the citadel of the fort
—	John Coleman	Marine Corps	Private	aboardUSS Colorado	June 11, 1871	USS Colorado	For hand-to-hand combat and saving the life of Alexander McKenzie
—	James Dougherty	Marine Corps	Private	aboardUSS Benicia	June 11, 1871	USS Benicia	Returned to duty after being wounded several times
—	Frederick Franklin	Navy	Quartermaster	aboardUSS Colorado	June 11, 1871	USS Colorado	For assuming command of Company D, afterLt. McKee was wounded, and handling the company until relieved
—	Patrick H. Grace	Navy	ChiefQuartermaster	aboardUSS Benicia	Jun 10, 1871 –Jun 11, 1871	USS Benicia	Carrying out his duties with coolness, Grace set forth gallant and meritorious conduct throughout this action
(Hayden at left)	Cyrus Hayden	Navy	Carpenter	aboardUSS Colorado	June 11, 1871	USS Colorado	Serving as color bearer of the battalion, Hayden planted his flag and protected it under heavy fire
	William F. Lukes	Navy	Landsman	Ganghwa Island	Jun 9, 1871 –Jun 10, 1871	USS Colorado	Fighting the enemy inside the fort, Lukes received a severe cut over the head
—	Alexander McKenzie	Navy	Boatswain's Mate	aboardUSS Colorado	June 11, 1871	USS Colorado	Fighting at the side of Lt. McKee during this action, McKenzie was struck by a sword and received a severe cut in the head from the blow.
—	Michael McNamara	Marine Corps	Private	aboardUSS Benicia	June 11, 1871	USS Benicia	For taking a match-lock from the hands of the enemy while advancing to the parapet
—	James F. Merton	Navy	Landsman	Ganghwa Island	Jun 9, 1871 –Jun 10, 1871	USS Colorado	Merton was severely wounded in the arm while trying to force his way into the fort
—	Michael Owens	Marine Corps	Private	aboardUSS Colorado	June 11, 1871	USS Colorado	Fighting courageously in hand-to-hand combat, Owens was badly wounded by the enemy during this action
(Purvis in center)	Hugh Purvis	Marine Corps	Private	aboardUSS Alaska	June 11, 1871	USS Alaska	Braving the enemy fire, Purvis was the first to scale the walls of the fort and capture their flag
—	Samuel F. Rogers	Navy	Quartermaster	aboardUSS Colorado	June 11, 1871	USS Colorado	Fighting courageously at the side of Lt. McKee during this action, Rogers was wounded by the enemy
—	William Troy	Navy	Ordinary Seaman	aboardUSS Colorado	June 11, 1871	USS Colorado	Fighting at the side of Lt. McKee, by whom he was especially commended, Troy was badly wounded by the enemy

TheSpanish–American War (Spanish:Guerra Hispano-Estadounidense,desastre del 98,Guerra Hispano-Cubana-Norteamericana orGuerra de Cuba) was a military conflict between Spain and the United States that began in April 1898. Hostilities halted in August of that year, and theTreaty of Paris was signed in December. The war began after the American demand for Spain's peacefully resolving theCuban fight for independence was rejected, though strongexpansionist sentiment in the United States may have motivated the government to target Spain's remaining overseas territories:Cuba,Puerto Rico, thePhilippines,Guam and theCaroline Islands.^[16]

Riots inHavana by pro-Spanish "Voluntarios" gave the United States reason to send in the warshipUSS Maine. This action by the U.S. indicated high national interest. Tension among the American people was raised because of the explosion of USSMaine, and "yellow journalism" - sensationalist reporting that exposed Spain's extensive atrocities, agitating American public opinion. The war ended after decisive naval victories for the United States in the Philippines and Cuba. TheTreaty of Paris ended the conflict 109 days after the outbreak of war giving the United States ownership of the formerSpanish colonies of Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam.^[17] The Medal of Honor from the Spanish–American War was presented to 111 people.

TheSamoan Civil War(s) occurred in theSamoa Islands of theSouth Pacific in the late 19th century. The Samoan Civil Wars were a series of conflicts between Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, ending in the partitioning of the island chain in 1899. The concluding event was theSecond Samoan Civil War. The first Samoan Civil War lasted for eight years. The warring Samoan parties were supplied with arms, training and sometimes even combat troops by Germany, Britain and the United States. These three powers valued Samoa as a refueling station for coal fired shipping. In addition, these countries sought to gain more power in Europe and wanted Samoa due to the scarcity of unclaimed territory from 1870 onwards.^[18]

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Unit	Notes[19]
—	Frederick T. Fisher	Navy	Gunner's MateFirst Class	aboardUSS Philadelphia, Samoa	April 1, 1899	USS Philadelphia	For distinguishing himself by his conduct in the presence of the enemy
	Bruno A. Forsterer	Marine Corps	Sergeant	Samoa	April 1, 1899	Unknown	For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy.
	Henry L. Hulbert	Marine Corps	Private	Samoa	April 1, 1899	Unknown	For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy. Subsequently, awarded theNavy Cross and theDistinguished Service Cross for actions duringWorld War I.
—	Michael J. McNally	Marine Corps	Sergeant	Samoa	April 1, 1899	Unknown	For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy

ThePhilippine–American War^{[n 1]} was an armed military conflict between the United States and Filipino nationalists who established the "First Philippine Republic", fought between 1899 and at least 1902, which arose from aFilipino political struggle against U.S. occupation of thePhilippines. While the conflict was officially declared over on July 4, 1902,^[20][21][22] American troops continued hostilities against remnants of the "Philippine Army" and other insurgent groups until 1913, and some historians consider these unofficial mop-up operations part of the war.^[22]

Eighty-six men were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in the Philippine–American War: 70 from theArmy, 10 from theNavy, and six from theMarine Corps. Four of the awards were posthumous. Among the recipients wereWebb Hayes, the son of former U.S. PresidentRutherford B. Hayes, and two prominent Marine Corps officers,Hiram I. Bearss andDavid Dixon Porter. Bearss became known for leading long-range reconnaissance patrols behind enemy lines and was later wounded as a colonel inWorld War I. Porter was from a distinguished military family and rose to become a major general.José B. Nísperos, a member of thePhilippine Scouts who was honored for continuing to fight after being wounded, was the firstAsian recipient of the Medal of Honor.^[23]

The Boxer Movement orBoxer Rebellion, which occurred inChina from November 1899 to September 7, 1901, was anuprising by members of the ChineseSociety of Right and Harmonious Fists against foreign influence in areas, politics, religion and technology that occurred in China during the final years of the Manchu rule (Qing Dynasty). The members of theSociety of Right and Harmonious Fists were simply calledboxers by the Westerners due to the martial arts and calisthenics they practiced. The uprising began as a xenophobic, anti-foreign, nationalist peasant-based movement in northern China. They attacked foreigners who were building railroads and supposedly violatingFeng shui, as well asChristians, who were held responsible for the foreigners in China. In June 1900, the Boxers invaded Beijing and killed 230 non-Chinese. Tens of thousands of Chinese Christians, Catholic and Protestant alike, were killed mostly inShandong andShanxi Provinces as part of the uprising. This drew criticism from many Chinese, including Chinese ChristianSun Yat-Sen (later to help overthrow the Manchu dynasty in 1911 and become first president of the Republic of China). The government ofEmpress Dowager Cixi was not helpful, and diplomats, foreign civilians, soldiers and some Chinese Christians retreated to the legation quarter where they held out for 55 days until a multinational coalition rushed 20,000 troops to their rescue. The Chinese government was forced to indemnify the victims and make many additional concessions. Subsequent reforms implemented after the crisis of 1900 laid the foundation for the end of theQing Dynasty and the establishment of the modernChinese Republic.^[24]

During the Boxer rebellion, 59 American servicemen received the Medal of Honor for their actions. Four of these were for Army personnel, 22 went to Navy sailors and the remaining 33 went to Marines. Harry Fisher was the first Marine to receive the medal posthumously and the only posthumous recipient for this conflict.^[25]

TheUnited States occupation of the Mexican port of Veracruz lasted for six months in response to theTampico Affair of April 9, 1914. The incident came in the midst of poor diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States, related to the ongoingMexican Revolution.^[26]

Secretary of the NavyJosephus Daniels ordered that 56 Medals of Honor be awarded to participants in the occupation of Veracruz, the most for any single action before or since. In total 63 Medals of Honor were received for actions during the occupation: one Army, nine to members of the United States Marine Corps, and 53 to Navy personnel.^[25]

The firstUnited States occupation of Haiti began on July 28, 1915, and ended in mid-August 1934.

Portrait	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Unit	Notes[27][28]
	Smedley Butler	Marine Corps	Major	Fort Riviere,Haiti	November 17, 1915	2nd Marines	Second award – previously awarded a Medal of Honor for action in the Mexican Campaign.
	William R. Button	Marine Corps	Corporal	near Grande Riviere,Haiti	Oct 31, 1919 –Nov 1, 1919	7th Marines	For the assassination of rebel leaderCharlemagne Péralte and the routing of his followers
	Daniel Daly	Marine Corps	Gunnery Sergeant	nearFort-Liberté,Haiti	October 24, 1915	15th Company, 2nd Marines	Second award – previously awarded a Medal of Honor for action in the Boxer Rebellion
	Herman H. Hanneken	Marine Corps	Sergeant	near Grande Riviere,Haiti	Oct 31, 1919 –Nov 1, 1919	7th Marines	For the assassination of rebel leaderCharlemagne Péralte and the routing of his followers
	Ross L. Iams	Marine Corps	Sergeant	Fort Riviere,Haiti	November 17, 1915	5th Company, 2nd Marines	Approaching a breach in the wall which was the only entrance to the fort, Sergeant Iams unhesitatingly jumped through the breach despite constant fire from the Cacos and engaged the enemy in a desperate hand-to-hand combat until the bastion was captured and Caco resistance neutralized.
—	Samuel Marguiles	Marine Corps	Private	Fort Riviere,Haiti	November 17, 1915	23rd Company, 2nd Marines	Served under the name Samuel Gross.
	Edward A. Ostermann	Marine Corps	First Lieutenant	nearFort-Liberté,Haiti	October 24, 1915	15th Company, 2nd Marines	In command of one of the three squads which advanced in three different directions, led his men forward, surprising and scattering the Cacos, and aiding in the capture of Fort Dipitie.
	William P. Upshur	Marine Corps	Captain	nearFort-Liberté,Haiti	October 24, 1915	15th Company, 2nd Marines	In command of the three squads which advanced in three different directions, led his men forward, surprising and scattering the Cacos, and aiding the capture of Fort Dipitie.

The United Statesoccupied the Dominican Republic from 1916 to 1924. In May 1917, Rear Admiral William Caperton forced Arias to leave Santo Domingo by threatening the city with naval bombardment. U.S. Marines invaded and took control of the country within two months; in November that same year, the U.S. imposed a military government. The Marines restored order throughout most of the republic (with the exception of the eastern region); the country's budget was balanced, its debt was diminished, and economic growth resumed; infrastructure projects produced new roads that linked all the country's regions for the first time in its history; a professional military organization, the Dominican Constabulary Guard, replaced the partisan forces that had waged a seemingly endless struggle for power.^[29]

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Unit	Notes[30]
	Joseph A. Glowin	Marine Corps	Corporal	Guayacanes,Dominican Republic	July 3, 1916	13th Company, Artillery Battalion, 1st Brigade	For action against a considerable force of rebels
	Ernest C. Williams	Marine Corps	First Lieutenant	San Francisco de Macorís,Dominican Republic	November 29, 1916	1st Brigade	For leading the capture of a fort
	Roswell Winans	Marine Corps	First Sergeant	Guayacanes,Dominican Republic	July 3, 1916	1st Brigade	For action against a considerable force of rebels

World War I, also known as the First World War and the Great War, was aglobalmilitary conflict which took place primarily in Europe from 1914 to 1918. Over 40 millioncasualties resulted, including approximately 20 million military and civilian deaths.^[31] Over 60 million European soldiers were mobilized from 1914 to 1918.^[32] The immediate cause of the war was the June 28, 1914assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to theAustro-Hungarian throne, byGavrilo Princip, aBosnian Serb citizen ofAustria-Hungary and member of theBlack Hand. The retaliation by Austria-Hungary against Serbia activated a series of alliances that set off achain reaction of war declarations. Within a month, much of Europe was in a state of open warfare.^[33]

During this war, 126 men received the Medal of Honor for their actions, including five Marines who received both the Army and Navy versions of the medal for the same action.^[25]

The United Statesoccupied Nicaragua from 1909 to 1933 and intervened in the country several times before that. The American interventions in Nicaragua were designed to prevent the construction of a trans-isthmian canal by any nation but the US and stop endless civil war. Nicaragua assumed a quasi-protectorate status under the 1916Chamorro-Bryan Treaty. The occupation ended asAugusto César Sandino, a Nicaraguan insurgent, led guerrilla bands against US troops. Furthermore, the onset of theGreat Depression made it costly for the US to maintain occupation.^[34]

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Unit	Notes[35]
	Christian F. Schilt	Marine Corps	First Lieutenant	Quilali,Nicaragua	Jan 6, 1928 –Jan 8, 1928	Observation Squadron 7-M	For evacuating wounded Marines by plane while under fire
	Donald L. Truesdale	Marine Corps	Corporal	near Constancia, near Coco River, northernNicaragua	April 24, 1932	a Guardia Nacional Patrol	Served under the name "Truesdale" before officially changing name to "Truesdell" on 25 July 1942.[36] Lost his hand while attempting to save his patrol from an accidentally activated grenade.

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global military conflict. The conflicts joined from two separate conflicts. The first began in Asia in 1937 as theSecond Sino-Japanese War; the other began in Europe in 1939 with the German andRussianinvasion of Poland.^{[n 2]} This global conflict split themajority of the world's nations into two opposing military alliances: theAllies and theAxis powers. It involved the mobilization of over 100 million military personnel, making it the most widespread war in history, and placed the participants in a state of "total war", erasing the distinction between civil and military resources. This resulted in the complete activation of a nation's economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities for the purposes of the war effort. Over60 million people, the majority of them civilians, were killed, making it the deadliest conflict inhuman history.^[37] The worldwide financial cost of the war is estimated at a trillion 1944 U.S. dollars,^[38][39] making it the most costly war both in capital expenditures as well as loss of lives.

During this conflict 471 United States military personnel received the Medal of Honor, 273 of them posthumously. A total of 42 Medals of Honor, representing 9% of all awarded during World War II, were presented for action in just two battles – 15 for actions during the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor, and 27 for actions during theBattle of Iwo Jima. Also a total of 21 (4.5% of all World War II Medals of Honor) were awarded to members of the all-Japanese American100th Infantry Battalion and the442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions in numerous battles across six different campaigns.^[40] Additionally, the only Medal of Honor ever presented to a member of the United States Coast Guard (Douglas Albert Munro) was received for actions during this war.^[25]

TheKorean War was ignited by the 1950 invasion of South Korea when theNorth Korean Army moved south on June 25, 1950, to seize the rest of the Korean peninsula, which had been formally divided since 1948. The conflict was then expanded by the United States, China's and theSoviet Union's involvement. The main hostilities were during the period from June 25, 1950, until theKorean Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953.

In South Korea, the war is often called "6•25", or the 6•25 War (Korean: 6•25 전쟁), from the date of the start of the conflict or, more formally,Hanguk Jeonjaeng literally "Korean War". In North Korea, while commonly known as the Korean War, it is formally called the Fatherland Liberation War. In the early days of the war, United States PresidentHarry Truman called the United Nations response a "police action".^[41] The war is sometimes called "The Forgotten War" because it is a major conflict of the 20th century that gets less attention thanWorld War II, which preceded it, and the controversialVietnam War, which succeeded it.^[42] In China, the conflict was known as the War to Resist America and Aid Korea, but is today commonly called the "Korean War".^[43]

During this war, 146 Medals of Honor were awarded.^[44]

TheVietnam War, also known as the SecondIndochina War, and in Vietnam as the American War, occurred from 1959 to April 30, 1975. The term "Vietnam Conflict" is often used to refer to events which took place between 1959 and April 30, 1975. The war was fought between the Communist-supportedDemocratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the United States supportedRepublic of Vietnam (South Vietnam).

During the Vietnam War and in the following twelve months, 234 Medals of Honor were received and since 1978 a further 32 awards have been presented. Of the total of 266 awards, 174 were to the US Army, 15 to the US Navy, 57 to the USMC and 14 to the USAF.^[25] The first medal of the war was presented toRoger Donlon for rescuing and administering first aid to several wounded soldiers and leading a group against an enemy force.^[45] The first African American recipient of the war wasMilton L. Olive III, who sacrificed himself to save others by smothering a grenade with his body.^[46]Riley L. Pitts was killed after attacking an enemy force with rifle fire and grenades and was the first African American commissioned officer of the war to receive the medal.^[47]Thomas Bennett was aconscientious objector who received the medal for his actions as a medic;^[48] threechaplains received the medal, includingVincent R. Capodanno, who served with the Marine Corps and was known as the GruntPadre.^[49]

TheUSSLiberty incident was an attack on a neutral U.S. Navy spy ship, theUSSLiberty, byIsraeli jet fighter planes and motor torpedo boats on June 8, 1967, during theSix-Day War. The combined air and sea attack killed 34 and wounded more than 170 crew members, and damaged the ship severely.^[50]

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Unit	Notes[51]
	William L. McGonagle	Navy	Commander	EasternMediterranean Sea	June 8–9, 1967	USS Liberty (AGTR-5)	Continued to lead his ship despite being severely wounded

Since the end of theVietnam War,also known as the Vietnam Conflict and Second Indochina War,^[52][53] the United States was involved in a number of smaller conflicts during the end of theCold War, including inGrenada,Panama, and elsewhere.^[54] In the Post-Cold War, the United States was involved in conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and in the Balkans.^[55] No Medals of Honor have been awarded for any of the aforementioned conflicts so far either proactively or retroactively.^[56]

On October 3, 1993, during theBattle of Mogadishu, members of theU.S. Army Rangers andSOCOM's Delta Force executed a mission to capture members of Gen.Mohamed Farrah Aidid's forces. In the ensuing battle, twoUH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were shot down. As the second Blackhawk, containingChief Warrant OfficerMichael Durant, was hit and crashed, Master SergeantGary I. Gordon andSergeant First ClassRandall D. Shughart were in a nearby Blackhawk monitoring radio traffic. Gordon and Shughart were part of a sniper team forDelta Force that was assigned to watch over the operation, engaging targets from their position in the Blackhawk. As they monitored the downing of the second Blackhawk, it became evident that ground forces would not be available to secure the crash site and protect the critically injured crew of four, all of whom survived the crash. Gordon, the sniper team leader, requested that they be inserted at the 2nd crash site. His request was denied twice before finally being approved on the third request. The snipers were armed only with their sniper rifles and pistols.

Upon reaching the downed Blackhawk, which was under intense enemy fire, Gordon and Shughart pulled the crew from the wreckage and proceeded to set up a defensive perimeter. The snipers, assisted by the severely injured Durant, began to engage the attacking Somalis from the opposite side of the wreckage using assault rifles stored on the Blackhawk. Shughart and Gordon were eventually mortally wounded after nearly exhausting all available ammunition; Durant, the only survivor, was taken hostage. According to Durant's account, 25 Somalis were killed and many more were wounded.

On Monday, May 23, 1994, President Clinton presented the Medal of Honor to the widows of Gordon and Shughart.^[57] They are the only snipers to have received the Medal of Honor.^[58] The filmBlack Hawk Down, based onthe book of the same name, includes a narrative of the events.

TheWar in Afghanistan, which began on October 7, 2001, was launched by the United States, the United Kingdom, and NATO allies in response to theSeptember 11 attacks. It was the beginning of thewar on terror. The stated purpose of the invasion was to captureOsama bin Laden, destroyal-Qaeda and remove theTaliban regime which had provided support and safe harbor to al-Qaeda.^[59] Since 2001, 18 American service-members have received the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan, four of them posthumously. ArmySergeant First ClassJared C. Monti received his medal for attempting to rescue a wounded soldier at the cost of his own life. NavyLieutenantMichael P. Murphy received his for actions against insurgent forces and for sacrificing his life to call for help when his team had been overwhelmed by a much larger enemy force.^[60] Army Staff SergeantRobert James Miller's surviving family was presented with his medal on October 6, 2010.^[61] On June 19, 2014, Marine Corps CorporalKyle Carpenter received the Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House. He is the eighth living recipient to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan.John Allan Chapman (July 14, 1965 – March 4, 2002) was aCombat Controller in the United States Air Force who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on August 22, 2018, for his actions in theBattle of Takur Ghar. The first living recipient since the Vietnam War and the fourth Afghanistan recipient,Salvatore Giunta, received his for his actions in 2007 when he risked his life to save a wounded comrade. A second living recipient, Sergeant First ClassLeroy Petry, received the medal from President Obama during a July 12, 2011 ceremony.^[62] Marine Corps CorporalDakota Meyer became the third living recipient awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during theBattle of Ganjgal.^[63][64] An additional eleven living recipients have been awarded the Medal of Honor since Meyer. There have been twelve awards to the U.S. Army, three to the U.S. Navy, two to the U.S. Marine Corps and one to the U.S. Air Force.

TheIraq War,^[65] known in the United States as Operation Iraqi Freedom,^[66] Operation TELIC in the United Kingdom^[67] was a conflict which began on March 20, 2003, with theUnited States-led invasion ofIraq by amultinational coalition composed of United States and United Kingdom troops supported by smaller contingents from Australia, Poland, as well as other nations.^[68] Seven service members have received the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq; five from the Army, one from the Marine Corps and one from the Navy.Paul Ray Smith was the first to receive it for his actions on April 4, 2003, when he held enemy forces back, allowing other wounded soldiers to be evacuated to safety. The other five recipients wereStaff SergeantDavid Bellavia,Staff SergeantTravis Atkins,CorporalJason Dunham of the Marine Corps,SpecialistRoss A. McGinnis of the Army andMaster-at-ArmsSecond ClassMichael A. Monsoor of the U.S. Navy. The latter four of these each received it after being killed while using their own bodies to smother explosive devices to protect their comrades.^[69] On December 16, 2021,Sergeant First ClassAlwyn Cashe was awarded the medal, posthumously, for his heroism in the Iraq conflict.^[70]

Before 1963, the Medal of Honor could be received for actions not involving directcombat with enemy or opposing foreign forces and 193 men earned the medal in this way.^[25] Most of these medals were presented to members of theUnited States Navy for rescuing or attempting to rescue someone from drowning.^[25] One of those awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing others was Fireman Second ClassTelesforo Trinidad, who, as of 2020, has been the onlyAsian American sailor to be awarded the Medal of Honor.^[71] In addition to the medals that were presented for lifesaving acts, one Medal of Honor was presented toWilliam Halford, who sailed in a small boat for 31 days to get help for the other crew ofUSS Saginaw who had been stranded on an island.^[72] Three explorers were also presented with the medal by special acts of Congress.Charles Lindbergh received the medal for flying the first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.Floyd Bennett andRichard Evelyn Byrd received it for their participation in what was thought to be the first successful heavier-than-air flight to the North Pole and back. One recipient,Adolphus W. Greely, received his for a lifetime of military service.^[73]

Current law,10 U.S.C. § 6241 explicitly states that recipients must be serving in the U.S. Armed Forces at the time of performing a valorous act that warrants the award. However, the Medal of Honor has been presented to five First World War unknown soldiers of allied countries: theBritish Unknown Warrior in the United Kingdom byGeneral Pershing on October 17, 1921; theRomanian Unknown Soldier, theFrench Unknown Soldier (entombed under the Arc de Triomphe), theBelgian Unknown Soldier, and theItalian Unknown Soldier (entombed in theMonument of Vittorio Emanuele II). Each of the countries reciprocally awarded medals to theU.S. Unknown Soldier.^[74]

 This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Army Center of Military History.

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• Peter Collier; George H.W. Bush; John McCain; Tom Brokaw; Nick Del Calzo (2003).Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty. New York: Artisan.ISBN 978-1579652401.OCLC 52347641.

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  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the American Civil War (A–L).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the American Civil War (M–Z).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on February 23, 2009. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars.United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for Interim period (1866–1870).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the Interim period (1871–1898).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the Spanish–American War.United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the Boxer Rebellion.United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.{{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the Interim period (1901–1911).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for Outlaws—Philippines 1911.United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the Mexican-American War (Vera Cruz).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the Interim period (1915–1916).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on August 4, 2012. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for World War I.United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for World War II (A–F).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on June 16, 2008. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for World War II (G–L).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for World War II (M–S).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 21, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for World War II (T–Z).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 31, 2009. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the Korean War.United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 14, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".American Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War (A–L).United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on December 25, 2007. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
  • "Medal of Honor recipients".World War II African American Medal of Honor recipients.United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived fromthe original on August 2, 2012. RetrievedJune 8, 2009.
• "List of living Medal of Honor recipients". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2021.

• Lists of Medal of Honor recipients
• Lists of American military personnel

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