"Austin was hit with a spray of bullets and died there on the battlefield. The 21-year-old had saved his friend's life twice in exchange for his own."

In the past few decades, several service members from the Civil War have received posthumous Medals of Honor for their actions in keeping our nation together more than 150 years ago. One of them was Army 1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing, who helped stop Confederate soldiers from breaking through the Union line during Confederate Maj. Gen. George Pickett’s famous charge at ...

It was 2006, and Army Staff Sgt. Brett Johnson of the 1st Ranger Battalion peered through night-vision goggles, slowly moving with his squad toward a house in Iraq with a high-value target inside. They knew there were armed militants nearby, but they had no idea they were about to run into one. “Right as we were about to break the ...

Army 1st Sgt. Leonard Funk served in some of the most pivotal campaigns in the European theater of World War II, making him one of the war’s most decorated paratroopers. After jumping into Normandy on D-Day with the 82nd Airborne Division, he earned the Distinguished Service Cross during Operation Market Garden. His Medal of Honor was earned toward the end ...

As we head into the new year, we would be remiss to not highlight one of the first-ever service members to earn the Medal of Honor as a noncombatant. Navy Seaman Lewis Horton served during the Civil War, and his time in the military included being a prisoner of war, a double amputee and a courageous lifesaver. Horton was born ...

Those who perform valiant actions don’t always succeed in their missions, but that doesn’t mean their efforts aren’t worthy of commendation. Navy Seaman Dennis Conlan was one of several men who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Civil War that didn’t bring success for their side —  but they were courageous nonetheless. Conlan was born in 1838 in ...

The Pentagon is a universal symbol of U.S. strength and security known around the world, but do you know the history behind it? The 1,100 acres of land on which the Pentagon sits was once part of the sprawling estate of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The federal government confiscated it during the Civil War, but the building’s concept and ...

Army Tech Sgt. Vernon McGarity spent the last few months of World War II in a prisoner of war camp in Germany. The actions that got him there helped the Allies win the critical Battle of the Bulge  —  and earned him the Medal of Honor. McGarity was born Dec. 1, 1921, in rural Right, Tennessee. He worked with the Depression-era ...

The Medal of Honor is often given for one act of valor, but service members can also earn it for many acts over time. One of the more prominent names to have done that was World War II Marine Corps Gen. Alexander Vandegrift, whose command during the Guadalcanal campaign in the South Pacific led to a critical U.S. victory. Vandegrift ...

Air Force Lt. Col. Cristina Moore Urrutia decided in seventh grade that she wanted to be a music conductor. The process wasn’t easy. It included bachelor’s and master’s degrees, countless hours of practice and rigorous auditions — but she made that dream happen, and she said she couldn’t have done it without the U.S. military. Moore Urrutia joined the Army ...

Some of our country’s greatest heroes fought in iconic battles, but the few who fought in more than one during different wars — well, they’ve likely reached legendary status. That’s the case for Marine Corps Col. William E. Barber, who served in three wars and earned the Medal of Honor in the middle of his 30-year career. Barber was born Nov. ...

After President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, many black men joined the Army to fight for the Union and their freedom. One of them was Christian Fleetwood, who became one of 17 black soldiers to earn the Medal of Honor during the Civil War. Fleetwood was born on July 21, 1840, into a free family ...

In 2010, Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta became the first living Medal of Honor recipient in nearly 40 years. Those who receive the coveted honor usually say their teammates share in the honor, and Giunta was no exception. In fact, he recently gave the medal to the brigade with whom he served, saying it belonged to all of them. Giunta ...

Not every soldier who enlisted in the fight against World War II tyranny was a young man. Army Pfc. Floyd Lindstrom was 30 when he joined. His bravery and passion for the cause was infectious, and that helped earn him the Medal of Honor. Lindstrom was born on June 21, 1912, in Holdredge, Nebraska. His family eventually moved to Colorado ...

A lot of Medal of Honor recipients have engaged in the fight of their lives, just to fight on another day. This was true for Marine Corps Cpl. Lee H. Phillips, who earned the nation’s highest honor during a vicious fight in which he emerged victorious, only to die a few weeks later. Phillips was born on Feb. 3, 1930, ...