The Latest News about Medal of Honor Monday

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, ...

More than a decade ago, Army Master Sgt. Matthew Williams earned the Silver Star Medal for saving several of his Special Forces comrades during an hours-long mountainside firefight in Afghanistan. This week, the Green Beret will see that decoration upgraded to the highest level — the Medal of Honor. Williams was born Oct. 3, 1981, and spent most of his childhood ...

Military medics are serious about taking care of their fellow service members in battle, often risking their own lives to do that difficult job. Army Pfc. Richard G. Wilson was one of those men who gave the ultimate sacrifice to save another during the Korean War. For that, he earned the Medal of Honor. Wilson was born in Marion, Illinois, ...

In World War I, “no man’s land” marked the spot between Allied and enemy trenches where cruel and deadly battles often took place. It was called “no man’s land” for a reason — no one wanted to be there. But in October 1918, Army Pfc. Charles Barger and another young soldier braved this wasteland to save two officers. That courage earned ...

As an infantryman in World War II, Army Pvt. Pedro Cano used a shoulder-fired rocket launcher to take out more than 19 enemy soldiers and several machine guns terrorizing American troops in Schevenhutte, Germany, during the Battle of Hurtgen Forest. For this action, he earned the Medal of Honor in 1944. According to the official citation, while he was serving ...

While the Invasion of Normandy was the beginning of the end of the Nazi regime in Europe, the Battle of Aachen further solidified that. Aachen was the first major Germany city to fall to Allied forces during World War II — due in large part to the actions of young Army Capt. James Burt. Burt was born in Massachusetts in ...

As a combat medic in World War II, Army Technician 5th Grade Harold A. Garman dove into the Seine River in France to pull a boat of wounded soldiers to safety amid enemy machine-gun fire. Garman joined the Army in Albion, Illinois, in 1942. By Aug. 25, 1944, he was a private serving as a medic in Company B, 5th ...

You never know how service members will react in war. Will they freeze up, or push through the chaos? For World War II Army Pvt. John Towle, it was the latter. The 19-year-old soldier single-handedly took out nine Germans and two armored tanks, saving the lives of his fellow soldiers but losing his own. Towle was born in Cleveland on ...

Marine Corps Capt. Everett Pope was a seasoned officer by the time he landed on the small Pacific island of Peleliu during World War II, but little prepared him for what it took to survive there. His leadership while fighting devastating odds earned him the Medal of Honor. Pope was born July 16, 1919, and grew up in Massachusetts, where ...

On Sept. 2, 1945, Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, a Medal of Honor recipient, was among the few U.S. military leaders aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay when Japan signed the surrender documents ending World War II. Wainwright is lauded for defending the Philippines when they were overtaken by the Japanese and earned the nickname  “Hero of Bataan.” Born ...

World War II Army Tech. Sgt. Francis J. Clark was part of the famed 28th Infantry Division that was the first American military unit to parade down the Champs-Elysees during the Liberation of Paris on Aug. 29, 1944 — an anniversary that was celebrated with great fanfare over the weekend. Clark is the only World War II soldier from the ...