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The Medal of HonorOfficially called the Congressional Medal of Honor, it is the nation's highest military award for “uncommon valor” by men and women in the armed forces. It is given for actions that are above and beyond the call of duty in combat against an armed enemy. The first medal was awarded on March 25, 1863. More than 3,450 men have been awarded the medal, as well as one woman, Dr. Mary Walker, a surgeon in the Civil War. Recipients of the medal are awarded $400 per month for life, a right to burial at Arlington National Cemetery, admission for them or their children to a service academy (if they qualify and quotas permit), and free travel on government aircraft. In April 2007, there were 110 Medal of Honor recipients living. Medal of Honor Recipients
1. These totals reflect the total number
of Medals of Honor awarded through 2007. Nineteen men received a second
award, and 5 of these double awardees received both the Army and Navy
Medals of Honor for the same action.
Sources: The Congressional Medal of Honor
Society, Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Web: www.cmohs.org and Home of Heroes. Web: www.homeofheroes.com/moh/history/history_statistics.html .
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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