Is the Medal of Honor or the Congressional Medal of Honor? The name of the Medal is simply Medal of Honor the word Congressional is sometimes mistakenly used because the Medal was created by Congress; however, the Medal is purely a military award.

Who gets the Congressional Medal of Honor?

By law, only U.S. service members who distinguish themselves through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty can receive the medal. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society is not involved in nominating, selecting, or awarding the Medal of Honor.

What does a person do to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor?

The Medal is presented to a service member who performed an action demonstrating a distinguishing level of valor. To receive a Medal, you must make it through an extensive nomination and interview process beginning with your commanding officer and ending with the President.

Can the Congressional Medal of Honor be awarded to a civilian?

What Are the Highest Civilian Awards? The highest awards that a civilian can receive are the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Since the American Revolution, the US Congress has awarded gold medals to recognize distinguished achievements.

Has anyone won 2 medals of honor?

To date, the maximum number of Medals of Honor earned by any service member has been two. The last living individual to be awarded two Medals of Honor was John J.Kelly 3 Oct 1918; the last individual to receive two Medals of Honor for two different actions was Smedley Butler, in 1914 and 1915.

Has a woman ever got the Medal of Honor?

Mary Edwards Walker remains the only women ever to receive the Medal of Honor, which she was awarded for her service during the Civil War. She grew up in Oswego, New York, raised by her progressive parents along with her six brothers and sisters.

What is the highest award in the world?

The Nobel Prize The Nobel Prize is considered the most prestigious award in the world in its field.

How much is a medal of honor worth?

But what it stands for is priceless. But for some people, honor does, in fact have a price: Just over $2,200, to judge by the latest sale of a Medal of Honor on the Internet auction site eBay last Friday. Such sales are illegal under federal law, and punishable by fines of up to $100,000 and a year in jail.

Do Medal of Honor recipients pay taxes?

Medal of Honor recipients are invited to every presidential inaugural ball and they never pay federal income tax again.

Which is higher Purple Heart or Medal of Honor?

The highest ranking military medals are awarded for valor and heroism, honoring those who serve in combat and perform above and beyond the call of duty. …

Related Articles
Medal of Honor Benefits Distinguished Service Cross
National Medal of Honor Day Purple Heart Benefits
How to Replace Lost Military Medals Silver Star

Is it hard to get the Medal of Honor?

The process is unbelievably complex, if not daunting, says Borch. The intent is to ensure that only the most deserving personnel are awarded the Medal of Honor, but the unintended consequence of it is that it takes a long time to get a nomination for the Medal of Honor to the president for his approval.

Did Audie Murphy win the Medal of Honor?

For this, Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest award for gallantry in action. By the end of World War II, Murphy had become one of the nation’s most-decorated soldiers, earning an unparalleled 28 medals (including three from France and one from Belgium).

What’s the highest award a civilian can get?

The Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and isalong with the comparable Congressional Gold Medalthe highest civilian award in the U.S. It recognizes those individuals who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the …

What’s the highest Medal a civilian can receive?

The Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The Presidential …

Do Medal of Honor recipients fly for free?

The same free travel opportunity afforded on military flights for active-duty military members, retirees and their families is also provided to Medal of Honor recipients.

Do generals salute Medal of Honor winners?

There is a military tradition that dictates all uniformed members of the service render a salute to Medal of Honor awardees regardless of rank; this is one of the unique customs and courtesies associated with the medal.

Who is the most decorated soldier?

Audie Murphy Who Was Audie Murphy? Audie Murphy eventually became the most decorated U.S. soldier in World War II. Though he was around 20 years old at the end of the war, he had killed 240 German soldiers, had been wounded three times and had earned 33 awards and medals. After the war, he appeared in more than 40 films.

Where did Dan Daly get his Medal of Honor?

Marine Corps service In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion in China, he received his first Medal of Honor for single-handedly defending his position against repeated attacks and inflicted casualties of around 200 on the attacking Boxers.

Why was Dr Mary Walker’s Medal of Honor revoked?

Out of the nearly 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients, only one was a woman — just one — and her medal was actually rescinded just before she died. She wanted to join the Army as a surgeon but wasn’t allowed because she was a woman. …

Who is the youngest recipient of the Medal of Honor?

The youngest person ever to receive the Medal of Honor was probably William Willie Johnston, who earned the Medal during the Civil War just prior to his 12th birthday and received his award 6 weeks after his 13th.

What are the 3 types of Medal of Honor?

There are three different types of Medal of Honor today: the original star shape established in 1861, which the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have retained; a wreath version designed in 1904 for the Army; and an altered wreath version for the Air Force, adopted in 1965.

What is the hardest award to win?

The Triple Crown of Acting is a term used in the American entertainment industry to describe actors who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award in the acting categories, the highest accolades recognized in American film, television and theatre respectively.

What is the most prestigious medal in the world?

List of highest military decorations

Country Name Number awarded
Spain Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand 336
Thailand Order of Rama
United Kingdom The Victoria Cross 1357 1354
United States Medal of Honor 3468 3449

What is the highest award for a surgeon?

The Medallion for Scientific Achievement is the highest honor bestowed by the American Surgical Association. The ASA Medallion for Advancement of Surgical Care recognizes seminal contributions in clinical surgery or surgical education that truly established new benchmarks or paradigms.

Do Purple Heart recipients get money?

Purple Heart recipients are automatically granted full Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of the amount of time they spent on active duty. Normally to get the full Post-9/11 GI Bill, a veteran needs to serve at least 36 months of active duty.

How much is a purple heart worth?

In today’s military collectibles market, Purple Hearts doled out during World War II tend to be worth $300 to $400, Kraska said.

How do you get Purple Heart?

The Purple Heart medal is presented to service members who have been wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while serving in the U.S. military. A Purple Heart is a solemn distinction and means a service member has greatly sacrificed themselves, or paid the ultimate price, while in the line of duty.

Who was the first black man to receive the Medal of Honor?

Sergeant William Carney The first African American to earn the Medal of Honor was Sergeant William Carney, a flag-bearer in Company C of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. Though Carney was part of the 18 July 1863 assault on Fort Wagner, a Confederate stronghold in South Carolina, he would not receive the medal until 1900.

Has a Medal of Honor ever been sold?

A German auction house has sold an historic Medal of Honor despite opposition from Sen. Ted Cruz and the National Medal of Honor Museum who urged the U.S. government to intervene and stop the sale. Army Pvt.

Do you salute high ranking civilians?

You don’t have to salute indoors, except when you report to a superior officer. If either person is wearing civilian clothes and you do not recognize the other person as a superior officer, salutes are unnecessary.