Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - The Medal of Honor

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. It's presented to members of the U.S. Armed Forces, who have displayed extraordinary bravery and valor in combat, often at great personal risk and beyond the call of duty. The Medal of Honor has a rich history dating back to the American Civil War and has undergone various changes in its design, criteria, and awarding process. Learn more about the Medal of Honor, how it was created and how it's awarded. on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. What if your perceptions about the past were wrong?

Starting point is 00:00:48 ThruLine is a podcast that takes you back in time to uncover the parts of the story that may have gone unnoticed. It effectively turned day into night. And how it shaped the world now. Time travel with us every week on the ThruLine podcast from NPR. The Medal of Honor is the highest award that the United States military can bestow. Its equivalent in other countries would be the Victoria Cross and the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the Legion of Honor in France,

Starting point is 00:01:22 the Cross of Honor in Germany, the Order of August 1st in China, and the Parhamvir Chakra in India. The Medal recognizes those members of the U.S. Armed Forces who have displayed extraordinary bravery and valor in combat, often at great personal risk and beyond the call of duty. At the start of the Revolutionary War, the United States Army had no medals or awards for soldiers. On August 7, 1782, George Washington issued a decree to create a medal known as the Badge of Military Merit. Washington said the award was to be given, quote, not only for instances of unusual gallantry in battle, but also extraordinary fidelity and essential service in any way. The actual award was a cloth-embroidered heart that was colored purple.

Starting point is 00:02:09 The award was later renamed the Purple Heart in 1932 and became an award for those injured in battle. What was unique about the badge of military merit is that it could be awarded to enlisted soldiers. Military medals in Europe were traditionally only given to officers. According to Washington, quote, The Road to Glory in a Patriot Army and a free country is open to all. Only three people were ever awarded the badge of military merit during the revolution, so it was something that was awarded very rarely. For about the next 50 years, there were no military medals.

Starting point is 00:02:44 In 1847, Congress approved a new award called the Certificate of Merit. The Certificate of Merit was only approved for privates, and then later for all enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers. The Certificate of Merit was to be considered on a par with the Medal of Honor until 1918 when the award was replaced with the Distinguished Service Medal, which was explicitly made of a lower rank than the Medal of Honor. The idea for the Medal of Honor emerged in 1861 amidst the Civil War's early challenges. Lieutenant Colonel Edward Townsend submitted a proposal to General Winfield Scott, the head of the Union Army, to create an award for valor. Scott was against the idea of medals for valor because it seemed too European to him and he felt it didn't fit with the republic. When he retired later that year, the idea was picked up by the Secretary of the Navy and the idea soon spread. Iowa Senator James Grimes proposed a bill, quote, to promote the efficiency of the Navy by authoring 200

Starting point is 00:03:45 medals of honor for enlisted sailors and Marines who distinguished themselves by gallantry in action and other seaman-like qualities. On December 21, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed this legislation into law, establishing the Navy Medal of Honor. The Philadelphia Mint was tasked with designing the award, producing a five-point star with Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom and war at its center, symbolizing the United States. Encouraged by this initiative, Massachusetts Senator Henry Wilson introduced a similar bill for the Army on February 15, 1862. This resolution authorized medals for non-commissioned

Starting point is 00:04:22 officers and privates who exhibited gallantry in action and other soldier-like qualities during the war. Lincoln signed it into law in July 12, 1862, creating the Army Medal of Honor. Unlike the Navy version, the Army Medal initially bore the inscription, quote, the Congress 2, emphasizing its congressional endorsement. Both medals were made of copper coated with bronze, giving them a reddish tint, and were intended as temporary wartime honors. And I should note that the inscription on the Army badge has caused confusion over the years as to the name of the medal. It's often called the Congressional Medal of Honor, but its actual name is simply the Medal of Honor. On March 25, 1863, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton presented the medal to six surviving members of Andrews Raiders,

Starting point is 00:05:14 a group of Union soldiers who conducted a daring raid behind Confederate lines to disrupt a railroad. Private Jacob Parrott became the first recipient to receive the Medal of Honor. The initial legislation creating the Medal of Honor limited it to only the Civil War. While Private Parrott was the first person to be awarded the Medal of Honor, there were other recipients who were honored for acts of valor that took place prior to that of Private Parrot. The earliest action for which the Medal of Honor was awarded was assistant surgeon Bernard J.D. Irwin's rescue of 60 soldiers at Apache Pass, Arizona in February 1861.

Starting point is 00:05:52 However, due to delays in the award process, Erwin didn't receive his medal until 1894. During the Civil War, the Medal of Honor was literally the only medal awarded and as the Certificate of Merit had ceased being awarded after the Mexican-American War and wouldn't be revived until 1874. Initially, nominations were informal and self-recommendations were permitted, leading to awards for actions that might not meet later standards, such as the 11-year-old drummer boy, Willie Johnson, retaining his drum during a retreat in 1862 and being awarded the Medal of Honor.

Starting point is 00:06:30 Every member of the 27th main volunteer infantry regiment was awarded the Medal of Honor, simply because some of them offered to stay in Washington, D.C., for a few days after their enlistment expired. Due to poor record-keeping and administrative confusion, the War Department couldn't determine exactly which soldiers stayed and which left. To avoid the difficulty of sorting through individual names, the entire regiment of 864 men was placed on the Medal of Honor role, regardless of whether they had remained in Washington or not. Over 1,500 medals of honor were awarded for Civil War actions. In the 19th century, the Medal of Honor continued to be awarded in conflicts against Native American tribes and later

Starting point is 00:07:14 during the Spanish-American War. The most medals of honor awarded it in a single day occurred during the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890, where 20 soldiers received the honor. A total of 426 medals, were awarded during the Indian Wars. The low standards for awarding the medal during the Civil War were widely recognized. In 1897, new regulations required eyewitness accounts, third-party recommendations, and submissions within one year of the Act. The shift aimed to ensure that the medal recognized only the most exceptional valor. In 1917, an Army Review Board revoked 911 medals, mostly from Civil War recipients,

Starting point is 00:07:56 including the entire 27th main regiment awarded for re-enlisting, deeming them unjustified under stricter guidelines. Five were later restored, including Dr. Mary Walker, the only woman recipient who received it in 1865 for medical services under fire, but had it rescinded in 1917 before having it reinstated in 1977. World War I introduced further refinements. Naval officers became eligible in 1915,

Starting point is 00:08:24 and in 1918, a version dubbed the Tiffany Cross was briefly adopted for naval recipients for combat valor, to distinguish between possible non-combat awards, like those later given to Charles Limburg's 1927 Transatlantic Flight. Lieutenant Frank Luke became the first pilot awarded the Medal of Honor during World War I, known for shooting down 18 enemy aircraft in just 17 days. Unpopular and short-lived, the Tiffany Cross was disliked. continued in 1942. The war also saw double recipients who were awarded the Army and Navy Medals of Honor for the same act of valor. You can, in theory, today, earn multiple medals of honor, but they have to be for separate acts of heroism. There are currently 19 double Medal of Honor

Starting point is 00:09:13 recipients who have earned them for separate acts, and none of them have been awarded since the First World War. World War II marked a high point with 473 medals awarded, including the first to a Hispanic American Private Joseph Martinez in 1943, and a posthumous award to Japanese American Private First Class Saddam Munamori in 1945. Signalman First Class, Douglas Merno, is the only Coast Guard member to receive the Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously for heroism at Guadalcanal in 1942. The Air Force, which was established in 1947, adopted the army design until 1965, when it introduced its own variant featuring a central figure of liberty. The Korean and Vietnam Wars saw fewer awards given, 145 and 261, respectively,

Starting point is 00:10:03 reflecting tighter criteria with many bestowed posthumously. Whereas in the 19th century, too many medals were probably awarded, a 1993 army study found that soldiers who conducted clear qualifying acts of heroism and valor were denied the medal because they were black, especially during the Second World War. This led to a review of, of Medal of Honor nominations, which resulted in a round of awards in 1997, 1998, and 2014. Only 20 medals of honor have been awarded since the Vietnam War, all but three posthumously, reflecting rigorous standards and fewer large-scale conflicts. Notable recipients include the likes of Master Sergeant Earl Plumley, one of the few living recipients honored for actions in

Starting point is 00:10:49 Afghanistan in 2013. As of the recording of this episode, 3,536 medals of honor have been awarded to 3,517 individuals, with over 40% from the Civil War. Only 61 recipients are living today, four of which are on active military duty. Today, three distinct variants of the award exist. The Army's Medal with Minerva and a laurel wreath, the Navy's Medal with an anchor and Minerva, and the Air Force's Medal with Liberty and an Eagle. all feature a gold star on a light blue ribbon with 13 stars. The modern design finalized during World War II balances historical tradition with symbolic depth,

Starting point is 00:11:34 the laurel for victory, Minerva for wisdom, and the eagle for strength. The current process for awarding the Medal of Honor begins with an eyewitness account and must be formally submitted by the recipient's chain of command. Extensive investigations and reviews follow at multiple levels, including endorsements from commanding officers, the service branch's secretary, and the joint chiefs of staff. The recommendation is then forwarded to the Secretary of Defense, who reviews it before sending it to the President of the United States, who is the final approving authority. Once approved, the Medal of Honor is presented by the President, usually in a White House ceremony.

Starting point is 00:12:12 While Congress may be consulted and sets the rules regarding the medal, they do not have the final say in approval. Unlike other medals, the U.S. military awards, other benefits and privileges are extended to Medal of Honor recipients. And the list of benefits is actually quite extensive. Medal of Honor recipients receive a special monthly pension, currently over $1,500 a month adjusted for inflation annually. And the pension is tax-free. This is in addition to any other military retirement pay or disability benefits. The Medal of Honor recipients receive special license plates, in most states in the country, usually free of charge. If the recipient was not career military, they receive lifetime military ID cards. This grants them access to military bases, commissaries,

Starting point is 00:13:03 and military hospitals. Medal of Honor recipients are eligible for full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Medal of Honor recipients must also be given a place of honor at any official military or government ceremony. Medal of honor recipients may be authorized to fly on military aircraft, a privilege that's usually reserved for active duty personnel, and recipients and their dependents are eligible for free space-available military flights. They receive a lifetime pass for all national parks and military museums. Children of Medal of Honor recipients are automatically eligible for admission to U.S. military academies, assuming they meet the entrance requirements. Medal of Honor recipients also receive the highest-level hiring preference for all civil

Starting point is 00:13:48 service jobs. All military personnel, regardless of rank, must salute Medal of Honor recipients, including generals. Recipients automatically receive invitations to all future U.S. presidential inaugurations, and recipients are often invited to attend the President's State of the Union address. Medal of Honor recipients can also wear their military uniform for life even after leaving the service. And finally, any non-U.S. citizen who earns the Medal of of honor is automatically granted U.S. citizenship. For anyone out there who might want to falsely claim to be a Medal of Honor recipient, I would suggest you not do that. Beyond the obvious ethical reasons, impersonating Medal of Honor recipient is a federal crime under the Stolen Valor Act.

Starting point is 00:14:38 The Medal of Honor is more than just a decoration. It represents the highest ideals of military service, courage and sacrifice. From its origins in the Civil War to the modern-day battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, the medal has evolved while maintaining its purpose, recognizing those who go above and beyond the call of duty. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Austin Oaken and Cameron Kiefer. Today's three-star review comes from listener Cammy Anderson over on Apple Podcasts in the United States.

Starting point is 00:15:14 They write, less math. I'm sorry, but I used to love this show, but now a ton of the episodes are just hard to understand. Though keep in mind, I'm in middle school. I feel like this makes the episodes less interesting. Well, thanks, Cammy. It's okay if you don't understand something right away. Nobody can really understand a subject immediately after hearing it for the first time. I don't really have a lot of math episodes, but to be fair, most of the math episodes I do have aren't things you would encounter in middle school.

Starting point is 00:15:44 These episodes are just introductions to the topic and are not very very. in depth. If at some point in the future you encounter these topics again, then you'll already have a head start. Remember, if you leave a review or send me a boostogram, you two can have it read on the show.

Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - The Medal of Honor

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