This Day in History: Happy Medal of Honor Day!

Happy Medal of Honor Day! On this day in 1991, Medal of Honor Day is observed for the first time. The holiday had been created in an effort to counteract declining “public awareness of the importance of the Medal of Honor.”

Did you ever wonder why March 25 was the date chosen for this holiday? It’s simple, really. March 25 is the anniversary of the first Medals ever awarded: Six men received Medals from the Secretary of War on this day in 1863.

The Medals issued that day were Army versions of the Medal, but other branches of the military have their own Medals, too. Today, the Navy, Army, and Air Force each have their own Medal, with the Air Force version being the most recent addition. (It was authorized in 1965). The Marines and Coast Guard don’t have separate Medals; instead, their members receive the Navy one.

These Medals wouldn’t have been established—at all—if Winfield Scott, general-in-chief of the Union Army, had had his way. Scott thought that the tradition of awarding such medals was too European. Perhaps you won’t be surprised to hear that when the Army established its Medal in 1862, it was after Scott’s retirement.

More than 3,500 recipients have been awarded the Medal of Honor since 1861, but nearly half of these were awarded to Civil War veterans. Those statistics sound odd at first, but it’s worth remembering that the criteria for the Medal have changed over time.

When the Medal was first authorized in 1861-62, it was the only medal available for valorous military conduct. Thus, the criteria for receiving the Medal weren’t as tough as they are today. It sounds odd to modern ears, but in the 1800s, veterans could simply petition Congress for the award. Other soldiers received the Medal for relatively simple actions, such as extending their tours of duty when called upon to do so.

As an example, the first Medals given on March 25, 1863, were given to men who participated in the Great Locomotive Chase, an incident in which Union Army soldiers stole a Confederate train, taking it to Chattanooga and tearing up tracks, bridges, and switches as they went.

Today, of course, Medal requirements are much tougher. A potential recipient must be nominated by someone else. Medals are awarded for an act of “personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades.” It must involve “risk of life” and “[i]ncontestable proof” of the act.

Perhaps one simple statistic reflects how much things have changed:

From the Civil War until World War II, only 3 percent of Medals were awarded posthumously. Things changed drastically after the Greatest Generation went off to war. Since then, more than 60 percent of Medals have been awarded posthumously.

Today’s holiday is about more than just a medal. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the many good men and women who have fought, bled, and died for our liberty.

That liberty is still worth fighting for today.

Enjoyed this post? More Medal of Honor

stories can be found on my website, HERE.

Primary Sources:

• C. Wyly Watson, From Combat to Captivity (Wall Street Journal; Dec. 30, 2008)

• Editors of the Boston Publishing Company, The Medal of Honor: A History of Service Above and Beyond (2014)

• Medal of Honor History & Timeline: A History of Heroism (Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation website)

• Retirement of Gen. Scott.; His Letter of Resignation to the Secretary of War. Order of the President Placing Him on the Retired List. Visit of the President and Cabinet to the General Interesting Ceremony. Gen. McClellan's Order on assuming command (NY Times, Nov. 2, 1861) (reprinted HERE)

• Rob Crotty, The Medal of Honor (National Archives; November 30, 2010 )

• Ron Owens, Medal of Honor: Historical Facts & Figures (2004)

• The Great Locomotive Chase: The First Awarded Medals of Honor (Congressional Medal of Honor Society)