The Medal of Honor
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
Officially 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 May 2011, there were 110 Medal of Honor recipients living.
Medal of Honor Recipients
| Total1 | Army | Navy | Marines | Coast Guard | Air Force | Civilian | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil War | 1,522 | 1,196 | 305 | 17 | — | — | 4 |
| Noncombat, 1865–1870 | 13 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — |
| Indian Wars (1861–1898) | 426 | 422 | — | — | — | — | 4 |
| Korea (1871) | 15 | — | 9 | 6 | — | — | — |
| Noncombat, 1871–1899 | 106 | — | 104 | 2 | — | — | — |
| Spanish-American War | 110 | 31 | 64 | 15 | — | — | — |
| Samoa | 4 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
| Philippines | 80 | 69 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — |
| China | 59 | 4 | 22 | 33 | — | — | — |
| Noncombat, 1901–1910 | 49 | 1 | 46 | 2 | — | — | — |
| Philippines (1911) | 6 | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — |
| Mexican Campaign (1914) | 56 | 1 | 46 | 9 | — | — | — |
| Haiti (1915) | 6 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — |
| Noncombat, 1915–1916 | 8 | — | 8 | — | — | — | — |
| Dominican Republic | 3 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
| World War I | 124 | 95 | 21 | 8 | — | — | — |
| Haiti (1919–1920) | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Nicaragua (1927–1933) | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Noncombat, 1920–1940 | 17 | 1 | 15 | 1 | — | — | — |
| World War II | 464 | 324 | 57 | 82 | 1 | — | — |
| Korean War | 136 | 87 | 7 | 42 | — | — | — |
| Vietnam War | 247 | 160 | 16 | 57 | — | 14 | — |
| Somalia (1993) | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| War on Terror (Iraq, Afghanistan) | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Unknown Soldiers | 9 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 3,466 | 2,404 | 745 | 297 | 1 | 14 | 8 |
1. These totals reflect the total number of Medals of Honor awarded through May 2, 2011. 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 .
