National Medal of Honor Day, held annually on March 25th, was established by Congress to recognize those who have been awarded the United States’ highest military decoration for valor in action.
Here are a handful of interesting facts about this distinguished award:
- According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, more than 3,500 brave individuals have received the Medal of Honor since the decoration’s inception in 1861. Nineteen of the Medal of Honor Recipients have received the medal twice.
- On March 25, 1863, Army Private Jacob Parrott received the first Medal of Honor for his actions during the Great Locomotive Chase during the Civil War.
- Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor, served as a surgeon in the U.S. Army. During the Civil War, while serving with the 52nd Ohio Infantry, she routinely crossed enemy lines to treat civilians in need of medical care.
- There are three variations of the Medal of Honor. The Army and Navy have separate designs for their personnel. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard receive the Navy design. The original designs were worn on a recipient’s lapel. Currently, the Medal of Honor is the only U.S. Military medal worn around the neck.
- Twenty-eight service members have been awarded the Medal of Honor for action in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, eleven of them posthumously.
Homes For Our Troops honors all of the Medal of Honor recipients on this day and every day for their courageous acts of bravery and service.