{"id":5453,"date":"2025-06-30T19:18:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T19:18:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/a-capitol-fourth\/?page_id=5453"},"modified":"2025-06-30T19:18:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T19:18:59","slug":"medal-of-honor-recipients-legacy-of-valor","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/a-capitol-fourth\/honor-and-serve\/medal-of-honor-recipients-legacy-of-valor\/","title":{"rendered":"Medal of Honor Recipients: A Legacy of Valor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image\" >\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-media-card\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/a-capitol-fourth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Medal-of-Honor-Studio-087-720x480.jpg');\">\n        \n                \n        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-blue-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#1c2838;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color:#d3c8a8\" class=\"tadv-color\">MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS:<br>A LEGACY OF VALOR<\/span><\/h1>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-red-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#95272f;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<p><span style=\"color:#ffffff\" class=\"tadv-color\">The Medal of Honor is the United States\u2019 highest military decoration, awarded to service members who have demonstrated extraordinary bravery and selflessness in combat, often at the cost of their own lives.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"color:#ffffff\" class=\"tadv-color\">Originally created during the Civil War, the Medal was first authorized for the Navy on December 21, 1861, and later for the Army on July 12, 1862. It became a permanent military honor in 1915, with criteria formalized during World War I to recognize those who acted \u201cabove and beyond the call of duty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col has-image has-background-size-large has-background-center-position\" style=\"background-color:#000000;background-image:url('https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/a-capitol-fourth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Army-Medal-Front-2-SH2014.0001.04-scaled.jpg');\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-light-blue-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#a4c8ec;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n\n<div style=\"height:110px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>ARMY<\/strong><br><strong>MEDAL OF HONOR<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:110px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-background-center-position has-blue-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#1c2838;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n\n<div style=\"height:110px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><strong>NAVY,<\/strong><br><strong>MARINE CORPS &amp;<\/strong><br><strong>COAST GUARD<\/strong><br><strong><span style=\"color:#ffffff\" class=\"tadv-color\">MEDAL OF HONOR<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:110px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col has-image has-background-size-large has-background-center-position\" style=\"background-color:#000000;background-image:url('https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/a-capitol-fourth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Navy-Medal-Front-SH2014.0001.05-scaled.jpg');\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<p><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col has-image has-background-center-position\" style=\"background-color:#000000;background-image:url('https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/a-capitol-fourth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Air-Force-Medal-Front-scaled.jpg');\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-light-blue-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#a4c8ec;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n\n<div style=\"height:110px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>AIR FORCE<\/strong><br><strong>MEDAL OF HONOR<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:110px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-dark-gold-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#91816d;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-15 has-pdb-15\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><span style=\"color:#111a23\" class=\"tadv-color\">Notable honorees include:<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Private Jacob Parrott<\/strong>, the first recipient and a member of the legendary \u201cAndrews Raiders.\u201d<br><\/li><li><span style=\"color:#111a23\" class=\"tadv-color\"><strong>Dr. Mary Edwards Walker<\/strong>, a Civil War surgeon and the only woman ever awarded the Medal.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"color:#111a23\" class=\"tadv-color\">More than 3,500 Medals of Honor have been awarded as of 2024. Over 60% were given posthumously, a sobering testament to the valor required to earn this distinction. Recipients are respectfully referred to as \u201crecipients,\u201d not \u201cwinners,\u201d to honor the profound sacrifice the medal represents.<\/span><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-light-gray-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#e1e7ec;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-15 has-pdb-15\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To learn more about the many heroic individuals who have received this prestigious award, you can visit the new <a href=\"https:\/\/mohmuseum.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>National Medal of Honor Museum<\/strong><\/a> in Arlington, Texas \u2014 a stunning new tribute to valor that opened in March 2025.&nbsp; The National Medal of Honor Museum honors the inspiring lives and legacies of ordinary Americans who took extraordinary action in the service of others.<\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"parent":1811,"menu_order":33,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5453","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.7 - 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