Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty

The Medal of Honor is the highest decoration in the American military and is awarded to armed forces members who have distinguished themselves with acts of valor. Over 3000 Medals of Honor have been awarded since its inception in 1861, but here are just 20 outstanding Americans who’ve received it.

C.M. Bell on Wikimedia

1. Buffalo Bill

Likely the best-known person on this list, “Buffalo Bill” Cody was an iconic showman, soldier, and figure of the Wild West. He was awarded the MOH in 1872 for acts of gallantry during the Indian Wars. Unfortunately, Cody was one of 900 honorees who were stripped of their medals in 1917 due to changing requirements for a medal. In 1989, the Board of Corrections restored his medal of honor.

Artist: Samuel S. Frizzell, Lithographer: J. H. Bufford Lithography Company, Sitter: William Frederick Cody on Wikimedia

2. Michael B. Ellis

Known as The Lone Wolf, Sgt. Michael B. Ellis served in Northern France during the First World War. Ellis displayed fearlessness during combat when he single-handedly captured 27 prisoners and 6 machine guns during one of the most dangerous missions of the Hundred Days Offensive. General Pershing personally presented his Medal of Honor.

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3. Amos Chapman

Another civilian scout whose medal was revoked and then restored, Amos Chapman volunteered his services as a scout and interpreter during the Indian wars. At the Battle of Buffalo Wallow, Chapman dragged an injured scout a quarter of a mile to shelter with a shattered right leg. Both men survived. Both men survived (Chapman with a prosthetic leg) and were rewarded for their bravery.

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4. Robert Blake

The first African American to receive a Medal of Honor, Robert Blake, and 400 other enslaved persons were taken as contraband by the Union Army. Serving as a steward aboard the USS Marblehead, Blake stayed cool under pressure when the ship came under howitzer attack. Despite having a non-combat role, Blake seamlessly took over the duties of a powder-boy who’d been killed during the fighting.

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5. James E. Williams

One of 32 Native Americans to receive the MOH, James E. Williams is considered the most decorated enlisted man in the history of the US Navy. He was awarded the MOH for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life” during the Vietnam War. Despite near-total darkness and a waning supply of ammunition, Williams oversaw the loss of 65 enemy boats in the Mekong Delta.

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6. John H. Ferrell

Though not serving in a combat position, John Ferrell was nonetheless rewarded for his conduct during the Civil War. While serving aboard the USS Neosho, Ferrell and the ship’s quartermaster braved heavy fire to re-raise the ship’s flag after it had been shot down. 

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7. Vernon Baker

Lt. Vernon Baker was originally turned away by a bigoted recruiting officer but eventually enlisted in the 92nd Infantry Division during the Second World War. During an assault on the German stronghold of Castle Aghinolfi, Baker led the platoon advance that secured the mountain despite 19 of the 25 men in his platoon being killed the previous day. Baker was awarded his Medal of Honor over 50 years later at the age of 77.

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8. Eddie Rickenbacker

In addition to receiving the Medal of Honor, Maj. Eddie Rickenbacker was also the most decorated flying ace of the Air Force during WWI with 26 aerial victories. A former racecar driver, Rickenbacker had the idea of assembling a squadron of drivers-turned-pilots who would have already been used to close quarters and thinking on their feet. Despite his idea not being approved, Rickenbacker led his squadron to victory in the French skies with the highest number of victories out of all American squadrons.

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9. Yukio Okutsu

A member of an all-Japanese regiment when Japanese-Americans were being interned, Yukio Okutsu was part of the most decorated unit in US military history. Okutsu single-handedly destroyed three enemy machine guns during combat in Italy. His bravery allowed the rest of his platoon to advance with their mission.

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10. Mary Edwards Walker

The only woman to be awarded the MOH (so far), Dr. Mary Walker was the first female surgeon in the US Army. After she was captured by Confederate forces, Walker snuck past enemy lines to treat wounded civilians. This bravery led to her being arrested as a spy, sent to a POW camp, and ultimately given the highest military decoration in the company.

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11. William Henry Thompson

Private William Henry Thompson’s platoon was ambushed by North Korean soldiers in August of 1950. Rather than flee, and despite several injuries from artillery and grenade fragments, Thompson ignored his wounds and stood his ground. His single-minded determination allowed his company to safely retreat at the cost of his own life. 

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12. Pompey Factor

Working alongside the buffalo soldiers of the 24th Infantry, Pompey Factor was a member of the Black Seminole Scouts during the Red River War. During a routine patrol in 1875, he charged 25 Comanches. Factor, alongside two of his fellow scouts, received the MOH for bravery and trustworthiness.

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13. Melvin Morris

Melvin Morris was one of the first soldiers to qualify as a Green Beret during the Vietnam War. During a mission to rescue the body of a fallen soldier, Morris destroyed four enemy bunkers using a bag of hand grenades, was wounded three times, and successfully returned his fallen comrade to safety. Morris received his MOH in 2014 and is still alive today, aged 83.

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14. Telesforo Trinidad

A rare case of the MOH being in a non-combat incident during peacetime, Telesforo Trinidad was a fireman aboard the USS California when her boiler exploded. Trinidad heroically rescued two injured firemen despite suffering severe burns himself. Trinidad went on to serve in both World Wars.

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15. William Harvey Carney

Born enslaved, Sgt. William H. Carney made his way to freedom via the Underground Railroad before joining the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. When the color guard was killed during the assault on Fort Wagner, Carney braved shots to the arm, leg, and chest to retrieve the flag from enemy fire. He was honorably discharged due to wounds and received his MOH nearly 37 years after his brave actions.

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16. Francis P. Hammerberg

Towards the end of WWII, a second, but no less tragic, naval disaster happened at Pearl Harbor following an explosion at the West Loch. Nearly a year after the disaster, Francis Hammerberg was one of the divers tasked with raising the hulks. Hammerberg rescued two fellow divers who’d become trapped in the wreckage, losing his own life in the process.

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17. Powhatan Beaty

Forced at bayonet point to serve in an unarmed, segregated unit, Powhatan Beaty was assigned to build defenses along the Licking River in Kentucky. Later, during the Battle of Chaffin’s Farm in Virginia, Beaty took charge of his regiment after all the officers were killed. Only half of Beaty’s division survived the battle, miraculously managing to push back Confederate forces.

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18. William Alchesay

Chief of the White Mountain Apache, William Alchesay was an important envoy during the Apache Wars. Alchesay was tasked with convincing Geronimo to peacefully surrender. While he failed in this task, the two men remained close friends until Geronimo’s death. Alchesay was rewarded for his “wonderful courage [and] great sagacity.”

Photo Credit: U.S. Army Photo on Wikimedia

19. Pappy Boyington

After a bout with the famed Flying Tigers during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Gregory “Pappy” Boyington volunteered for service in the South Pacific. Boyington was shot down in January 1944 and declared missing in action. In an extraordinary turn of events, Boyington was captured by a Japanese submarine crew and detained as a POW until the end of the war.

U.S. Department of Defense photo on Wikimedia

20. Woodrow W. Keeble

A member of the Lake Traverse Dakota Reservation, Woodrow Wilson Keeble served in both WWII and the Korean War. During an attack on Hill 765 in Korea, Keeble led a one-man assault that redirected enemy firepower and allowed his platoon to advance on the last major enemy stronghold. Keeble's gallantry earned him three nominations for the Medal of Honor, which he posthumously received in 2008. 

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