On Friday, President Joe Biden presented the highest military award for valor to seven U.S. Army soldiers at a ceremony at the White House. It marked the final time that Biden would award the Medal of Honor to a U.S. serviceperson.

Sadly, six of the awards were issued posthumously, for actions taken by the recipients during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The individuals included Pvt. Bruno R. Orig; Pfc. Wataru Nakamura; Cpl. Fred B. McGee; Pfc. Charles R. Johnson; Gen. Richard E. Cavazos; and Capt. Hugh R. Nelson Jr.

The seventh, Vietnam War veteran then-Private First Class Kenneth J. David, was present at the ceremony.

"I'm deeply privileged to honor seven American heroes," Biden said. "That's not hyperbole. These are genuine, to their core, heroes. Heroes of different ranks, different positions, and even different generations. But heroes who all went above and beyond the call of duty. Heroes who all deserve our nation's highest and oldest military recognition, the Medal of Honor."

History of the Medal of Honor

The origin of the highest military decoration dates back to the American Civil War when Iowa Senator James W. Crimes introduced a bill to "promote the efficiency of the Navy" by authorizing the production and distribution of "medals of honor." Within months, a similar bill was introduced for an award for privates of the U.S. Army. The wording and nature of the bills changed, including that this award would be for soldiers of all services and all ranks.

On July 12, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the authorization of the Medal of Honor. At the time, it was the only U.S. military decoration. As a result, a total of 1,527 medals were issued during the American Civil War.

The very first recipient of the Medal of Honor was Private Jacob Parrott of Company K, 33D Ohio Infantry, who was one of twenty-two men—later known as "Andrew's Raiders"—who penetrated nearly 200 miles south into enemy territory and captured a railroad train at Big Shanty, Georgia, in an attempt to destroy the bridges and track between Chattanooga and Atlanta. Captured during the raid and severely tortured, Parrott was later part of a prisoner exchange. Parrott continued to serve in the Union Army for the remainder of the war, earning a commission and rising to the rank of First Lieutenant.

The Highest Honor

With the introduction of other medals and awards in the latter half of the nineteenth century, by the Spanish-American War, the Medal of Honor became the supreme honor. In the more than a century and a half since it was first issued, it has been awarded to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who went above and beyond the call of duty.

"They're the finest military in the history of the world," Biden said of the seven recipients, but the words were true of all of those who have received the decoration. "Today we award these individuals a Medal of Honor. We can't stop here. Together as a nation, it's up to us to give this medal meaning, to keep fighting, to keep fighting for one another, for each other, to keep defending everything these heroes fought for and many of them died for: the ideals of America, the freedom we cherish, the democracy that has made our progress possible."

Notable Medal of Honor Facts:

-Enlisted recipients of the Medal of Honor are entitled to a supplemental uniform allowance.

-Children of recipients are eligible for admission to the United States military academies without regard to the quota requirements.

-It is a federal felony to falsely claim to be a Medal of Honor winner. Under the Stolen Valor Act, it is also against the law to sell or buy a Medal of Honor.

-The Medal of Honor has been presented nine times where the circumstances are "unknown" or "classified."

-The term "Congressional Medal of Honor" is incorrect. The Medal of Honor is presented by the president on behalf of Congress, and the confusion may come from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, which was formed by an act of Congress in 1958.

-A total of nineteen recipients have been awarded more than one Medal of Honor, and current regulations specify that an appropriate award device be centered on the ribbon. This is an oak leaf cluster for U.S. Army and Air Force medals and a gold award star for the Navy version.

-William "Willie" Johnston remains the youngest recipient, who at the age of thirteen served as a drummer boy in Company D of the 3rd Vermont Infantry during the American Civil War. His division was routed during the Seven Days Battles in the summer of 1862, and Johnston was the only drummer to return with his instrument—a fact that was noteworthy as many soldiers threw away their guns and equipment during their retreat.

-March 25 is "National Medal of Honor Day," which serves to "foster public appreciation and recognition of Medal of Honor Recipients." The date was chosen because it was on March 25, 1863, that the very first Medals of Honor were presented to six members of Andrews' Raiders during the American Civil War.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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