hist2004
06-06-2004, 06:27 PM
The Creation of the Medal of Honor - by B.T. Arrington
"I would rather have the blue band of the Medal of Honor around my neck than be President." -Harry S. Truman
The Medal of Honor is America's highest award for military valor. Often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor, it is presented in the name of Congress to those who earn it by the President of the United States. Too often, it must be presented to the parents, wives, children or siblings of recipients who are killed performing their heroic actions. Of the more than 40 million Americans that have served in the armed forces since the inception of the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, less than 3,500—not even one percent—have performed actions that earned them the Medal of Honor. Though the Medal of Honor is today our nation's highest military award, its origins were somewhat inauspicious. In fact, for many years it was America's only military award. This essay will explain the creation of the Medal of Honor and its first recipients; later installments will examine other episodes in the Medal's proud history.
General George Washington created America's first real military award on 7 August 1782. The so-called Badge of Military Merit consisted of a purple heart made of cloth and was intended to recognize "any singularly meritorious action." Records show that only three soldiers earned the award before it fell into disuse. On 22 February 1932, 150 years after its creation, Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur resurrected the award in the form of a medal to be presented to any soldier of the U.S. Army that was wounded in World War I or that possessed a Meritorious Service Citation Certificate. In 1943, the award was changed to include anyone wounded in action, and the modern-day Purple Heart was born. After General Washington's Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse, the next award created for American servicemen came about during the Mexican War of 1846-48.
The Certificate of Merit was authorized on 3 March 1847 and was presented to any soldier that distinguished himself in action. Though no medal or other uniform accoutrement accompanied the award, recipients did receive an additional two dollars per month in pay. This award was discontinued at the conclusion of the Mexican War. From then until the creation of the Medal of Honor, the United States military had no awards with which to recognized distinguished service or gallantry in action. In December 1861, Senator James W. Grimes of Iowa, Chairman of the Senate Naval Committee, introduced a bill into Congress to create a medal "to promote the efficiency of the Navy." The bill easily passed through both houses of Congress and was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on 21 December 1861. This naval medal was the first authorized Medal of Honor. Soon after, Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts introduced a similar bill before Congress to create a Medal of Honor for the enlisted men of the Army and volunteer forces.
President Lincoln affixed his signature to this bill on 12 July 1862, and the Army Medal of Honor was born. An additional amendment passed on 3 March 1863 made the award available to officers and also made the provisions retroactive to the beginning of the Civil War two years earlier. Once the medals were authorized, a suitable design had to be selected. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles contacted James Pollock, Director of the United States Mint at Philadelphia, about designing the Navy Medal of Honor shortly after the first bill had become law. Pollock immediately went to work on a design for the medal and ended up submitting five different ideas for consideration by Welles. Before Welles settled on a Navy design, Pollock learned that the Army medal had also been authorized, so he sent a note to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to seek Stanton's consideration of his designs for the Army medal as well.
On 9 May 1862, the Navy approved one of Pollock's designs and soon after contracted with the firm of William Wilson and Son of Philadelphia to strike the medals. On 17 November 1862, the War Department contacted Wilson and Son to order an additional 2,000 medals for use by the Army. The Army and Navy medals were identical except for the method by which they were connected to the ribbon. On the Navy design, an anchor suspended the medal; on the Army version, an American eagle standing on crossed cannon and cannon balls replaced the anchor. On the back of the Navy medal, the words "Personal Valor" were engraved. The name of the recipient was to be added beneath. On the Army version, space was also left for the recipient's name, though the words "The Congress To" were found instead of "Personal Valor." The image on the medal was the same on both versions and was known as "Minerva Repulsing Discord."
The image of Minerva, the Roman goddess of war and representative of the Union, held a shield against a crouched attacker, Discord. In her left hand, Minerva held the fasces, an ancient Roman symbol of unified authority consisting of an axe bound in staves of wood. On Minerva's helmet was perched an owl, representing Wisdom. On each of the five points of the inverted star was a cluster of oak, representative of Strength. The design was surrounded by 34 stars, which represented the 34 states at that time (including those in rebellion.) This original design is still found on the Navy Medal of Honor, which is also issued to Coast Guard and Marine Corps recipients. The modern Army and Air Force versions do not feature the "Minerva Repulsing Discord" image. Colonel Bernard J.D. Irwin, an Army surgeon, performed America's very first Medal of Honor action. On 14 February 1861, two months prior to the start of the Civil War, he volunteered to lead a rescue party to aid a small detachment of U.S. troops surrounded by Chiricahua Apache Indians in Arizona. Colonel Irwin made his way to the stranded men and successfully aided the wounded before withdrawing.
For this action performed before the Medal of Honor was even created, Colonel Irwin received the nation's highest award on 21 January 1894. The first individual to actually receive a Medal of Honor was Private Jacob Parrot of the 33d Ohio Infantry during the Civil War. Along with 18 others, Parrot was a member of a group that has come to be known as "Andrew's Raiders." This group, led by civilian spy James J. Andrews, penetrated some 200 miles behind Confederate lines and captured a railroad station at Big Shanty, Georgia in April 1862. The objective was to destroy the tracks and bridges between Atlanta and Chattanooga. The group was unsuccessful, and several of the men were captured and hanged by the Confederates. Of those that did escape, several were awarded the Medal of Honor. Private Parrot received his first on 25 March 1863, making him the very first American ever to receive the Medal of Honor. To date, only 3,459 Medals of Honor have been issued to 3,440 individuals.
This discrepancy in numbers is a result of several men earning two Medals of Honor for different actions as well as some receiving both the Army and Navy medals for the same action. All are true American heroes that performed service above and beyond the call of duty.
Regards,
Hist2004
"I would rather have the blue band of the Medal of Honor around my neck than be President." -Harry S. Truman
The Medal of Honor is America's highest award for military valor. Often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor, it is presented in the name of Congress to those who earn it by the President of the United States. Too often, it must be presented to the parents, wives, children or siblings of recipients who are killed performing their heroic actions. Of the more than 40 million Americans that have served in the armed forces since the inception of the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, less than 3,500—not even one percent—have performed actions that earned them the Medal of Honor. Though the Medal of Honor is today our nation's highest military award, its origins were somewhat inauspicious. In fact, for many years it was America's only military award. This essay will explain the creation of the Medal of Honor and its first recipients; later installments will examine other episodes in the Medal's proud history.
General George Washington created America's first real military award on 7 August 1782. The so-called Badge of Military Merit consisted of a purple heart made of cloth and was intended to recognize "any singularly meritorious action." Records show that only three soldiers earned the award before it fell into disuse. On 22 February 1932, 150 years after its creation, Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur resurrected the award in the form of a medal to be presented to any soldier of the U.S. Army that was wounded in World War I or that possessed a Meritorious Service Citation Certificate. In 1943, the award was changed to include anyone wounded in action, and the modern-day Purple Heart was born. After General Washington's Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse, the next award created for American servicemen came about during the Mexican War of 1846-48.
The Certificate of Merit was authorized on 3 March 1847 and was presented to any soldier that distinguished himself in action. Though no medal or other uniform accoutrement accompanied the award, recipients did receive an additional two dollars per month in pay. This award was discontinued at the conclusion of the Mexican War. From then until the creation of the Medal of Honor, the United States military had no awards with which to recognized distinguished service or gallantry in action. In December 1861, Senator James W. Grimes of Iowa, Chairman of the Senate Naval Committee, introduced a bill into Congress to create a medal "to promote the efficiency of the Navy." The bill easily passed through both houses of Congress and was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on 21 December 1861. This naval medal was the first authorized Medal of Honor. Soon after, Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts introduced a similar bill before Congress to create a Medal of Honor for the enlisted men of the Army and volunteer forces.
President Lincoln affixed his signature to this bill on 12 July 1862, and the Army Medal of Honor was born. An additional amendment passed on 3 March 1863 made the award available to officers and also made the provisions retroactive to the beginning of the Civil War two years earlier. Once the medals were authorized, a suitable design had to be selected. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles contacted James Pollock, Director of the United States Mint at Philadelphia, about designing the Navy Medal of Honor shortly after the first bill had become law. Pollock immediately went to work on a design for the medal and ended up submitting five different ideas for consideration by Welles. Before Welles settled on a Navy design, Pollock learned that the Army medal had also been authorized, so he sent a note to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to seek Stanton's consideration of his designs for the Army medal as well.
On 9 May 1862, the Navy approved one of Pollock's designs and soon after contracted with the firm of William Wilson and Son of Philadelphia to strike the medals. On 17 November 1862, the War Department contacted Wilson and Son to order an additional 2,000 medals for use by the Army. The Army and Navy medals were identical except for the method by which they were connected to the ribbon. On the Navy design, an anchor suspended the medal; on the Army version, an American eagle standing on crossed cannon and cannon balls replaced the anchor. On the back of the Navy medal, the words "Personal Valor" were engraved. The name of the recipient was to be added beneath. On the Army version, space was also left for the recipient's name, though the words "The Congress To" were found instead of "Personal Valor." The image on the medal was the same on both versions and was known as "Minerva Repulsing Discord."
The image of Minerva, the Roman goddess of war and representative of the Union, held a shield against a crouched attacker, Discord. In her left hand, Minerva held the fasces, an ancient Roman symbol of unified authority consisting of an axe bound in staves of wood. On Minerva's helmet was perched an owl, representing Wisdom. On each of the five points of the inverted star was a cluster of oak, representative of Strength. The design was surrounded by 34 stars, which represented the 34 states at that time (including those in rebellion.) This original design is still found on the Navy Medal of Honor, which is also issued to Coast Guard and Marine Corps recipients. The modern Army and Air Force versions do not feature the "Minerva Repulsing Discord" image. Colonel Bernard J.D. Irwin, an Army surgeon, performed America's very first Medal of Honor action. On 14 February 1861, two months prior to the start of the Civil War, he volunteered to lead a rescue party to aid a small detachment of U.S. troops surrounded by Chiricahua Apache Indians in Arizona. Colonel Irwin made his way to the stranded men and successfully aided the wounded before withdrawing.
For this action performed before the Medal of Honor was even created, Colonel Irwin received the nation's highest award on 21 January 1894. The first individual to actually receive a Medal of Honor was Private Jacob Parrot of the 33d Ohio Infantry during the Civil War. Along with 18 others, Parrot was a member of a group that has come to be known as "Andrew's Raiders." This group, led by civilian spy James J. Andrews, penetrated some 200 miles behind Confederate lines and captured a railroad station at Big Shanty, Georgia in April 1862. The objective was to destroy the tracks and bridges between Atlanta and Chattanooga. The group was unsuccessful, and several of the men were captured and hanged by the Confederates. Of those that did escape, several were awarded the Medal of Honor. Private Parrot received his first on 25 March 1863, making him the very first American ever to receive the Medal of Honor. To date, only 3,459 Medals of Honor have been issued to 3,440 individuals.
This discrepancy in numbers is a result of several men earning two Medals of Honor for different actions as well as some receiving both the Army and Navy medals for the same action. All are true American heroes that performed service above and beyond the call of duty.
Regards,
Hist2004