A picture of a Medal of Honor on top of an American flag
Shannon Rae

Medal of Honor

Valor on the Battlefield

The Medal of Honor, created during the Civil War, is the United States’ highest military decoration for acts of valor in combat. Presented by the president in the name of Congress, it is the American armed forces’ oldest continuously issued combat decoration. To date, almost half of the more than 3,400 medals have been presented to U.S. service members who fought in the Civil War.

Mary E. Walker

Though not honored for any specific deed or gallantry, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker remains to this day the only female recipient of the Medal of Honor...

Joseph H. De Castro

Joseph H. De Castro made history as the first Hispanic to earn the Medal of Honor— the United States’ highest military decoration for valor in combat...