Medal of Honor website

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kew
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Medal of Honor website

Post by kew »

I just watched the History Channel documentary "We Stand Alone" I did some quick research on Major Winters and found a great website listing and detailing all of the Medal of Honor recpients. Unfortunatly for Winters he's not anywhere to be found on this site. There is a group lobbying to upgrade him from the Sevice Cross to the MOH.

Read a just few of these accounts of heroism.

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/moh1.htm
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CMDRMCTOAST
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by CMDRMCTOAST »

Very nice site.



*MOON, HAROLD H., JR.

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company G, 34th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division. Place and date: Pawig, Leyte, Philippine Islands, 21 October 1944. Entered service at: Gardena, Calif. Birth: Albuquerque, N. Mex. G.O. No.: 104, 15 November 1945. Citation: He fought with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity when powerful Japanese counterblows were being struck in a desperate effort to annihilate a newly won beachhead. In a forward position, armed with a submachinegun, he met the brunt of a strong, well-supported night attack which quickly enveloped his platoon's flanks. Many men in nearby positions were killed or injured, and Pvt. Moon was wounded as his foxhole became the immediate object of a concentration of mortar and machinegun fire. Nevertheless, he maintained his stand, poured deadly fire into the enemy, daringly exposed himself to hostile fire time after time to exhort and inspire what American troops were left in the immediate area. A Japanese officer, covered by machinegun fire and hidden by an embankment, attempted to knock out his position with grenades, but Pvt. Moon, after protracted and skillful maneuvering, killed him. When the enemy advanced a light machinegun to within 20 yards of the shattered perimeter and fired with telling effects on the remnants of the platoon, he stood up to locate the gun and remained exposed while calling back range corrections to friendly mortars which knocked out the weapon. A little later he killed 2 Japanese as they charged an aid man. By dawn his position, the focal point of the attack for more than 4 hours, was virtually surrounded. In a fanatical effort to reduce it and kill its defender, an entire platoon charged with fixed bayonets. Firing from a sitting position, Pvt. Moon calmly emptied his magazine into the advancing horde, killing 18 and repulsing the attack. In a final display of bravery, he stood up to throw a grenade at a machinegun which had opened fire on the right flank. He was hit and instantly killed, falling in the position from which he had not been driven by the fiercest enemy action. Nearly 200 dead Japanese were found within 100 yards of his foxhole. The continued tenacity, combat sagacity, and magnificent heroism with which Pvt. Moon fought on against overwhelming odds contributed in a large measure to breaking up a powerful enemy threat and did much to insure our initial successes during a most important operation.

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Twotribes
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by Twotribes »

I read a book of Medal of Honor winners in Viet Nam once, it was great.

Some of the things some people do in battle are simply amazing.
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by freeboy »

Is it the "Medal of Honor" ? not the "Congressional ..."
It was my long held belief that it is a common misnomer?
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by Twotribes »

Well the Medal of Honor is only grantable from Congress so I suspect say the "the Congressional Medal of Honor" while redundant, is correct.
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kew
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by kew »

ORIGINAL: freeboy

Is it the "Medal of Honor" ? not the "Congressional ..."
It was my long held belief that it is a common misnomer?




It is not the "Congressional Medal of Honor" go to this site: http://www.cmohs.com/

lol
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m10bob
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by m10bob »

Negative....Only civilians call it "Congressional"..Correct name is "Medal Of Honor"..Period....Don't believe everything you read...[:-]
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/moh1.htm
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by Raverdave »

I thought that it was award by the President and confirmed by the Congress.[&:]
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

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I'm intrigued by the high number of medals given out during the Civil War for either capturing the Confederate flag and or Colors or defending the flag and or colors
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

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*POWERS, JOHN JAMES

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Born: 13 July 1912, New York City, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. Other Navy award: Air Medal with 1 gold star. Citation: For distinguished and conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, while pilot of an airplane of Bombing Squadron 5, Lt. Powers participated, with his squadron, in 5 engagements with Japanese forces in the Coral Sea area and adjacent waters during the period 4 to 8 May 1942. Three attacks were made on enemy objectives at or near Tulagi on 4 May. In these attacks he scored a direct hit which instantly demolished a large enemy gunboat or destroyer and is credited with 2 close misses, 1 of which severely damaged a large aircraft tender, the other damaging a 20,000-ton transport. He fearlessly strafed a gunboat, firing all his ammunition into it amid intense antiaircraft fire. This gunboat was then observed to be leaving a heavy oil slick in its wake and later was seen beached on a nearby island. On 7 May, an attack was launched against an enemy airplane carrier and other units of the enemy's invasion force. He fearlessly led his attack section of 3 Douglas Dauntless dive bombers, to attack the carrier. On this occasion he dived in the face of heavy antiaircraft fire, to an altitude well below the safety altitude, at the risk of his life and almost certain damage to his own plane, in order that he might positively obtain a hit in a vital part of the ship, which would insure her complete destruction. This bomb hit was noted by many pilots and observers to cause a tremendous explosion engulfing the ship in a mass of flame, smoke, and debris. The ship sank soon after. That evening, in his capacity as Squadron Gunnery Officer, Lt. Powers gave a lecture to the squadron on point-of-aim and diving technique. During this discourse he advocated low release point in order to insure greater accuracy; yet he stressed the danger not only from enemy fire and the resultant low pull-out, but from own bomb blast and bomb fragments. Thus his low-dive bombing attacks were deliberate and premeditated, since he well knew and realized the dangers of such tactics, but went far beyond the call of duty in order to further the cause which he knew to be right. The next morning, 8 May, as the pilots of the attack group left the ready room to man planes, his indomitable spirit and leadership were well expressed in his own words, "Remember the folks back home are counting on us. 1 am going to get a hit if 1 have to lay it on their flight deck.'' He led his section of dive bombers down to the target from an altitude of 18,000 feet, through a wall of bursting antiaircraft shells and into the face of enemy fighter planes. Again, completely disregarding the safety altitude and without fear or concern for his safety, Lt. Powers courageously pressed home his attack, almost to the very deck of an enemy carrier and did not release his bomb until he was sure of a direct hit. He was last seen attempting recovery from his dive at the extremely low altitude of 200 feet, and amid a terrific barrage of shell and bomb fragments, smoke, flame and debris from the stricken vessel.
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by m10bob »

The MOH is recommended by someone in your chain of command.It goes thru the ranks,(up),to the congress,who must approve it,but the award is NOT called the "congressional" MOH..The entire title is the MOH..
I have seen many websites,and many people get it wrong over the years,maybe because they think it sounds,"cooler",or something,but the award is the MOH..
BTW,one man was awarded the decoration twice!..It was not posthumous..Anybody know who he was??
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

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I'm guessing: Audie Murphy?
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

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Several marines recieved the Medal of Honor twice. But none lately.

I dont know Army history on the medal so cant comment for them.
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

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Killroy? marine in the Pac theater?
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Dereck
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by Dereck »

He is correct. Even though it is usually presented by the President in the name of the Congress it's proper name is Medal of Honor.

I'm into my genealogy and while taking tombstone pictures of some of my ancestors in Tuscarawas County, Ohio was floored when next to the tombstone of a Milton A. Blickensderfer (who married into my line) was a Medal of Honor stone. Seems he captured a Confederate flag during the siege of Petersburg and was awarded the medal for that action.

What should also be noted is that over 65% of the Medal of Honors are awarded posthumously.
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by Dereck »

One person who received the Medal of Honor twice was a brother-in-law of George Armstrong Custer. Unfortunately for him he was also with Colonel Custer at Little Big Horn.
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RE: Congressional Medal of Honor website

Post by grumbler »

Congress does not have a voice in who gets the award. " The President may award, and present in the name of Congress, a medal of honor of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to a person who, while a member of the naval service, distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... (10 USC 6241).

In my service time I never heard it called even "the Medal of Honor" and I served with a recipient. It was always simply "The Medal."

Incidently, the "Congressional" in the "Congressional Medal of Honor Society" refers to the fact that the society was established by Congress, not that it is a society for "the Congressional Medal of Honor." One of its tasks is to see to the welfare of recipients of The Medal and their families.
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RE: Medal of Honor website

Post by kew »

OK everbody, we all now have a better understanding of the correct wording to use when discussing this medal.

I put this post/link up so people may read about the incredible stories that led up to these individuals receiving this medal and create a discussion honoring their extraordinary tales.

The last few days I've spent at least an hour a day reading some of these stories and I'm just awestruck by what I've read so far.
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RE: Medal of Honor website

Post by grumbler »

Ah, I understand your purpose now. Unfortunately, I found the HoH sites years ago and am pretty much talked out about the MoH. Feel free to carry on your discussion, though. I know there are lots of others who are interested, and it IS a worthwhile topic (especially if you link to other sites like those for the VC and whatnot - note how much shorter the VC citations are!)
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RE: Medal of Honor website

Post by Halsey »

I was proud to have served with G L Littrell MOH winner in Vietnam. He was our First Sergeant in a Ranger Bn. Charlie Co 1st/75th. Tough SOB! Another of our First Sergeants was a man named Wingrove. He was one of thirty-six SF soldiers that participated in the Son Tay raid outside Hanoi. Anyone remember that one?
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