List of living Medal of Honor recipients facts for kids
There are currently 79 living recipients of the Medal of Honor. It is the United States military's highest decoration. The Medal of Honor is given to any member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States."
Of the 79 living recipients 11 earned their Medals of Honor in World War II. 11 received them for actions in the Korean War. 54 were earned in the Vietnam War. Three were in the War in Afghanistan. Five earned their medal while serving in the U.S. Air Force. 51 were in the U.S. Army. 16 were in the U.S. Marine Corps. 7 were in the U.S. Navy. The oldest recipient is Robert D. Maxwell. He is 104. The youngest is Dakota Meyer. He is 36. Only one medal holder is still on active duty in the U.S. military. He is War in Afghanistan soldier Leroy Petry. Among the recipients is former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey. Three are retired generals: Patrick Henry Brady and Robert F. Foley of the Army and James E. Livingston of the Marine Corps.
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously.
World War II
During World War II, 464 United States military personnel received the Medal of Honor, 266 (57.3%) of them posthumously. A total of 42 Medals of Honor were presented for action in just two battles – Fifteen for actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and 27 for actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima. A total of 21 (4.5% of all World War II Medals of Honor) were received by members of the all-Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions in numerous battles across six different campaigns. Additionally, the only Medal of Honor ever presented to a member of the United States Coast Guard was received for actions during this war.
| Image | Name | Branch | Birth date and age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Charles H. Coolidge | Army | August 4, 1921 | |
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Francis S. Currey | Army | June 29, 1925 | |
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Robert D. Maxwell | Army | October 26, 1920 | |
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Hershel W. Williams | Marine Corps | October 2, 1923 |
Korea
During the Korean War, 136 Medals of Honor were presented for bravery in action, 98 (72.1%) of them posthumously. As of 2018, five recipients were still living.
| Image | Name | Branch | Birth date and age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Duane E. Dewey | Marine Corps | November 16, 1931 | |
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Hiroshi H. Miyamura | Army | October 6, 1925 | |
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Ronald E. Rosser | Army | October 24, 1929 | |
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Robert E. Simanek | Marine Corps | April 26, 1930 | |
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Ernest E. West | Army | September 2, 1931 |
Vietnam
During the Vietnam War, 249 Medals of Honor were received, 156 (62.9%) of them posthumously. Of the 93 recipients who lived to receive their medals for actions in the Vietnam War, 51 are alive as of 2018.
The first person to earn the Medal of Honor in this war was Roger Donlon who, on 6 July 1964, rescued and administered first aid to several wounded soldiers and led a group against an enemy force.
| Image | Name | Branch | Birth date and age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Bennie Adkins | Army | February 1, 1934 | |
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John Baca | Army | January 10, 1949 | |
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Donald E. Ballard | Navy | December 5, 1945 | |
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Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. | Marine Corps | July 21, 1940 | |
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Gary B. Beikirch | Army | August 29, 1947 | |
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Patrick Henry Brady | Army | October 1, 1936 | |
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Paul Bucha | Army | August 1, 1943 | |
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Bruce P. Crandall | Army | February 17, 1933 | |
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Sammy L. Davis | Army | November 1, 1946 | |
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Drew Dennis Dix | Army | December 14, 1944 | |
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Roger Donlon | Army | January 30, 1934 | |
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Frederick Edgar Ferguson | Army | August 18, 1939 | |
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Michael John Fitzmaurice | Army | March 9, 1950 | |
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James P. Fleming | Air Force | March 12, 1943 | |
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Robert F. Foley | Army | May 30, 1941 | |
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Harold A. Fritz | Army | February 21, 1944 | |
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Charles C. Hagemeister | Army | August 21, 1946 | |
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Frank A. Herda | Army | September 13, 1947 | |
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Robert R. Ingram | Navy | January 20, 1945 | |
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Joe M. Jackson | Air Force | March 14, 1923 | |
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Jack H. Jacobs | Army | August 2, 1945 | |
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Don J. Jenkins | Army | April 18, 1948 | |
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Thomas G. Kelley | Navy | May 13, 1939 | |
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Allan J. Kellogg | Marine Corps | October 1, 1943 | |
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Bob Kerrey | Navy | August 27, 1943 | |
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Charles Kettles | Army | January 9, 1930 | |
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Howard V. Lee | Marine Corps | August 1, 1933 | |
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Peter C. Lemon | Army | June 5, 1950 | |
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Gary L. Littrell | Army | October 26, 1944 | |
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James E. Livingston | Marine Corps | January 12, 1940 | |
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Allen James Lynch | Army | October 28, 1945 | |
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Walter Joseph Marm, Jr. | Army | November 20, 1941 | |
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James C. McCloughan | Army | April 30, 1946 | |
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Robert J. Modrzejewski | Marine Corps | July 3, 1934 | |
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Melvin Morris | Army | January 7, 1942 | |
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Thomas R. Norris | Navy | January 14, 1944 | |
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Robert Emmett O'Malley | Marine Corps | June 3, 1943 | |
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Robert Martin Patterson | Army | April 16, 1948 | |
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Alfred V. Rascon | Army | September 10, 1945 | |
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Ronald E. Ray | Army | December 7, 1941 | |
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Gordon Ray Roberts | Army | June 14, 1950 | |
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Jose Rodela | Army | June 15, 1937 | |
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Gary M. Rose | Army | October 17, 1947 | |
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Clarence Sasser | Army | September 12, 1947 | |
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James M. Sprayberry | Army | April 24, 1947 | |
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Kenneth E. Stumpf | Army | September 28, 1944 | |
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James Allen Taylor | Army | December 31, 1937 | |
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Brian Thacker | Army | April 25, 1945 | |
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Michael E. Thornton | Navy | March 23, 1949 | |
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Jay R. Vargas | Marine Corps | July 29, 1938 | |
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Gary Wetzel | Army | September 29, 1947 |
War in Afghanistan
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001 and was the beginning of the War on Terrorism. The war was launched by the United States, the United Kingdom, and NATO allies in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The stated purpose of the invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy al-Qaeda, and remove the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbor to al-Qaeda. Since 2001, 15 American service-members have received the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan, three of them posthumously.
| Image | Name | Branch | Birth date and age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Edward Byers | Navy | August 4, 1979 | |
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Kyle Carpenter | Marine Corps | October 17, 1989 | |
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Ty Carter | Army | January 25, 1980 | |
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Salvatore Giunta | Army | January 21, 1985 | |
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Florent Groberg | Army | May 8, 1983 | |
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Dakota Meyer | Marine Corps | June 26, 1988 | |
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Leroy Petry | Army | July 29, 1979 | |
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Ryan M. Pitts | Army | October 1, 1985 | |
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Clinton Romesha | Army | August 17, 1981 | |
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Britt K. Slabinski | Navy | December 1, 1969 | |
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William D. Swenson | Army | November 2, 1978 | |
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Kyle White | Army | March 27, 1987 |
Recently deceased
Recipients who died within the last twelve months are listed below.
| Image | Name | Branch | Conflict | Birth date | Death date | Place of death | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Thomas J. Hudner Jr. | Navy | Korean War | August 31, 1924 | November 13, 2017 | Concord, Massachusetts | |
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Wesley L. Fox | Marine Corps | Vietnam War | September 30, 1931 | November 24, 2017 | Blacksburg, Virginia |
