Living Medal of Honor Recipients

Left to right: Army, Navy/Marine Corps and Air Force Medals of Honor

There are now 70 surviving MoH recipients. The complete list, with links to individual pages, can be found at the CMOHS site here; below is a simplified list, like that which I posted a few years ago.

World War II
Charles H Coolidge, Technical Sergeant, US Army
Hershel W Williams, Corporal, US Marine Corps

Korean War
Duane E Dewey, Corporal, US Marine Corps
Hiroshi H Miyamura, Corporal, US Army
Ronald E Rosser, Corporal, US Army
Robert E Simanek, Private First Class, US Marine Corps
Ernest E West, Private First Class, US Army

Vietnam War
John P Baca, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
Donald E Ballard, Hospital Corpsman Second Class, US Navy
Harvey C Barnum Jr, Captain, US Marine Corps
Gary B Beikirch, Sergeant, US Army
Patrick H Brady, Major, US Army
Paul W Bucha, Captain, US Army
John L Canley, Gunnery Sergeant, US Marine Corps
Bruce P Crandall, Major, US Army
Sammy L Davis, Sergeant, US Army
Drew D Dix, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Roger H C Donlon, Captain, US Army
Frederick E Ferguson, Chief Warrant Officer, US Army
Michael J Fitzmaurice, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
James P Fleming, Captain, US Air Force
Robert F Foley, Captain, US Army
Harold A Fritz, Captain, US Army
Charles C Hagemeister, Specialist Fifth Class, US Army
Frank A Herda, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
Robert R Ingram, Hospital Corpsman Third Class, US Navy
Jack H Jacobs, Captain, US Army
Don J Jenkins, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Thomas G Kelley, Lieutenant Commander, US Navy
Allan J Kellogg Jr, Gunnery Sergeant, US Marine Corps
Joseph R Kerrey, Lieutenant (Junior Grade), US Navy
Peter C Lemon, Sergeant, US Army
Gary L Littrell, Sergeant First Class, US Army
James E Livingston, Captain, US Marine Corps
Allen J Lynch, Sergeant, US Army
Walter J Marm Jr, First Lieutenant, US Army
James C McCloughan, Private First Class, US Army
Robert J Modrzejewski, Major, US Marine Corps
Melvin Morris, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Thomas R Norris, Lieutenant, US Navy
Robert E O'Malley, Sergeant, US Marine Corps
Robert M Patterson, Sergeant, US Army
Alfred V Rascon, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
Ronald Eric Ray, First Lieutenant, US Army
Gordon R Roberts, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
Jose Rodela, Sergeant First Class, US Army
Gary M Rose, Sergeant, US Army
Clarence E Sasser, Specialist Fifth Class, US Army
James M Sprayberry, Captain, US Army
Kenneth E Stumpf, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
James A Taylor, Captain, US Army
Brian M Thacker, First Lieutenant, US Army
Michael E Thornton, Engineman Second Class, US Navy
Jay R Vargas, Major, US Marine Corps
Gary G Wetzel, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army

Afghanistan
Edward C Byers Jr, Chief Special Warfare Operator, US Navy
William Kyle Carpenter, Lance Corporal, US Marine Corps
Ty M Carter, Specialist, US Army
Salvatore A Giunta, Specialist, US Army
Florent A Groberg, Captain, US Army
Dakota Meyer, Corporal, US Marine Corps
Leroy A Petry, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Ryan M Pitts, Sergeant, US Army
Clinton Romesha, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Ronald J Shurer II, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Britt K Slabinski, Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator, US Navy
William D Swenson, Captain, US Army
Kyle J White, Specialist, US Army
Matthew O Williams, Sergeant, US Army

Iraq
David G Bellavia, Staff Sergeant, US Army


That breaks down to:

2 World War II (1 Army, 1 Marine Corps)
5 Korean War (3 Army and 2 Marine Corps)
48 Vietnam War (34 Army, 6 Navy, 7 Marine Corps and 1 Air Force)
14 Afghanistan (10 Army, 2 Navy and 2 Marine Corps)
1 Iraq (Army)

49 Army
8 Navy
12 Marine Corps
1 Air Force

(The only Coast Guardsman ever to be awarded the Medal, Signalman First Class Douglas A Munro, received it posthumously after his death at Guadalcanal in 1942.)

Medal of Honor: M. Hanna

MARCUS HANNA

Sergeant, US Army; 50th Massachusetts Infantry

Born: 3 November 1842, Bristol, Maine
Died: 21 December 1921

Citation: Voluntarily exposed himself to a heavy fire to get water for comrades in rifle pits.



Notes: On 28 Jan 1885 Hanna was chief lighthouse keeper at Cape Elizabeth, Maine, when the schooner Australia was wrecked on the rocks nearby. He was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal for heroism in saving the lives of two of its crew. USCGC Marcus Hanna (WLM 554) was named in his honour.

Medal of Honor to be awarded for Civil War and Vietnam

ZUI this White House press release dated 26 Aug 14:

On September 15, 2014, President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor to Army Command Sergeant Major Bennie G. Adkins and to Army Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat for conspicuous gallantry.

Command Sergeant Major Adkins will receive the Medal of Honor for his actions while serving as an Intelligence Sergeant assigned to Detachment A-102, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. Then-Sergeant First Class Adkins distinguished himself during combat operations at Camp A Shau, Republic of Vietnam, on March 9 through March 12, 1966.

Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions while serving as a Machine gunner with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Specialist Four Sloat distinguished himself during combat operations in the vicinity of Hawk Hill Fire Base, Republic of Vietnam, on January 17, 1970.

President Obama also approved the awarding of the Medal of Honor to Army First Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing for gallantry in action at the battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. Additional details on the award to First Lieutenant Cushing will be announced separately.

First Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions while serving as commanding officer of Battery A, 4th United States Artillery, Artillery Brigade, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac. Cushing distinguished himself during combat operations against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Cemetery Ridge, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 1863.

150 years ago: Mobile Bay

On 5 August 1864 a US fleet commanded by Rear Admiral David G Farragut, supported by 1500 soldiers under General Gordon Granger, attacked the defences at Mobile, Alabama, the last major Gulf port east of the Mississippi still under Confederate control. Farragut's flagship was the screw sloop USS Hartford; other ships present were screw sloops USS Brooklyn, Monongahela, Oneida, Ossipee, Richmond, and Seminole; screw sloop-of-war USS Lackawanna; gunboats USS Galena, Itasca, Kennebec, Metacomet, Octorara, and Port Royal; ironclad monitors USS Manhattan and Tecumseh; and ironclad river monitors USS Chickasaw and Winnebago.

Tecumseh sank after hitting a mine - in those days called a torpedo - on the way into Mobile Bay.  Brooklyn, leading Farragut's main column (because she had more forward-firing guns than the other sloops), slowed to ask for instructions, causing Farragut to order Hartford to take the lead with the famous if apocryphal "Damn the torpedoes!" Hartford and the other ships passed successfully through the minefield that had claimed Tecumseh.

The defending forces included the ironclad ram CSS Tennessee and side-wheel gunboats CSS Gaines, Morgan and Selma, under Admiral Franklin Buchanan. Farragut's gunboats made short work of the side-wheelers, capturing Selma, seriously damaging Gaines (which was beached and burned by her crew), and forcing Morgan to take cover under the guns of nearby Fort Morgan. Tennessee took more work, but was eventually battered into submission and surrendered. Farragut's ships then provided fire support for Granger's attacks on the three forts - Powell, Gaines, and Morgan - protecting the harbour. Fort Powell was abandoned that day; Fort Gaines surrendered on 8 August, and Fort Morgan on 23 August. (The captured CSS Tennessee was repaired, commissioned into the US Navy as USS Tennessee, and sent to join in the final attack on Fort Morgan.)

96 men (88 sailors, seven Marines and one civilian pilot) were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions on 5 August.

USS Brooklyn (23): Ship's Cook William Blagheen, Captain of the Forecastle John Brown, Landsman William H Brown, Coxswain John L M Cooper, Ordinary Seaman Samuel W Davis, Sergeant J Henry Denig, Boatswain's Mate Richard Dennis, Coxswain William Halstead, Sergeant Michael Hudson, Seaman Joseph Irlam, Coxswain John Irving, Seaman Nicholas Irwin, Quartermaster Barnett Kenna, Boy James Machon, Captain of the Top Alexander Mack, Coal Heaver William Madden, Engineer's Cook James Mifflin, Quartermaster William Nichols, Corporal Miles M Oviatt, Coxswain Edward Price, Corporal Willard M Smith, Coal Heaver James E Sterling, Quartermaster Samuel Todd

USS Chickasaw (2): Chief Boatswain's Mate Andrew Jones, Master at Arms James Seanor

USS Galena (4): Seaman William Gardner, Quartermaster Thomas Jordan, Quartermaster Edward S Martin, Coxswain Edward B Young

USS Hartford (12): Landsman Wilson Brown, Ordinary Seaman Bartholomew Diggins, Coal Heaver Richard D Dunphy, Coxswain Thomas Fitzpatrick, civilian pilot Martin Freeman, Coal Heaver James R Garrison, Landsman John Lawson, Captain of the Forecastle John C McFarland, Ordinary Seaman Charles Melville, Coal Heaver Thomas O'Connell, Landsman William Pelham, Shell Man William A Stanley

USS Lackawanna (11): Seaman John M Burns, Landsman Michael Cassidy, Landsman Patrick Dougherty, Captain of the Top John Edwards, Landsman Samuel W Kinnaird, Seaman Adam McCullock, Boatswain's Mate William Phinney, Captain of the Forecastle John Smith, Armorer George Taylor, Quarter Gunner James Ward, Quartermaster Daniel Whitfield

USS Metacomet (8): Seaman James Avery, Quarter Gunner Charles Baker, Ordinary Seaman John Donnelly, Captain of the Forecastle John Harris, Seaman Henry Johnson, Boatswain's Mate Patrick Murphy, Landsman Daniel Noble, Coxswain Thomas Taylor,

USS Oneida (8): Quartermaster John E Jones, Coxswain Thomas Kendrick, Landsman David Naylor, Ordinary Seaman William D Newland, Landsman John Preston, Sergeant James S Roantree, Quartermaster James Sheridan, Seaman Charles B Woram

USS Richmond (28): Yeoman Thomas E Atkinson, Quartermaster John Brazell, Captain of the Top Robert Brown, Master-at-Arms William M Carr, Coxswain James B Chandler, Quartermaster Thomas Cripps, Chief Quartermaster Cornelius Cronin, Boatswain's Mate Charles Deakin, Chief Boatswain's Mate William Densmore, Coal Heaver William Doolen, Boatswain's Mate Adam Duncan, Coxswain Hugh Hamilton, Coxswain Thomas Hayes, Captain of the Top John H James, Captain of the Top William Jones, Captain of the Top James McIntosh, Sergeant Andrew Miller, Captain of the Top James H Morgan, Captain of the Forecastle George Parks, Seaman Hendrick Sharp, Coxswain Lebbeus Simkins, Captain of the Forecastle James Smith, Second Captain of the Top John Smith, Coxswain Oloff Smith, Ordinary Seaman Walter B Smith, Orderly Sergeant David Sprowle, Coxswain Alexander H Truett, Quartermaster William Wells

Medal of Honor to be awarded for Afghanistan

ZUI this article from the New York Post:

His name is William “Kyle” Carpenter. He’s a corporal who was medically retired for wounds suffered when he used his body to shield a fellow Marine from a Taliban grenade.

Some 30 surgeries after he was written off for dead, he will next month become the 15th member of an elite company of men: those who have been awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Medal of Honor to be awarded for Afghanistan

ZUI this article from CNN:

An Army veteran credited with trying to save the lives of fellow soldiers during a firefight in Afghanistan will be awarded the nation's highest military award, the White House said on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama will bestow the Medal of Honor on May 13 to former Sgt. Kyle White for heroics stemming from the 2007 battle during which his only cover from enemy fire was a single tree jutting from a mountain cliff.

Six Americans were killed and several others in the group, including White, were wounded in the four-hour attack.

*******

White was a platoon radio telephone operator and among 14 American troops and Afghan soldiers ambushed while on patrol on November 8, 2007, in eastern Afghanistan.

Medals of Honor awarded

As announced last month, President Obama presented the Medal of Honor yesterday to three Vietnam veterans, as well as to the families of 21 other soldiers who served in Vietnam, Korea or World War II. NPR has the complete list, with links to bios and citations, here. The names, units, and dates of heroism are:

Pvt Pedro Cano - Co C, 8th Inf Regt, 4th Inf Div - 2 Dec 44
Pvt Joe Gandara - Co D, 2nd Bn, 507th Para Inf Regt, 82nd Abn Div - 9 Jun 44
S/Sgt Salvador J Lara - Co L, 180th Inf Regt - 27-28 May 44
Pfc William F Leonard - Co C, 30th Inf Regt - 7 Nov 44
S/Sgt Manuel V Mendoza - Co B, 250th Inf Regt, 88th Inf Div - 4 Oct 44
Sgt Alfred B Nietzel - Co H, 2nd Bn, 16th Inf Regt, 1st Inf Div - 18 Nov 44
1st Lt Donald K Schwab - Co E, 15th Inf Regt - 17 Sep 44

Cpl Joe R Baldonado - Co B, 187th Abn Inf Regt - 25 Nov 50
Cpl Victor H Espinoza - Co A, 1st Bn, 23rd Inf Regt, 2nd Inf Div - 1 Aug 52
Sgt Eduardo C Gomez - Co I, 8th Cav Reg, 1st Cav Div - 3 Sep 50
Pfc Leonard M Kravitz - Co M, 3d Bn, 5th RCT, 24th Inf Div - 6-7 Mar 51
Sgt. Juan E. Negron - 65th Inf Regt - 28 Apr 51
M/Sgt Mike C Pena - Co F, 2nd Bn, 5th Cav Regt (Inf), 1st Cav Div - 4 Sep 50
Pfc Demensio Rivera - Co G, 2nd Bn, 7th Inf Regt, 3rd Inf Div - 22-23 May 51
Pvt Miguel A Vera - Co F, 2nd Bn, 38th Inf Regt, 2nd Inf Div - 21 Sep 52
Sgt Jack Weinstein - Co G, 21st Inf Regt, 24th Inf Div - 19 Oct 51

SP4 Leonard L Alvarado - 1st Cav Div - 12 Aug 69
SSG Felix M Conde-Falcon - Co D, 1st Bn, 505th Inf Regt, 82nd Abn Div - 4 Apr 69
SP4 Ardie R. Copas - 25th Inf Div - 12 May 70
SP4 Jesus S Duran - 1st Cav Div - 10 Apr 69
SP4 Santiago J Erevia - Co C, 1st Bn (AM), 501st Inf Regt, 101st Abn Div (AM) - 21 May 69
SGT Candelario Garcia - Co B, 1st Bn, 2nd Inf Regt, 1st Inf Div - 8 Dec 68
SSG Melvin Morris - Det A-403, Co D, 5th SF Group (Abn) - 17 Sep 69
SFC Jose Rodela - Det B-36, Co A, 5th SF Group (Abn) - 1 Sep 69

The addition of Erevia, Garcia and Rodela brings the number of living Medal of Honor recipients back up to 77.

RIP: Ola Mize

ZUI this article from the Washington Post:

Ola “Lee” Mize received the Medal of Honor, the military’s highest award for valor, for his heroism in the battle in which he defended a strategically important hill and saved the lives of numerous comrades — and in which his superiors thought he had lost his own. He later served three tours of duty in Vietnam and retired as a colonel.

He died March 5 at his home in Gadsden, Ala. He was 82. The cause was cancer, said Rick Vaughan, a family spokesman.

The son of an Alabama sharecropper, Col. Mize left high school and joined the Army to support his family. He was nearing the end of his enlistment when the Korean War began, according to several accounts, and he reupped so that he would not miss the opportunity to serve in combat.

*******

Ola Lee Mize was born Aug. 28, 1931, in Albertville, Ala. He was a butcher before joining the Army and was initially turned down by military recruiters because he weighed only 120 pounds.

After his tour in Korea, Col. Mize served in the Army Special Forces, or Green Berets, including as a camp commander in Vietnam. He helped train local populations to oppose the Viet Cong, according to a biographical sketch in the book “America’s Heroes,”and later was director of the Special Forces School at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Col. Mize retired in 1981 but remained involved in military affairs for several decades as a motivational speaker, trainer and consultant, his family’s spokesman said.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Betty Jackson Mize of Gadsden; their daughter, Teresa Peterson of Rainbow City, Ala.; a half-brother; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. His daughter Donna Feazell died in 2001.

Mize's death brings the number of surviving Medal of Honor recipients to 74, nine of whom were awarded the medal for heroism in Korea.

************* *** *************

OLA LEE MIZE

Sergeant, US Army; Company K, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division

Born: 28 August 1931, Marshall County, Alabama
Died: 12 March 2014, Gadsden, Alabama

Citation: M/Sgt. Mize, a member of Company K, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. Company K was committed to the defense of "Outpost Harry", a strategically valuable position [near Surang-ni, Korea], when the enemy launched a heavy attack [during the night of 10-11 June 1953]. Learning that a comrade on a friendly listening post had been wounded he moved through the intense barrage, accompanied by a medical aid man, and rescued the wounded soldier. On returning to the main position he established an effective defense system and inflicted heavy casualties against attacks from determined enemy assault forces which had penetrated into trenches within the outpost area. During his fearless actions he was blown down by artillery and grenade blasts 3 times but each time he dauntlessly returned to his position, tenaciously fighting and successfully repelling hostile attacks. When enemy onslaughts ceased he took his few men and moved from bunker to bunker, firing through apertures and throwing grenades at the foe, neutralizing their positions. When an enemy soldier stepped out behind a comrade, prepared to fire, M/Sgt. Mize killed him, saving the life of his fellow soldier. After rejoining the platoon, moving from man to man, distributing ammunition, and shouting words of encouragement he observed a friendly machine gun position overrun. He immediately fought his way to the position, killing 10 of the enemy and dispersing the remainder. Fighting back to the command post, and finding several friendly wounded there, he took a position to protect them. Later, securing a radio, he directed friendly artillery fire upon the attacking enemy's routes of approach. At dawn he helped regroup for a counterattack which successfully drove the enemy from the outpost. M/Sgt. Mize's valorous conduct and unflinching courage reflect lasting glory upon himself and uphold the noble traditions of the military service.

Medal of Honor to be awarded to 24

ZUI this article from the Washington Post:

President Obama will correct a historical act of discrimination next month when he awards the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest commendation for combat valor, to a group of Hispanic, Jewish and African-American veterans who were passed over because of their racial or ethnic backgrounds.

The unusual presentation will culminate a 12-year Pentagon review ordered by Congress into past discrimination in the ranks and will hold a particular poignancy when conducted by the nation’s first African-American president.

*******

With the ornate White House East Room as backdrop, the March 18 ceremony will mark another step to revisit a history of discrimination in the armed forces as the nation’s demographics and social values shift rapidly.

The recipients, whom the White House announced Friday afternoon, served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

*******

Just three of the 24 veterans who will be honored are still alive. All but five of the soldiers are Hispanic, Jewish or African American[.]

*******

Officials from each service branch focused on service members who had been awarded the second-highest medal for gallantry: the Distinguished Service Cross for the Army, the Air Force Cross for that branch, and the Navy Cross for the Navy and Marine Corps.

All 24 recipients served in the Army - seven in World War II (all in the European theatre of operations), nine in Korea, and eight (including the three still living) in Vietnam.

RIP: Walter Ehlers

ZUI this post from the Orange County (CA) Register:

Walt Ehlers, who received the Medal of Honor for bravery during the D-Day invasion of Nazi-held France during World War II, died Thursday morning. He was 92.

*******

Ehlers and his older brother, Roland, were Kansas farm boys who joined the Army together during the Depression to help their family. After three years in the peacetime Army, the brothers found themselves headed to Europe after the United States entered the war following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

The pair fought side-by-side across North Africa and Sicily. Once, in Italy, Walt had to dig Roland out from under a pile of dirt and rocks after an artillery shell exploded near them.

Accorfing to this article from NBC News:

Ehlers also earned three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star during his service with the 3rd Infantry Division and the 1st Infantry Division.

After the war, Ehlers became an advocate for military veteran benefits and proudly worked as a security guard for Disneyland when it opened in California.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Ehlers; three children; 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

There are now 75 surviving Medal of Honor recipients, seven of whom were awarded the medal for heroism in World War II.

************* *** *************

WALTER DAVID EHLERS

Staff Sergeant, US Army; 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division

Born: 7 May 1921, Junction City, Kansas
Died: 20 February 2014, California

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 9-10 June 1944, near Goville, France. S/Sgt. Ehlers, always acting as the spearhead of the attack, repeatedly led his men against heavily defended enemy strong points exposing himself to deadly hostile fire whenever the situation required heroic and courageous leadership. Without waiting for an order, S/Sgt. Ehlers, far ahead of his men, led his squad against a strongly defended enemy strong point, personally killing 4 of an enemy patrol who attacked him en route. Then crawling forward under withering machinegun fire, he pounced upon the guncrew and put it out of action. Turning his attention to 2 mortars protected by the crossfire of 2 machineguns, S/Sgt. Ehlers led his men through this hail of bullets to kill or put to flight the enemy of the mortar section, killing 3 men himself. After mopping up the mortar positions, he again advanced on a machinegun, his progress effectively covered by his squad. When he was almost on top of the gun he leaped to his feet and, although greatly outnumbered, he knocked out the position single-handed. The next day, having advanced deep into enemy territory, the platoon of which S/Sgt. Ehlers was a member, finding itself in an untenable position as the enemy brought increased mortar, machinegun, and small arms fire to bear on it, was ordered to withdraw. S/Sgt. Ehlers, after his squad had covered the withdrawal of the remainder of the platoon, stood up and by continuous fire at the semicircle of enemy placements, diverted the bulk of the heavy hostile fire on himself, thus permitting the members of his own squad to withdraw. At this point, though wounded himself, he carried his wounded automatic rifleman to safety and then returned fearlessly over the shell-swept field to retrieve the automatic rifle which he was unable to carry previously. After having his wound treated, he refused to be evacuated, and returned to lead his squad. The intrepid leadership, indomitable courage, and fearless aggressiveness displayed by S/Sgt. Ehlers in the face of overwhelming enemy forces serve as an inspiration to others.

RIP: John J McGinty III

ZUI this article from the New York Times:

John J. McGinty III, a retired Marine Corps officer who received the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of dozens of his men during an enemy attack in Vietnam, but later relinquished it for religious reasons, died on Friday in Beaufort, S.C. He was 73.

The cause was bone cancer, his son Michael said.

Staff Sgt. McGinty, a platoon leader, had already been severely wounded in the left eye by shrapnel during heavy fighting on July 18, 1966, when about 20 of his men became separated from the others and found themselves pinned down by enemy fire on three sides.

He received the Medal of Honor for sprinting through gunfire and mortar shell blasts to reach them and lead them to safety.

*******

Mr. McGinty led one of four platoons in Company K of the Third Battalion, Third Marine Division, during a major sortie in July 1966 known as Operation Hastings. The mission was to block North Vietnamese troops from infiltrating the demilitarized zone between the Communist-led North and the American-backed South.

*******

John James McGinty III was born in Boston on Jan. 21, 1940, to John and Eve McGinty and grew up in Louisville, Ky. His father was a diver for commercial deep-sea recovery operations
.
Besides his son Michael, Mr. McGinty is survived by another son, John J. McGinty IV. His wife, Elaine Elizabeth Hathaway, died in 1991.

Mr. McGinty retired from the Marines as a captain in October 1976. He later worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs in several positions. After years of surgical efforts to repair it, Mr. McGinty lost his left eye. He wore an eye patch in public.

There are now 76 surviving Medal of Honor recipients, 52 of whom were awarded the medal for Vietnam War service.

************* *** *************

JOHN JAMES McGINTY III

Second Lieutenant (then Staff Sergeant), US Marine Corps; Company K, 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force

Born: 21 January 1940, Boston, Massachusetts
Died: 17 January 2014, Beaufort, South Carolina

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty [in the Republic of Vietnam, on 18 July 1966]. 2d Lt. McGinty's platoon, which was providing rear security to protect the withdrawal of the battalion from a position which had been under attack for 3 days, came under heavy small arms, automatic weapons and mortar fire from an estimated enemy regiment. With each successive human wave which assaulted his 32-man platoon during the 4-hour battle, 2d Lt. McGinty rallied his men to beat off the enemy. In 1 bitter assault, 2 of the squads became separated from the remainder of the platoon. With complete disregard for his safety, 2d Lt. McGinty charged through intense automatic weapons and mortar fire to their position. Finding 20 men wounded and the medical corpsman killed, he quickly reloaded ammunition magazines and weapons for the wounded men and directed their fire upon the enemy. Although he was painfully wounded as he moved to care for the disabled men, he continued to shout encouragement to his troops and to direct their fire so effectively that the attacking hordes were beaten off. When the enemy tried to out-flank his position, he killed 5 of them at point-blank range with his pistol. When they again seemed on the verge of overrunning the small force, he skillfully adjusted artillery and air strikes within 50 yards of his position. This destructive firepower routed the enemy, who left an estimated 500 bodies on the battlefield. 2d Lt. McGinty's personal heroism, indomitable leadership, selfless devotion to duty, and bold fighting spirit inspired his men to resist the repeated attacks by a fanatical enemy, reflected great credit upon himself, and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.

RIP: Rodolfo Hernandez

ZUI this article from the Fayetteville (NC) Observer:

Cpl. Rodolfo "Rudy" Hernandez was given a hero's farewell Monday when hundreds gathered to pay their respects to the fallen Medal of Honor recipient.

Hernandez, who died Dec. 21 at age 82, was buried at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake.

*******

Hernandez earned the Medal of Honor in 1951 when, armed only with grenades and a bayonet and facing what believed to be a mortal head wound, he single-handedly charged into North Korean soldiers.

His actions spurred his fellow soldiers, who had been withdrawing, to attack. Hernandez was found the next day near death but surrounded by the bodies of six enemy soldiers who had been killed with the bayonet.

*******

Hernandez is survived by his wife, Denzil Hernandez, and three children with his first wife, Bertha Hernandez.

There are now 77 surviving Medal of Honor recipients, ten of whom were awarded the medal for Korean War service.

************* *** *************

RODOLFO PEREZ HERNANDEZ

Corporal, US Army; Company G, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team

Born: 14 April 1931, Colton, California
Died: 21 December 2013, Fayetteville, North Carolina

Citation: Cpl. Hernandez, a member of Company G, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy [near Wontong-ni, Korea, on 31 May 1951]. His platoon, in defensive positions on Hill 420, came under ruthless attack by a numerically superior and fanatical hostile force, accompanied by heavy artillery, mortar, and machine gun fire which inflicted numerous casualties on the platoon. His comrades were forced to withdraw due to lack of ammunition but Cpl. Hernandez, although wounded in an exchange of grenades, continued to deliver deadly fire into the ranks of the onrushing assailants until a ruptured cartridge rendered his rifle inoperative. Immediately leaving his position, Cpl. Hernandez rushed the enemy armed only with rifle and bayonet. Fearlessly engaging the foe, he killed 6 of the enemy before falling unconscious from grenade, bayonet, and bullet wounds but his heroic action momentarily halted the enemy advance and enabled his unit to counterattack and retake the lost ground. The indomitable fighting spirit, outstanding courage, and tenacious devotion to duty clearly demonstrated by Cpl. Hernandez reflect the highest credit upon himself, the infantry, and the U.S. Army.

Medal of Honor authorised for Civil War and Vietnam

ZUI this article from the Washington Post.

More than 150 years after he gave his life at Gettysburg leading the effort to repel Pickett’s Charge, 1st Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing is finally on track to get the Medal of Honor after Congress last month approved waiving the time limit for the nation’s top military honor.

The waiver was one of a half-dozen included in the massive defense policy bill — legislation that also began to tweak the Medal of Honor system, standardizing the amount of time a nomination may be considered and removing a cap that, in recent years, had said nobody could win the medal more than once.

*******

Now that the Cushing nomination is officially pending, the Pentagon would not comment on his chances, nor those of the five other troops from long-ended wars in Vietnam and Korea whom Congress also made eligible to receive the Medal of Honor or the Distinguished Service Cross, which is the second-highest honor for a soldier.

Cushing served with Battery A, 4th United States Artillery.

Time-limit waivers for the Medal of Honor were also authorised for Sfc Bennie G Adkins, Special Forces Detachment A–102, for actions in Vietnam during March of 1966, and for Sp4/c Donald P Sloat, 1st Infantry Regiment (196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division), for actions in Vietnam in January of 1970. Waivers for the Distinguished Service Cross were authorised for Sfc Robert F Keiser, 2nd Infantry Division (Korea, Nov 1950), Sfc Patrick N Watkins Jr, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (Vietnam, Aug 1968), and Sp4/c Robert L Towles, 7th Cavalry (Vietnam, Nov 1965).

Whether any of these medals will actually be awarded remains to be seen.

From the same article:

Pentagon officials did say, however, that they asked for two of the changes that could affect current troops.

In one change, the law now allows service members to earn multiple Medals of Honor if their actions merit it.

*******

The other major change was to set a standard time frame for all of the services. The law sets time limits for how long after the combat action someone can be recommended and awarded the medal, but the limits varied among the services.

Now, all of the services will have three years to make the recommendation and five years to issue the award.

The complete text of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 can be found here.

Medal of Honor: M. M. Oviatt and W. M. Smith

MILES MASON OVIATT

Corporal, US Marine Corps; USS Brooklyn

Born: 1 December 1840, Cattaraugus County, New York
Died: 1 November 1880

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Brooklyn during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite severe damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked the deck, Cpl. Oviatt fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the furious 2-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee.










WILLARD M SMITH

Corporal, US Marine Corps; USS Brooklyn 

Born: 1840, Allegheny, New York
Died: 26 March 1918

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Brooklyn during action against rebel forts and gunboats, and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite severe damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire continued to fall, Cpl. Smith fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the furious 2-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee.

Medal of Honor: Kirby, Elson, Higgins and Cox

DENNIS THOMAS KIRBY

Major, 8th Missouri Infantry

Born: 15 September 1835
Died: 18 April 1922

Citation: Seized the colors when the color bearer was killed and bore them himself in the assault [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863].















JAMES M ELSON

Sergeant, Company C, 9th Iowa Infantry

Born: 6 November 1838, Coshocton, Ohio
Died: 26 March 1894, Shellsburg, Iowa

Citation: Carried the colors in advance of his regiment and was shot down while attempting to plant them on the enemy's works [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863].














THOMAS J HIGGINS

Sergeant, Company D, 99th Illinois Infantry

Born: 8 June 1831
Died: 15 August 1917

Citation: When his regiment fell back in the assault, repulsed, this soldier continued to advance and planted the flag on the parapet [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863], where he was captured by the enemy.

Note: Sgt Higgins was recommended for the Medal of Honor by men of the 2nd Texas Infantry.












ROBERT M COX

Corporal, Company K, 55th Illinois Infantry

Born: 1845
Died: 1932

Citation: Bravely defended the colors planted on the outward parapet of Fort Hill [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863].

Living Medal of Honor recipients

Left to right: Army, Navy/Marine Corps and Air Force Medals of Honor

In this morning's post about John Hawk, I said that there are now 78 surviving MoH recipients. The complete list, with links to individual pages, can be found at the CMOHS site here; below is a simplified list, like that which I posted two years ago.

World War II

Charles H Coolidge, Technical Sergeant, US Army
Francis S Currey, Sergeant, US Army
Walter D Ehlers, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Arthur J Jackson, Private First Class, US Marine Corps
Robert D Maxwell, Technician Fifth Grade, US Army
Wilburn K Ross, Private, US Army
George T Sakato, Private, US Army
Hershel W Williams, Corporal, US Marine Corps

Korean War

Hector A Cafferata Jr, Private, US Marine Corps
Duane E Dewey, Corporal, US Marine Corps
Rodolfo P Hernandez, Corporal, US Army
Thomas J Hudner Jr, Lieutenant, US Navy
Einar H Ingman Jr, Sergeant, US Army
Hiroshi H Miyamura, Corporal, US Army
Ola L Mize, Master Sergeant, US Army
Ronald E Rosser, Corporal, US Army
Tibor Rubin, Corporal, US Army
Robert E Simanek, Private First Class, US Marine Corps
Ernest E West, Private First Class, US Army

Vietnam War

John P Baca, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
Donald E Ballard, Hospital Corpsman Second Class, US Navy
Harvey C Barnum Jr, Captain, US Marine Corps
Gary B Beikirch, Sergeant, US Army
Patrick H Brady, Major, US Army
Paul W Bucha, Captain, US Army
Jon R Cavaiani, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Bruce P Crandall, Major, US Army
Sammy L Davis, Sergeant, US Army
Drew D Dix, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Roger H C Donlon, Captain, US Army
Frederick E Ferguson, Chief Warrant Officer, US Army
Bernard F Fisher, Major, US Air Force
Michael J Fitzmaurice, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
James P Fleming, Captain, US Air Force
Robert F Foley, Captain, US Army
Wesley L Fox, Captain, US Marine Corps
Harold A Fritz, Captain, US Army
Charles C Hagemeister, Specialist Fifth Class, US Army
Frank A Herda, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
Robert R Ingram, Hospital Corpsman Third Class, US Navy
Joe M Jackson, Lieutenant Colonel, US Air Force
Jack H Jacobs, Captain, US Army
Don J Jenkins, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Thomas G Kelley, Lieutenant Commander, US Navy
Allan J Kellogg Jr, Gunnery Sergeant, US Marine Corps
Joseph R Kerrey, Lieutenant (Junior Grade), US Navy
Thomas J Kinsman, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
Howard V Lee, Major, US Marine Corps
Peter C Lemon, Sergeant, US Army
Angelo J Liteky, Captain, US Army
Gary L Littrell, Sergeant First Class, US Army
James E Livingston, Captain, US Marine Corps
Allen J Lynch, Sergeant, US Army
Walter J Marm Jr, First Lieutenant, US Army
John J McGinty III, Second Lieutenant, US Marine Corps
Robert J Modrzejewski, Major, US Marine Corps
Thomas R Norris, Lieutenant, US Navy
Robert E O'Malley, Sergeant, US Marine Corps
Robert M Patterson, Sergeant, US Army
Richard A Pittman, Sergeant, US Marine Corps
Alfred V Rascon, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
Ronald E Ray, Captain, US Army
Gordon R Roberts, Sergeant, US Army
Clarence E Sasser, Specialist Fifth Class, US Army
James M Sprayberry, Captain, US Army
Kenneth E Stumpf, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army
James A Taylor, Captain, US Army
Brian M Thacker, First Lieutenant, US Army
Michael E Thornton, Engineman Second Class, US Navy
Leo K Thorsness, Lieutenant, US Air Force
Jay R Vargas, Major, US Marine Corps
Gary G Wetzel, Specialist Fourth Class, US Army

Afghanistan

Ty M Carter, Specialist, US Army
Salvatore A Giunta, Specialist, US Army
Dakota Meyer, Corporal, US Marine Corps
Leroy A Petry, Staff Sergeant, US Army
Clinton Romesha, Staff Sergeant, US Army
William D Swenson, Captain, US Army

That breaks down to:

8 World War II (6 Army, 2 Marine Corps)
11 Korean War (7 Army, 1 Navy and 3 Marine Corps)
53 Vietnam War (33 Army, 6 Navy, 10 Marine Corps and 4 Air Force)
6 Afghanistan (5 Army, 1 Marine Corps)

51 Army
7 Navy
16 Marine Corps
4 Air Force

(The only Coast Guardsman ever to be awarded the Medal, Signalman First Class Douglas A Munro, received it posthumously after his death at Guadalcanal in 1942.)

RIP: John D. Hawk

ZUI this article from the Kitsap (WA) Sun:

World War II hero and longtime educator John “Bud” Hawk, 89, died Monday morning.

One of the area’s most renowned residents, Hawk received the Medal of Honor and France’s Legion of Honor awards. Named after him were the Rollingbay post office on Bainbridge Island, where he grew up, and an education center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

*******

After returning to Bremerton, Hawk earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Washington. He was a teacher and principal in the Central Kitsap School District for 31 years, retiring in 1983.

*******

Son Mark, of Des Moines, also survives Hawk. Another son was killed in an accident while walking to school in 1956.

Hawk’s wife died several years ago.

There are now 78 surviving Medal of Honor recipients, eight of whom were awarded the medal for WWII service.

************* *** *************

JOHN DRUSE HAWK

Sergeant, US Army; Company E, 359th Infantry, 90th Infantry Division

Born: 30 May 1924, San Francisco, California
Died: 4 November 2013, Bremerton, Washington

Citation: He manned a light machinegun on 20 August 1944, near Chambois, France, a key point in the encirclement which created the Falaise Pocket. During an enemy counterattack, his position was menaced by a strong force of tanks and infantry. His fire forced the infantry to withdraw, but an artillery shell knocked out his gun and wounded him in the right thigh. Securing a bazooka, he and another man stalked the tanks and forced them to retire to a wooded section. In the lull which followed, Sgt. Hawk reorganized 2 machinegun squads and, in the face of intense enemy fire, directed the assembly of 1 workable weapon from 2 damaged guns. When another enemy assault developed, he was forced to pull back from the pressure of spearheading armor. Two of our tank destroyers were brought up. Their shots were ineffective because of the terrain until Sgt. Hawk, despite his wound, boldly climbed to an exposed position on a knoll where, unmoved by fusillades from the enemy, he became a human aiming stake for the destroyers. Realizing that his shouted fire directions could not be heard above the noise of battle, he ran back to the destroyers through a concentration of bullets and shrapnel to correct the range. He returned to his exposed position, repeating this performance until 2 of the tanks were knocked out and a third driven off. Still at great risk, he continued to direct the destroyers' fire into the Germans' wooded position until the enemy came out and surrendered. Sgt. Hawk's fearless initiative and heroic conduct, even while suffering from a painful wound, was in large measure responsible for crushing 2 desperate attempts of the enemy to escape from the Falaise Picket and for taking more than 500 prisoners.

Medal of Honor: Jordan, Martin, Young and Gardner

THOMAS JORDAN

Quartermaster, US Navy; USS Galena

Born: 12 April 1840, Portsmouth, Virginia
Died: 17 July 1930

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Galena during the attack on enemy forts at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Securely lashed to the side of the Oneida which had suffered the loss of her steering apparatus and an explosion of her boiler from enemy fire, the Galena aided the stricken vessel past the enemy forts to safety. Despite heavy damage to his ship from raking enemy fire, Jordan performed his duties with skill and courage throughout the action.









EDWARD S MARTIN

Quartermaster, US Navy; USS Galena

Born: 1840, Ireland
Died: 23 December 1901

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Galena during the attack on enemy forts at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Securely lashed to the side of the Oneida which had suffered the loss of her steering apparatus and an explosion of her boiler from enemy fire, the Galena aided the stricken vessel past the enemy forts to safety. Despite heavy damage to his ship from raking enemy fire, Martin performed his duties with skill and courage throughout the action.









EDWARD B YOUNG

Coxswain, US Navy; USS Galena

Born: 1835, Bergan, New Jersey
Died: 24 February 1867

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Galena during the attack on enemy forts at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Securely lashed to the side of the Oneida which had suffered the loss of her steering apparatus and an explosion of her boiler from enemy fire, the Galena aided the stricken vessel past the enemy forts to safety. Despite heavy damage to his ship from raking enemy fire, Young performed his duties with skill and courage throughout the action.









WILLIAM GARDNER Seaman, US Navy; USS Galena

Born: 1832, Ireland
Died: Unknown

Citation: As seaman on board the U.S.S. Galena in the engagement at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Serving gallantly during this fierce battle which resulted in the capture of the rebel ram Tennessee and the damaging of Fort Morgan. Gardner behaved with conspicuous coolness under the fire of the enemy.


Note: USS Galena was a wooden-hulled broadside ironclad - one of the first three ironclads built for the US Navy - commissioned in 1862.

Medal of Honor: J. P. Fleming

JAMES PHILLIP FLEMING

First Lieutenant (later Captain), US Air Force; 20th Special Operations Squadron

Born: 12 March 1943, Sedalia, Missouri
Died: TBD

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Fleming (then 1st Lt.) distinguished himself as the Aircraft Commander of a UH-1F transport Helicopter. Capt. Fleming went to the aid of a 6-man special forces long range reconnaissance patrol that was in danger of being overrun by a large, heavily armed hostile force [near Duc Co, Republic of Vietnam, on 26 November 1968]. Despite the knowledge that 1 helicopter had been downed by intense hostile fire, Capt. Fleming descended, and balanced his helicopter on a river bank with the tail boom hanging over open water. The patrol could not penetrate to the landing site and he was forced to withdraw. Dangerously low on fuel, Capt. Fleming repeated his original landing maneuver. Disregarding his own safety, he remained in this exposed position. Hostile fire crashed through his windscreen as the patrol boarded his helicopter. Capt. Fleming made a successful takeoff through a barrage of hostile fire and recovered safely at a forward base. Capt. Fleming's profound concern for his fellowmen, and at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

Medal of Honor: W. P. Brownell

WILLIAM P BROWNELL

Coxswain, US Navy; USS Benton

Born: 12 July 1839
Died: 26 April 1915

Citation: Served as coxswain on board the U.S.S. Benton during the attack on Great Gulf Bay, 2 May 1863, and Vicksburg, 22 May 1863. Carrying out his duties with coolness and courage, Brownell served gallantly against the enemy as captain of a 9-inch gun in the attacks on Great [sic] Gulf and Vicksburg and as a member of the Battery Benton before Vicksburg.

Note: USS Benton was an ironclad river gunboat, converted from a center-wheel catamaran snagboat and named for American senator Thomas Hart Benton.
Grand Gulf is on the Mississippi River, downstream from Vicksburg.