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Congressional Medal of Honor - Marine Corps Recipients
Category:
Congressional Act
Author/Presenter:
Continental Congress
Date:
10 November 1775
JOURNAL OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
(Philadelphia) Friday, November 10, 1775
Resolved, That two Battalions of marines be raised, consisting of one Colonel, two Lieutenant Colonels, two Majors, and other officers as usual in other regiments; and that they consist of an equal number of privates with other battalions; that particular care be taken, that no persons be appointed to office, or enlisted into said Battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea when required; that they be enlisted and commissioned to serve for and during the present war between Great Britain and the colonies, unless dismissed by order of Congress: that they be distinguished by the names of the first and second battalions of American Marines, and that they be considered as part of the number which the continental Army before Boston is ordered to consist of.
Ordered, That a copy of the above be transmitted to the General.
Category:
Congressional Act
Author/Presenter:
U.S. Congress
Date:
11 July 1798
SEC 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That in addition to the present military establishment, there shall be raised and organized a corps of marines, which shall consist of one major, four captains, sixteen first lieutenants, twelve second lieutenants, forty-eight sergeants, forty-eight corporals, thirty-two drums and fifes, and seven hundred and twenty privates, including the marines who have been enlisted, or are authorized to be raised, for the naval armament, and the said corps may be formed into as many companies, or detachments, as the President of the United States shall direct, with a proper distribution of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers and musicians to each company or detachment.
SEC 2. And be it further enacted, That the pay and subsistence of the said officer, privates, and musicians, shall be as follows, to wit; to a major, fifty dollars per month, and four rations per day; to a captain, forty dollars per month, and three rations per day; to a first lieutenant, thirty dollars per month, and three rations per day; to a second lieutenant, twenty-five dollars per month, and two rations per day; and to the non-commissioned officers, privates, and musicians, conformably to the act, entitled An act providing a naval armament, as shall be fixed by the President of the United States: and the President of the United States shall be, and is hereby, authorized to continue the enlistment of marines, until the said corps shall be complete: and, of himself, to appoint the commissioned officers, whenever, in the recess of the Senate, an appointment shall be necessary. And the enlistments, which shall be made by virtue hereof, may be for the term of three years, subject to be discharged by the President of the United States, or by the ceasing or repeal of the laws providing for the naval armament. And if the marine corps, or any part of it, shall be ordered by the President to do duty on shore, and it shall become necessary to appoint an adjutant, paymaster, quartermaster, sergeant major, quartermaster sergeant, and drum and fife major, or any of them, the major or commandant of the corps is hereby authorized to appoint such staff officer or officers, from the line of subalterns, sergeants, and music, respectively, who shall be entitled, during the time they shall do such duty, to the same extra pay and emoluments which are allowed by law to officers acting in the same capacities in the infantry.
SEC 3. And be it further enacted, That detachment of the corps of marines hereby authorized, shall be made in lieu of the respective quotas of marines which have been established or authorized for the frigates, and other armed vessels and galleys, which shall be employed in the service of the United States: and the President of the United States may detach and appoint such of the officers of this marine corps to act on board the frigates, and any of the armed vessels of the United States, respectively, as he shall, from time to time, judge necessary, any thing in the act providing a naval armament to the contrary hereof notwithstanding.
SEC 4. And be it further enacted, That the officers, non-commissioned officers, privates, and musicians, aforesaid, shall take the same oath, and shall be governed by the same rules and articles of war, as are prescribed for the military establishment of the United States, and by the rules for the regulation of the navy, heretofore, or which shall be, established by law, according to the nature of the service in which they shall be employed, and shall be entitled to the same allowance, in case of wounds or disabilities, according to their respective ranks, as are granted by the act to ascertain and fix the military establishment of the United States.
SEC 5. And be it further enacted, That the non-commissioned officers, musicians, seamen, and marines, who are or shall be enlisted into the service of the United States; and the non-commissioned officers and musicians, who are or shall be enlisted into the army of the United States, shall be, and they are hereby, exempted, during their term of service, from all personal arrests, for any debt or contract.
SEC 6. And be it further enacted, That the marine corps, established by this act, shall, at any time, be liable to do duty in the forts and garrisons of the United States, on the seacoast, or any other duty on shore, as the President, at his discretion, shall direct.
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Marine Corps Medal of Honor
To search for Recipients of the Medal of Honor by campaign, scroll down to the bottom of this page.
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for bravery that can be given to any individual in the United States. In judging men for receipt of the medal, each service has established its own regulations. The deed must be proved by incontestable evidence of at least two eyewitnesses; it must be so outstanding that it clearly distinguishes the recipient's gallantry beyond the call of duty from lesser forms of bravery; it must involve the risk of his life; and it must be the type of deed which, if he had not done it, would not subject him to any justified criticism.
The idea for the Medal of Honor was born during the Civil War as men fought gallantly and oftentimes displayed great heroism. George Washington originated the Purple Heart in 1782 to honor brave soldiers, sailors and Marines. From that time until the Civil War, Certificates of Merit and a "brevet" system of promotions were used as military awards. The first military decoration formally authorized by the American Government as a badge of valor was the Medal of Honor for enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps. It was authorized by Congress, and approved by President Abraham Lincoln on 21 December 1861. The medal for the Army and Voluntary Forces was authorized on 12 July 1862.
The medal is awarded "in the name of the Congress of the United States" and for this reason, it is often called the Congressional Medal of Honor . It is only on rare occasions, however, that Congress awards special Medals of Honor. An Executive Order, signed by President Theodore Roosevelt on 20 September 1905, directed that ceremonies of award "will always be made with formal and impressive ceremonial" and that the recipient "will, when practicable, be ordered to Washington, D.C., and the presentation will be made by the President, as Commander in Chief, or by such representative as the President may designate."
Since 1862, 294 Marines have been awarded the Medal of Honor. The first recipient was Corporal John F. Mackie , who during the attack on Fort Darling at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia, "fearlessly maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits on shore, and when ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by men wounded and killed in action, manned the weapon with skill and courage." Sixteen other enlisted Marines were awarded the medal during the Civil War. Another 63 Marines would receive the Medal of Honor in the 1871 Korean Campaign , the Spanish-American War , the Philippine Insurrection and the Boxer Rebellion . Marine and Navy officers were first declared eligible for the award in 1913, and in the next year nine medals were awarded to officers for the landing at Vera Cruz, Mexico . The "Banana Wars" saw a total of another 13 medals conferred on enlisted Marines and officers. Only two Marines, Major General Smedley D. Butler and Sergeant Major Daniel Daly were awarded Medals of Honor for two separate actions: Vera Cruz (1914) and Haiti (1915) for Butler, and Peking (1900) and Haiti (1915) for Daly. Although only 7 Marines received the medal for actions during World War I, 82 medals were given to Marines during World War II, and another 42 were awarded for the Korean War . It was during the Vietnam War that the last Medals of Honor were awarded to Marines. A total of 57 were awarded during that conflict.
There have been four major variations in the Navy Medal of Honor since its inception, the most distinctive change being the "Tiffany Cross" which was instituted in early 1919 and used until the current medal was re-established in 1942. The Navy Medal of Honor is made of bronze, suspended by an anchor from a bright blue ribbon, and is worn about the neck. The ribbon is spangled with a cluster of 13 white stars representing the original States. Each ray of the five pointed star contains sprays of laurel and oak and is tipped with a trefoil. Standing in bas-relief, circled by 34 stars representing the 34 states in 1861, is Minerva who personifies the Union. She holds in her left hand the fasces, an ax bound in staves of wood, which is the ancient Roman symbol of authority. With the shield in her right hand, she repulses the serpents held by the crouching figure of Discord. The reverse of the medal is left blank, allowing for the engraving of the recipient's name and the date and place of his deed.
The faces on the "Distinguished Marines" stamp series include Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone of Iwo Jima fame; Sgt. Daniel Daly from World War I; Lt. Gen. John Lejeune , the World War I commander and Camp Lejeune's namesake; and Lt. Gen. Lewis "Chesty" Puller , one of the most famous Marine commanders of World War II and Korea.
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