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Congressional Medal of Honor - U.S. Navy History
The Medal of Honor is the highest military honor that can be bestowed on a citizen of the United States of America. The medal is awarded by a high official of the government "in the name of the Congress of the United States" and is popularly referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. The United States Army, Navy, and Air Force each has its own particular design for the Medal of Honor which it confers on its heroes. Each branch also has its own regulations specifying the method by which the honor will be awarded and a unique history regarding its medal.
In the 1800's the Navy Department embraced the idea of awarding a medal to sailors who distinguished themselves in combat. Then Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles believed a conspicuous and tangible award would help morale and encourage professionalism within the ranks. The Secretary's wishes were reflected in Public Resolution 82, "An Act to further Promote the Efficiency of the Navy."
Section 7 of the resolution, reads, in part: "and be it further enacted, that the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby authorized to cause two hundreds 'medals of honor' to be prepared, with suitable emblematic devices, which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities during the present war, and that the sum of one thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Treasury, for the purpose of carrying this section into effect." Public Resolution 82 was enacted by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by President Lincoln. It wasn't until 1915 that Congress made naval officers eligible to receive the Medal of Honor as well.
The first Navy Medal of Honor was awarded to John Williams, of the USS Pawnee, for gallantry in action during an attack on Mathias Point, Va., on June 26, 1861. Williams led a raiding party in a landing boat during the attack. Despite serious wounds, he retained command of the boat, and after the flagstaff was shot down, Williams held the boat's ensign aloft during the landing operation.
In the years between the Civil War and World War I, Congress passed several acts and resolutions involving the Medal of Honor. There were also several attempts to establish some uniform criteria for bestowing the award and legislation was enacted which specified inferior awards for the various services which recognized gallantry, heroism, and professionalism at a level below that deserving of a Medal of Honor. Thus the "Pyramid of Honor" was established with the Medal of Honor at its pinnacle.
The medal has undergone minor modifications to the design from its establishment during the Civil War through 1964. Ten different versions have been adopted by the Navy, most of which changed the anchor from which the medal was suspended, replaced the cravat with a ribbon, or modified the cravat pad.
The current version is a five-pointed bronze star tipped with trefoils, each ray of which contains sprays of laurel and oak. The center retains a female figure representing the United States and the crouching male figure representing rebellion within a circle of 34 stars, both of which were part of the original design. The medal is suspended by an unfouled anchor and is attached to an octagonal pad of light-blue containing 13 white stars on a light blue ribbon that encircles the neck.
In addition to having its own design for the Medal of Honor, each service also has its own regulations governing bestowal of the medal. There is, however, some consistency among the services in that each requires the deed be proved by incontestable evidence of at least two eye-witnesses, be so outstanding that it clearly distinguishes gallantry beyond the call of duty from lesser forms of bravery, involve risk of life, and be a deed that, if it had not been performed, the member could not be subjected to any justified criticism.
In 1963, Congress enacted legislation P.L. 88-77, which formalized the criteria for the award of the Medal of Honor and made the criteria applicable to all branches of the service. For the Navy and Marine Corps, the statutory authority is found in Section 6241 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code. It reads:
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:
1) while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
2) while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
3) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
During its history, the Medal of Honor has been awarded to 3,427 recipients. Of these recipients, 745 were members of the Navy and 23 of the Navy recipients were members of the United States Naval Reserve.
 Navy Medal of Honor, 1942 to the Present
The Medal of Honor is the highest-ranking United States' combat award, with different patterns used by the Navy, the Army and the Air Force. Authorized in December 1861 as an award for enlisted men, the Navy Medal of Honor originally served to "further promote the efficiency of the Navy". Its award criteria subsequently included "deeds of gallantry and heroism in times of War and of Peace" on the part of officers and enlisted personnel, but in 1942 were restricted to acts of extraordinary heroism in armed combat. The design of the medal and its associated ribbon have also varied, with the pattern presently used having been adopted in 1942.
This page features photographs of the current pattern of the Navy Medal of Honor, and provides links to images of other forms of the Medal and of recipients of the Medal.
Medal of Honor
Obverse of a Medal of Honor awarded to Boatswain's Mate Thomas Gehegan for personal valor while serving as captain of USS Pinola's XI-inch gun during the Battle of New Orleans, 24-25 April 1862.
The medal was forfeited because of misconduct and remained in Navy Department custody.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Medal of Honor
Reverse of a Medal of Honor awarded to Boatswain's Mate Thomas Gehegan for personal valor while serving as captain of USS Pinola's XI-inch gun during the Battle of New Orleans, 24-25 April 1862.
The medal was forfeited because of misconduct and remained in Navy Department custody.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
U.S. Navy Medal of Honor
Obverse of a Medal of Honor awarded to Rear Admiral Frank F. Fletcher "For Distinguished Conduct in Battle" during the Vera Cruz intervention, 21-22 April 1914.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
U.S. Navy Medal of Honor
Reverse of a Medal of Honor awarded to Rear Admiral Frank F. Fletcher "For Distinguished Conduct in Battle" during the Vera Cruz intervention, 21-22 April 1914.
See obverse of this medal.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
U.S. Navy Medal of Honor
Obverse of a Medal of Honor awarded posthumously to Chief Water Tender Peter Tomich for "extraordinary courage and disregard of his own safety" as USS Utah (AG-16) was sinking during the attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
U.S. Navy Medal of Honor
Reverse of a Medal of Honor awarded posthumously to Chief Water Tender Peter Tomich for "extraordinary courage and disregard of his own safety" as USS Utah (AG-16) was sinking during the attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
World War I U.S. Navy Medal of Honor ("Tiffany Cross" pattern)
An unissued medal from the collections of the Navy Department.
Only 21 Navy and 7 Marine Corps personnel received Medals of Honor of this pattern.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
World War I U.S. Navy Medal of Honor ("Tiffany Cross" pattern)
Photograph taken during World War II, showing the Medal of Honor designed by Tiffany & Company that was awarded for First World War Service and discontinued in 1942.
The medal was authorized by Congress on 4 February 1919 for presentation in the name of Congress by the President to Naval personnel who shall "in action involving actual conflict with the enemy, distinguish himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" and without detriment to his mission.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
The Medal of Honor
Reverse of a "Tiffany Cross" pattern Medal of Honor awarded to Lieutenant Edouard V.M. Izak for heroism following the sinking of USS President Lincoln on 31 May 1918.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
U.S. Navy Medal of Honor
Photograph taken during the 1940s or early 1950s, showing the Medal of Honor, its ribbons and rosette.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
U.S. Navy Medal of Honor
Photograph taken during World War II of the medal designed by Anthony C. Paquet during the Civil War.
The Medal of Honor was authorized by Congress on 21 December 1861 for presentation to Navy enlisted personnel. Eligibility was extended in 1901 to any Navy man "who shall have distinguished himself in battle or displayed extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession".
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
U.S. Navy Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor and ribbon, photographed circa 1945.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
U.S. Navy Medal of Honor
Photograph taken during World War II, showing the Medal of Honor with its anchor suspension device clipped to the outside of the ribbon.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
U.S. Navy Medal of Honor
Photograph taken during World War II, showing the uniform ribbon for the Medal of Honor.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
Rear Admiral Norman Scott, USN
Oil on canvas, 28" x 26", by McClelland Barclay, USNR (1891-1943). Painting signed and dated by the artist, 1942. It includes a depiction of the Medal of Honor, which was posthumously awarded to Rear Admiral Scott for "extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity" during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942.
Painting in the U.S. Naval Academy Museum Collection. Gift of Mrs. Norman Scott, 1949.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph.
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