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The Medal of Honor Today
Today, people think of the Medal of Honor as an award given for action involving actual conflict with an enemy, distinguished by gallantry and bravery at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty; and in recent times a great number of awards were made posthumously. This is not the way it was in the beginning, during the Civil War.
The correct name is the Medal of Honor and not the Congressional Medal of Honor. While the Medal, like so many other things in life today, is given by authority of the United States Congress, the proper name is the MEDAL OF HONOR.
The Medal dates back to the early days of the Civil War when it soon became evident that a lot of effort would be required in the areas of training, direction, and inspiring example in order to produce armies equal to the task ahead. Inspiring example was thought to be one of the most important of these three and that it provided the best way to lead a peculiar breed of men raised in the early days of our nation. Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, perhaps more clearly than others, recognized that when all other forms of a government's defenses are down, its survival rests with the bravery of the men who wear their country's uniform. Welles thought that a medal might be helpful in inspiring men of the Navy to the heights of John Paul Jones and Commodore Perry. This would allow a valorous individual to be recognized for his heroism without being put in the uncomfortable position of boasting of his exploits. About the same time, Lt. Col. (later Maj. Gen.) Edward D. Townsend, Assistant Adjutant General of the Union Army, had the same thoughts and felt that the Army, too, needed a medal for the recognition of gallantry and bravery.
The Navy beat the Army in the race for a medal. On December 8, 1861, Senator James W. Grimes of Iowa, introduced a bill in the Senate to further promote the efficiency of the Navy. Included was a provision for the issuance of a medal of honor. This bill was passed and signed into law December 21, 1861. The pertinent language was: "The Secretary of the Navy, be, and is hereby, authorized to cause 200 medals of honor to be prepared with suitable emblematic devices, which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seaman, landsman, and marines, as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities during the present war."
Seven months later additional legislation provided that the Navy's medal was to be awarded to those "distinguishing themselves in battle or by extraordinary heroism in the line of their profession." In this way the award was extended beyond the Civil War and noncombat heroism in the line of their profession was clarified. Commissioned officers were excluded their heroism apparently being assumed. It was not until 1915 that Congress enacted legislation authorizing the award of the Navy Medal of Honor to commissioned officers.
On July 12, 1862, a bill was signed into law which created the Army's Medal of Honor. This bill provided that the president could present medals of honor "to such noncommissioned officers, and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other soldier-like qualities, during the present insurrection." On March 3, 1863, the Army altered its legislation to provide medals to those who "most distinguish themselves or may hereafter, most distinguish themselves, in action." No noncombat awards would be allowed, officers would become eligible, and the award would extend beyond the Civil war.
The Civil War's Medal of Honor was designed by William Wilson & Son Company of Philadelphia, a silversmith firm located there. They submitted a design to Secretary Welles through James Pollock, Director of the US Mint. Welles approved the design, and when the Army's medal was authorized, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton accepted Pollock's suggestion that the Army adopt the same basic design, altering only the suspension devices. Pollock described the piece this way: "A five pointed star, one point down. On the obverse, the foul spirit of Secession and Rebellion is represented by a male figure in crouching attitude holding in his hands, serpents, which with forked tongues are striking at a large female figure, representing the Union or Genius of our country, who holds in her right hand a shield, and in her left, the fasces. Around these figures are 34 stars, indicating the number of states in the Union." The reverse of the medal was left blank, allowing for engraving of the recipient's name, unit, date, and place of the cited action.
Both medals would be suspended with a ribbon consisting of a blue horizontal top bar with alternating vertical stripes of red and white - seven red and six white, as on the US Flag. The Navy's medal would connect to the ribbon with a rope-fouled anchor, while the Army's design consisted of an eagle, wings spread, astride crossed cannons and cannonball stacks.
Both services possessed the medals by early March, 1863; all they had to do was find recipients worthy of the decoration.
Despite the fact the Navy medal came first, the Army made the first awards.
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