What is the MOH in the US?

Asked by: Junius Miller Sr.  |  Last update: April 5, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (31 votes)

The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest medal for valor in combat that can be awarded to members of the armed forces.

Is the Medal of Honor a big deal?

The Medal of Honor is the United States' highest award for military valor in action. And while over 150 years have passed since its inception, the meaning behind the Medal has never tarnished.

How rare is the Medal of Honor?

Of the 40 million Americans who have served in the Armed Forces since the Civil War, only 3,519 have earned the Medal of Honor.

How many people have the Medal of Honor in the US?

How many Medal of Honor Recipients are there? Out of the 41 million who have served in the U.S. military, the Medal has been presented to only 3,517 service members who went above and beyond the call of duty, each of whom can be researched in the Medal of Honor Recipient database located here.

What is the highest honor Medal in the US?

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration that may be awarded by the United States government.

Medal of Honor recipient shares harrowing tale of heroism

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What is the hardest Medal of Honor to get?

The Medal of Honor is widely considered the hardest military medal to earn, and it is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government.

Has anyone received 2 Medals of Honor?

There have been 19 service members to receive two Medals of Honor. Five of them received the Medal of Honor for the same action – they were Marines serving with Army units and received both the Army and Navy designs of the Medal. The other 14 received two Medals for separate actions of valor.

Do generals salute Medal of Honor winners?

Military tradition allows service members of all ranks to salute Medal of Honor recipients wearing the medal.

Has anyone refused the Medal of Honor?

And yes people have declined it. There are more Medal of Honor recipients than made public as it is not a condition of it. There are also recipients who were presented with the Medal of Honor more than once, more than twice, still alive and well or posthumously other than those above.

How much money does a Medal of Honor recipient receive?

Benefits. Recipients of the Medal of Honor are afforded the following benefits for their extraordinary heroism: A monthly $1,406.73 pension from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Why can't you sell Medal of Honor?

Due to the prestige of the Medal of Honor, it is a federal crime to manufacture, sell, or trade these awards without authorization of the federal government. It is also illegal to use unauthorized Medals of Honors to receive benefits, such as money or property.

Has a woman ever been the recipient of the Medal of Honor?

Dr. Mary Walker remains the only female to receive the award among over 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients. Although her medal was initially rescinded before her death, it was eventually reinstated. Before delving into the details, let's explore her incredible legacy in American history.

Why is the Medal of Honor star upside down?

The original upside-down star was designated as the non-combat version and a new pattern of the medal pendant, in cross form, was designed by the Tiffany Company in 1919.

Do Medal of Honor winners pay taxes?

The Medal of Honor Pension is a special benefit provided to veterans who have received the Medal of Honor for their extraordinary valor in military service. The pension is a tax-free, monthly financial payment provided to eligible recipients by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

What's higher than Medal of Honor?

There is no higher decoration in the United States military than the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Why did they stop making Medal of Honor?

In January 2013, COO Peter Moore of Electronic Arts announced that the Medal of Honor series was taken out of rotation due to the poor reception and sales of Medal of Honor: Warfighter.

Who was the only US president to receive the Medal of Honor?

For his actions during the war, Roosevelt was recommended for the Medal of Honor. In 2001, Theodore Roosevelt became the first President to receive the Medal of Honor.

Why did Harry Truman turn down the Medal of Honor?

Truman served as an artillery officer during World War I, but his note to Congress suggested that he felt that accepting an award meant for “combat bravery” would detract from the honor, according to a May 1971 article in The New York Times.

What is higher than the Navy Cross?

Originally, the Navy Cross was lower in precedence than the Medal of Honor and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, because it was awarded for both combat heroism and for "other distinguished service." Congress revised this on 7 August 1942, making the Navy Cross a combat-only decoration that follows the Medal of ...

Do generals salute back?

The salute (hand or head) must be performed first by the lower ranking personnel to the higher ranking personnel, and higher official is expected to return the salute, under all conditions except: Personnel who are driving vehicles. Personnel who are on sentry, patrol, observation duty or defending a specific point.

Has anyone ever won two Medals of Honor?

Can someone receive more than one Medal of Honor? Yes. There have been 19 servicemen who have received two Medals of Honor.

Has a woman ever received the Medal of Honor?

An American feminist, suffragist, suspected spy, prisoner of war and surgeon, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker remains the only women ever to receive the Medal of Honor, which she was awarded for her service during the Civil War.

What is the rarest Medal of Honor?

Sullivan's medal is one of the rarest Medals of Honor designs, the Tiffany Cross. Designed by the Tiffany Company in 1919, fewer than 30 of the medals were awarded before the design was changed in 1942.

Who is the youngest Medal of Honor recipient?

On Sept. 16, 1863, Willie received the medal from War Secretary Edwin Stanton. He was 13 years old and remains the youngest person to ever earn the Medal of Honor.