DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL
CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
The Navy's Medal of Honor
Related Source: Photographs
of the medal and selected recipients
The Navy and Marine Corps' Medal of Honor
is our country's oldest continuously awarded decoration, even
though its appearance and award criteria has changed since it
was created for enlisted men by Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles
on 16 December 1861. Legislation in 1915 made naval officers eligible
for the award.
Although originally awarded for both combat and non-combat
heroism, the Medal of Honor today is presented for conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond
the call of duty.
The design of our highest military decoration is rooted in
the War Between the States. Crafted by the artist Christian Schuller,
the central motif is an allegory in which Columbia, in the form
of the goddess Minerva uses the shield of the republic to put
down the figure of discord, plainly a reference to the unfolding
split in our nation. The design is encircled by 38 stars, representing
the states of the Union at the time of the outbreak of the Civil
War.
The illustration shows the evolution of the medal's design
since 1861. In the top row, left, is the original 1861 design,
which largely mirrors the Army design but was created six months
earlier. In the top center and right is the ribbon design that
debuted in the 1896 and was awarded from the Spanish-American
War until World War I. At lower left is the "Tiffany Cross"
Medal of Honor created for combat heroism award. At lower right
is the medal design that was instituted in 1942 and, with minor
modification, serves to this day. The 1942 changes also streamlined
award criteria and made the Medal of Honor an award for combat
heroism only.
The names, ranks, place of action and dates for all Navy
and Marine Corps recipients are listed below, divided by official
periods of conflict:
Civil War 1861-65
Interim 1866-71
Korea 1871
Interim 1871-98
Spanish-American
Philippine Insurrection
Boxer Rebellion
Interim 1901-1910
Philippine Outlaws 1911
Haiti 1915
Mexico (Vera Cruz)
Dominican Campaign 1916
World War I
Interim 1915-1916
2nd Haiti Camp. 1919-20
2nd Nicaraguan Camp.
Interim 1920-1940
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
The full text of all citations of the Medal of Honor
are available for viewing and searching on the home page of the
Army's Center of
Military History. You will need to use the "back"
button of your web bowser to return to the Navy Historical Center
home page. The Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery homepage
offers the citations of all Hospital Corps and Medical personnel
awarded the Medal of Honor.
19 July 2000
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