"Valor"- The US Medal of Honor Quiz

Answer: The Civil War

The concept for an award for "individual valor" to replace the "Certificate of Merit" medal was proposed to (and rejected by) General Winfield Scott, the Commanding General of the United States Army, by Senator James W. Grimes (Iowa). However, the proposal was accepted by the Navy, and the "Medal of Valor" was approved by President Lincoln in 1861.

The Army's version soon followed, and the medal for both branches of service became to be known as the "Medal of Honor". As the criteria for MOH recommendation was not quite as strict as it is now (the guidelines were reviewed and changed after World War One), over 1500 medals were awarded during the Civil War, far more than any war since. Private Jacob Parrott is generally considered to be the first recipient of the Medal.

Answer: 2nd Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr.

Frank Luke (b. 1897) was not well thought of by his commanding officers and many of his fellow pilots because of his arrogant, "lone wolf" attitude and disdain for authority, but his bravery and skills as a fighter pilot could not be questioned. He chose as his primary targets the German observation balloons keeping watch over the trench soldiers, which were extremely dangerous as they were constantly protected by anti-aircraft weapons and escort planes. Luke was credited with 18 victories (14 balloons, four aircraft), second only to Eddie Rickenbacker among American Air Corps aces.

After destroying his final three balloons on September 29, 1918, Luke was wounded by anti-aircraft fire and was forced to land. After an brief but intense firefight with German infantryman (in which he killed seven), he received a fatal bullet wound to his chest.

His posthumous US Medal of Honor was awarded three years later.

Answer: Audie Murphy

By far the most decorated soldier in World War II, Audie Murphy (1925-1971) was awarded the US Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star (twice), the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star (twice), and the Purple Heart (three times), along with several other American and foreign awards (39 total).

He served with the U.S. Army in the European Theater of Operations, and engaged in battles in Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, Rome, and Holtzwihr,(France), advancing in rank to 2nd Lieutenant and Platoon leader.

It was Lieutenant Murphy's heroism in Holtzwihr that earned him the Medal of Honor commendation. He broke into acting in 1948 (eventually portraying himself in "To Hell and Back") and became very successful in his movie career. Audie Murphy died in a plane crash on May 28, 1971.

Answer: USS Arizona

Admiral Kidd (b. 1884, Commander, Battleship Division One, consisting of the Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Nevada), along with her Captain, Franklin B. Van Valkenburgh, were on board the USS Arizona, which was the flagship of his command. Minutes into the battle, the Arizona was completely destroyed by a Japanese bomb which ignited her magazine. Both Admiral Kidd and Captain Van Valkenburgh were posthumously awarded US Medals of Honor for their "courage and complete disregard for his own life".

Answer: 19

Out of the 19 men that have been awarded two Medals of Honor, five have received both an Army and a Navy medal for the same engagement, while the remaining 14 were awarded two medals within their specific branch of service for two separate actions. The most well known double recipient would probably be 1st Lieutenant Thomas W. Custer (the younger brother of Lt. Colonel George A. Custer), recognized for bravery in two separate engagements (within the same year, 1865) during the Civil War. Lieutenant Custer was killed, along with older brother George and younger brother Boston, during the Battle of Little Bighorn, June 25, 1876.

Answer: Civil War

Mary Walker (1832-1919) volunteered as a civilian nurse for the Union Army at the start of the Civil War, later receiving a commission in 1863 to become the first female surgeon of the U.S. Army. Ms. Walker (also a feminist and prohibitionist) participated in the first battle of Bull Run and the battle of Fredericksburg, among others, and was even captured (later released) and accused of being a spy.

She was awarded the US Medal of Honor in 1865, but had the medal revoked in 1917 due to the revised criteria of "actual combat" participants.

However, Ms. Walker's medal was posthumously restored in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.

Answer: The attack on Pearl Harbor

Chief Petty Officer John William Finn (b. 1909) was stationed at the Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station (Oahu) on the morning of December 7th, 1941, when the Japanese aerial raid began. Minutes after the base came under attack, Chief Finn manned a machine gun mount and maintained return fire, even after suffering multiple wounds (he is credited with shooting down one enemy aircraft).

After finally receiving medical treatment, Chief Finn then assisted with the re-arming of the returning American fighter planes that were able to take flight during the attack. Chief Finn was presented the US Medal of Honor in 1942 by Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

At the time of this writing, Chief Finn is also listed as the oldest living recipient of the US MOH for any war or engagement.

Answer: Somalia

SFC Shugart(b. 1958) and MSG Gordon (b. 1960), members of the Army's Delta Force, were killed in action during the attempted rescue of helicopter pilot Michael Durant during the Battle of Mogadishu (Operation "Gothic Serpent") on October 3, 1993. Warrant Officer Durant's MH-60A "Black Hawk" went down after being struck by a Somalian RPG, and Sergeants Shugart and Gordon, overhead providing cover fire, quickly volunteered to initiate a rescue.

After running out of ammunition, both SFC Shugart and MSG Gordon, along with surviving Black Hawk crewmembers Ray Frank, Bill Cleveland, and Tom Field were killed after being overrun. Warrant Officer Durant, badly injured, was captured but was later released.

The Battle of Mogadishu was the subject of Mark Bowden's 1999 book "Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War".

Answer: All of these are true

General Roosevelt (b. 1887) died from heart failure on July 12, 1944, one month after landing with his troops on Utah Beach (one of two American sectors of the Normandy invasion), and was posthumously awarded the US Medal of Honor in September, 1944.

He was the only general to be among the first wave of soldiers on D-Day (when General Omar Bradley was asked in later years to recall the "single most heroic action" he had ever witnessed during the war, General Bradley replied "Ted Roosevelt on Utah Beach").

His father, President Theodore Roosevelt, was also posthumously awarded the US Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton in 2001 for his service in the Spanish-American War. The other father/son Medal recipients were General (then Colonel) Arthur MacArthur (Civil War), and General Douglas MacArthur (World War II). Webb C. Hayes, son of President Rutherford B. Hayes, was awarded the US MOH for his participation in the "Philippine Insurrection" (1899).

Answer: Iwo Jima

22 Marines and 5 Navy sailors (including four corpsmen) were awarded the US Medal of Honor for individual acts of heroism during the 35 day engagement, of which 14 were posthumous. Many historians believe that the corpsmen Medals should be counted as Marine, as the Naval corpsmen involved in the battle trained with Marines, as Marines. If this was the case, the battle would account for over a third of the Medals of Honor awarded to the Marine Corps during Word War II. Regardless, Iwo Jima was by far the most decorated engagement in U.S. Marine history, prompting Admiral Chester Nimitz to quote: "Uncommon valor was a common virtue".