The Medal of Honor Presented on January 19, 1967…..

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I have recently began collection militaria connected to the Medal of Honor.  I currently have signatures from three recipients in my collection, and my first program from a Medal of Honor ceremony.

The Medal of Honor holds a special place in U.S. military lore, and for good reason.  It is the second oldest U.S. military decoration* and was established when President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Navy’s Medal of Honor.  Today, there are three distinct designs for the Medal of Honor.  It remains the nation’s highest award for military valor.  These artifacts (pictured below) speak directly to the history of the most recent design, the Medal of Honor awarded by the U.S. Air Force.

B_F_Fisher

It is difficult to put into words what makes the Medal of Honor, and its recipients so special.  It is more than just the courage and valor necessary to earn the Medal of Honor….

  • Since its inception, only 3,489 Medals of Honor have been presented.
  • There are only 19 men who have earned the Medal of Honor twice.
  • In 1917, to protect the integrity of the Medal of Honor, a review board was held which struck 911 names from the Honor Roll and rescinded their Medals of Honor.

The recipients of the Medal of Honor are national treasures.  As of today, there are only 75 living recipients of the Medal of Honor.1 You are statistically more likely to meet:

  • A sitting member of the U.S. Senate
  • A NASA Astronaut2
  • A professional football player, basketball player, or baseball player

Before you’ll meet a recipient of the Medal of Honor…..

In 1956, the U.S. Air Force introduced their distinctive design for an Air Force version of the Medal of Honor.  Prior to that time, Airmen in the Army Air Service, Army Air Corps, and early Air Force were presented the Army version of the Medal of Honor.  Its first recipient was Major Bernard Francis Fisher, who was presented the Medal on January 19, 1967 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Fisher_Program_Cover

I’ll allow the citation below (printed on the inside of the program) to speak for why these men are national treasures and why the Medal of Honor is so special.

Fisher_Program_Inside

* The Purple Heart was established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782.

  1. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society Website. www.cmohs.org  Accessed 29 April 2017.
  2. Astronaut Fact Book. NASA Information Summaries.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  NP-2013-04-003-JSC.  April 2013.  https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/740566main_current.pdf Accessed 30 April 2017.

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