Most of the non-combat medals, including both of Sweeney's, were awarded for rescuing or attempting to rescue someone from drowning. William Harvey Carney was the first African American to perform an action for which a Medal of Honor was awarded, but Robert Blake was the first to actually receive the Medal (Blake's was issued in 1864, Carney did not receive his until 1900). James Anderson, Jr., who received the military’s highest honor after he died in action in the Vietnam War, is the focus of new federal legislation seeking to rename a Compton federal building. For extraordinary heroism in action during the 15–19 November 1944, toward Guebling, France. Robert Augustus Sweeney is one of nineteen men, and the only African American, to have been awarded two Medals of Honor. On January 13, 1997, more than fifty years after the end of the war, President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal to seven African American World War II veterans. As eight enemy riflemen attempted to capture him he killed six of them and captured the remaining two. ", "With 3 other men, he participated in a charge against 25 hostiles while on a scouting patrol. Since slavery was still in active practice in the southern United States (the Confederate States of America) during the American Civil War when Blake was captured, he was considered someone's property and therefore considered to be contraband.”, United States Army Center of Military History, https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_African-American_Medal_of_Honor_recipients&oldid=7348184, Articles containing potentially dated statements from June 2009, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, "Participating with a boat crew in the clearing of Mattox Creek, L/man Anderson carried out his duties courageously in the face of a devastating fire which cut away half the oars, pierced the, "Voluntarily advanced with the head of the column and cut down the palisading. One of them is an African-American Vietnam veteran living in Brevard County. In 1980, Major General Charles Calvin Rogers became the highest ranking black Medal of Honor recipient. Continued helping although receiving multiple gunshot wounds to his chest, legs, and left arm. She was the first woman in U.S. Army history to obtain such and honor. Six African Americans earned the Medal of Honor during the Spanish-American War: five Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry Regiment and one United States Navy sailor. Iowa off Santiago de Cuba, "Performing his duty at the risk of serious scalding at the time of the blowing out of the manhole gasket on board the vessel, Penn hauled the fire while standing on a board thrown across a coal bucket 1 foot above the boiling water which was still blowing from the boiler. The first award was announced on April 6, 1865, to twelve black soldiers from the five regiments of U.S. In 1990, the Department of the Army conducted a review and the Stowers recommendation was uncovered. Excellent At dawn, Company A's tanks began to advance towards Bougaktroff, but were stopped by enemy fire. ", "Commanded and gallantly led his company after the commanding officer had been killed; was the first enlisted man to enter the enemy's works. ", "With 3 other men, he participated in a charge against 25 hostiles while on a scouting patrol", "Rallied a detachment, skillfully conducted a running flight of 3 or 4 hours, and by his coolness, bravery, and unflinching devotion to duty in standing by his commanding officer in an exposed position under a heavy fire from a large party of Indians saved the lives of at least 3 of his comrades. ", "[R]emained steadfast at his post and performed his duties in the powder division throughout the furious action which resulted in the surrender of the prize rebel, "Knocked unconscious into the hold of the ship when an enemy shellburst fatally wounded a man on the ladder above him, Brown, upon regaining consciousness, promptly returned to the shell whip on the berth deck and zealously continued to perform his duties although 4 of the 6 men at this station had been either killed or wounded by the enemy's terrific fire. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, "In international law, contraband is any goods carried by vessels of neutral nations during wartime that may be confiscated and thus prohibited from delivery to the enemy. ", "Voluntarily left fortified shelter and under heavy fire at close range made the rounds of the pits to instruct the guards, fought his way to the creek and back to bring water to the wounded. The remaining four Medal of Honor recipients were U.S. Army Indian Scouts recruited from among the Black Seminoles, a group of Seminole Indians of African descent. It was common for Civil War Medals of Honor to be awarded decades after the conflict ended; in one case, Andrew Jackson Smith's Medal was not awarded until 2001, 137 years after the action in which he earned it. To honor their service and sacrifice, we have gathered their Find… ", "When the regimental color bearer fell, this soldier seized the color and carried it forward, together with the national standard, until disabled at the enemy's inner line. ", "[G]rasped the flag, led the way to the parapet, and planted the colors thereon. Ott’s contributions didn’t go unnoticed and were used to improve aeromedical evacuation processes, to this day. [2] Robert Augustus Sweeney is one of nineteen men, and the only African American, to have been awarded two Medals of Honor. On January 13, 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal to seven African American World War II veterans; of these, only Vernon Baker was still alive.[4]. ", "Took command of Company C, after all the officers had been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it. With the aid of one of his men, Lieutenant Baker attacked two more machine gun nests, killing or wounding the four enemy soldiers occupying these positions. ", On board the U.S.S. [5], This along with * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously. ", Mimbres Mountains and near Ojo Caliente, New Mexico, "Although shot in the abdomen, in a fight between a paymaster's escort and robbers, did not leave the field until again wounded through both arms. Though severely wounded in the leg, Sergeant Rivers refused medical treatment and evacuation, took command of another tank, and advanced with his company in Guebling the next day. Twenty African Americans were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in the Vietnam War, including James Anderson, Jr., the first African American Marine to receive the Medal.[2]. On January 13, 1997, more than fifty years after the end of the war, President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal to seven African American World War II veterans. ", "[R]escued Daniel W. Kloppen, a workman, from drowning", "[S]aved Boatswain J. C. Walton from drowning", "[R]escuing from drowning James Grady, first class fireman". ", "Seized the colors, after 2 color bearers had been shot down, and bore them nobly through the fight. This along with * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously of Defense and the United States Army asserted that systematic racial discrimination had been present in the criteria for awarding medals during the war. Pinned down by heavy enemy fire in a field near Cisterna, Italy, in 1944, U.S. Army Sgt. Cpl. At dawn, Company A's tanks began to advance towards Bougaktroff, but were stopped by enemy fire. ", "[R]escued Daniel W. Kloppen, a workman, from drowning", "[S]aved Boatswain J. C. Walton from drowning", "[R]escuing from drowning James Grady, first class fireman". The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War. T hough black soldiers had received the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Civil War-era years when the honor was first created, not a single one … Two of his men were killed and the third seriously wounded. A new bill introduced in the House of Representatives last week could rename a Compton, Calif. post office for the first black Marine to receive the Medal of Honor. ", "[V]oluntarily remained on the second floor of a house to direct defensive artillery fire" so his unit could escape. He then crossed the field, using as a shield his two prisoners from whom he obtained valuable information concerning the disposition of enemy troops. ", "Removed a wounded comrade, under a heavy fire, to a place of safety. [2] Four of the five Buffalo Soldiers received the Medal for rescuing a trapped landing party during the Battle of Tayacoba. The American Civil War is known as one of the most pivotal wars in our nation’s history. A Black Vietnam War veteran was nominated for the Medal of Honor. He then covered the evacuation of the wounded personnel of his company by occupying an exposed position and drawing the enemy's fire. ", "Removed a wounded comrade, under a heavy fire, to a place of safety. Vernon Baker was the only living recipient—the other six men had been killed in action or died in the intervening years. Before World War II, the Medal of Honor could be awarded for actions not involving direct combat with the enemy; eight African Americans earned the Medal in this way, all of them sailors. ", Led his squad to destroy a group of enemy soldiers and was leading them to another trench when he was killed. Stowers' Medal of Honor was presented on April 24, 1991—seventy-three years after he was killed-in-action. Robert Blake. ", "With 3 other men, he participated in a charge against 25 hostiles while on a scouting patrol. Another four men, all sailors, earned their Medals at the Battle of Mobile Bay. In 1990, the Department of the Army conducted a review and the Stowers recommendation was uncovered. ", "Distinguished himself for coolness, bravery and marksmanship while his troop was in pursuit of hostile Apache Indians. ", "Voluntarily went ashore in the face of the enemy and aided in the rescue of his wounded comrades; this after several previous attempts had been frustrated. The following sailors and Marines, stationed on Oahu and aboard the ill-fated battleships, are among those who received the Medal of Honor for their extreme efforts during Japan’s attack on December 7th, 1941. ", 36th United States Colored Infantry Regiment, "Rushed in advance of his brigade, shot a rebel officer who was on the parapet rallying his men, and then ran him through with his bayonet. ", "[L]ed a squad in the assault, accurately designating targets as he advanced, until he was killed by enemy machine gun fire while going to the aid of his fatally wounded platoon leader.". 1864 - Chapin's Farm, Virginia, USA. ", "Distinguished himself for coolness, bravery and marksmanship while his troop was in pursuit of hostile Apache Indians. An investigation was launched, and based on results of the investigation the award of the Medal of Honor was approved. [2] Fourteen were "Buffalo Soldiers", members of the Army's first peacetime black regiments. ", "Seized the colors, after 2 color bearers had been shot down, and bore them nobly through the fight. Originally, 321 were inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 1992. ", "Voluntarily went ashore in the face of the enemy and aided in the rescue of his wounded comrades; this after several previous attempts at rescue had been frustrated. 19 Badass Americans Who Were Awarded Multiple Medals of Honor Only after he was certain that his junior officer was in full control of the situation did he permit himself to be evacuated. Staff Sergeant Rivers' fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his unit and exemplify the highest traditions of military service. When his company was stopped by the concentration of fire from several machine gun emplacements, he crawled to one position and destroyed it, killing three Germans. ", "Voluntarily went ashore in the face of the enemy and aided in the rescue of his wounded comrades; this after several previous attempts had been frustrated. The Medal of Honor was authorized in 1862. ", "Saving his regimental colors, after the color bearer was killed during al bloody charge called the Battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina", "Seized the national colors after 2 color bearers had been shot down close to the enemy's works, and bore them through the remainder of the battle. ", On board the U.S.S. Pfc. "For extraordinary heroism in action on December 14, 1944, near Climbach, France. "when a counterattack retook the position from the Germans, Lieutenant Fox's body was found with the bodies of approximately 100 German soldiers. The first African American recipient for this award was William Harvey Carney who, despite … [4], Twenty-five African Americans earned the Medal of Honor during the American Civil War, including seven sailors of the Union Navy, fifteen soldiers of the United States Colored Troops, and three soldiers of other Army units. The first black Medal of Honor recipients were sixteen Army soldiers and sixteen Navy sailors that fought during the Civil War. It was not until World War I that the color of a man's skin came to be a serious barrier to Medal of Honor consideration. ", "Saving his regimental colors, after the color bearer was killed during al bloody charge called the Battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina", "Seized the national colors after 2 color bearers had been shot down close to the enemy's works, and bore them through the remainder of the battle. Background. An investigation was launched, and based on results of the investigation the award of the Medal of Honor was approved. ‘Guarding Old Glory’ honors first black Medal of Honor recipient February 24, 2021, 5:05 AM The Slave Dwelling Project founder Joseph McGill previews new special on the life of Sgt. It is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. No African American was awarded a Medal of Honor either during World War II or immediately afterwards with respect to their actions during that conflict. No-one by the name of “Duane Devane” has ever received the Medal of Honor, according to a list published by the the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Today we recognize the 25 African American Medal of Honor Recipients who so bravely fought and sacrificed their lives during this war. [2] Fourteen African American men earned the Medal for actions in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm, where a division of U.S. In 2015 it was announced that Barack Obama, would present another African-American soldier from World War I with the Medal of Honor. On the following night he voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective. ", "Saved the lives of his comrades and citizens of the detachment", "Left cover and, under fire, rescued a wounded comrade from drowning. ", Carrizo Canyon, Cuchillo Negra Mountains, New Mexico, "Forced the enemy back after stubbornly holding his ground in an extremely exposed position and prevented the enemy's superior numbers from surrounding his command. ", "Voluntarily advanced with the head of the column and cut down the palisading. Freddie Stowers was the only African American to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in World War I. It is awarded by the president himself (maybe one day, herself) to military men and women who have performed acts of valor, courage, and bravery that distinguish them from others serving in the line of duty. ", For repulsing a larger force of Indians on 2 separate occasions, "Gallantry in the fight between Paymaster Wham's escort and robbers. Staff Sergeant Rivers' fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his unit and exemplify the highest traditions of military service. Repeatedly refusing evacuation, Sergeant Rivers continued to direct his tank's fire at enemy positions through the morning of 19 November 1944. Sylvester Antolak 56m. [2] Robert Augustus Sweeney received two peacetime Medals of Honor, one of only nineteen men, and the only African American, to be awarded the medal twice. [3], A 1993 study commissioned by the Army investigated racial discrimination in the awarding of medals. Though severely wounded in the leg, Sergeant Rivers refused medical treatment and evacuation, took command of another tank, and advanced with his company in Guebling the next day. This changed in 1992 when a study conducted by Shaw University and commissioned by the U.S. Dept. Continuing on alone, he was wounded five times and finally was forced to take cover. Cpl. 1865 - Fort Fisher, North Carolina, USA. Vernon Baker was the only living recipient—the other six men had been killed in action or died in the intervening years. Since slavery was still in active practice in the southern United States (the Confederate States of America) during the American Civil War when Blake was captured, he was considered someone's property and therefore considered to be contraband.”, Articles containing potentially dated statements from June 2014, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles incorporating text from the United States Army Center of Military History, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, United States Army Center of Military History, http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html, http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwarmz.html, https://history.army.mil/html/moh/indianwars.html, http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/int1871-98.html, http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/warspain.html, http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/inter1901-11.html, http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/worldwari.html, http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/mohb.html, http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html, http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html, http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-m-z.html, http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/med_of_honor.html, http://www.cmohs.org/recipients/double.htm, http://books.google.com/books?id=s65pmBAUmD4C, List of Medal of Honor recipients from the 1st West Virginia Cavalry Regiment, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/List_of_African-American_Medal_of_Honor_recipients?oldid=5118387, "Participating with a boat crew in the clearing of Mattox Creek, L/man Anderson carried out his duties courageously in the face of a devastating fire which cut away half the oars, pierced the launch in many places and cut the barrel off a musket being fired at the enemy. ", Led his squad to destroy a group of enemy soldiers and was leading them to another trench when he was killed. [2] Four of the five Buffalo Soldiers received the Medal for rescuing a trapped landing party during the Battle of Tayacoba. As eight enemy riflemen attempted to capture him, Sgt. The first black recipient was Army Sgt. ", "Voluntarily left fortified shelter and under heavy fire at close range made the rounds of the pits to instruct the guards, fought his way to the creek and back to bring water to the wounded. Most of the non-combat medals, including both of Sweeney's, were awarded for rescuing or attempting to rescue someone from drowning. ", "Having had his arm mutilated, making immediate amputation necessary, he loaded and discharged his piece with one hand and urged his men forward; this within 30 yards of the enemy's works.