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CA-38 HONOR ROLL
MEDAL OF HONOR
No Photos have been found for the following.
If you have one, please send it to the following address with a
description of the person:
Veterans War Memorial
Building
401 Van Ness Avenue. Rm.100
San Francisco, CA 94102
Toll Free: 800-569-6711
MEDAL OF HONOR
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.
Do you know some one who received the Medal
of Honor?
Register them here.
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