Medal of Honor Recipient Articles

Medal of Honor: Edward C. Byers Jr. – Afghanistan – December 8–9, 2012

In a nighttime hostage rescue, a Navy SEAL broke through barriers under fire, rushed into a room of gunmen, shielded a hostage, and fought hand-to-hand to save his team.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Karl G. Taylor Sr. – Vietnam War – December 8, 1968

Pinned down in the night-fighting chaos of Operation Meade River, one Marine gunnery sergeant crawled through fire to take command, carried wounded men from open ground, and finally charged a machine-gun bunker alone silencing it at the cost of his life.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Ray McKibben – Vietnam War – December 8, 1968

Pinned down by automatic weapons fire, one team leader charged bunker after bunker alone—rescuing wounded soldiers, seizing enemy weapons, fighting on after his rifle ran dry, and continuing the assault until the moment he fell.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Candelario Garcia – Vietnam War – December 8, 1968

Pinned down by two enemy machine guns, one team leader charged through open fire—destroying both positions by himself, rescuing wounded soldiers, and leading his company in the assault that broke the enemy line.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Donald Gilbert Cook – Vietnam War – 1964–1967

For three years in Viet Cong captivity, one Marine officer refused special treatment, gave his medicine and food to weaker prisoners, upheld the Code of Conduct without compromise, and knowingly accepted death rather than abandon his men.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Ova A. Kelley – World War II – December 8, 1944

Before dawn on Leyte, one private rose from his foxhole with a stack of grenades and charged alone into entrenched enemy fire—breaking a Japanese strongpoint, inspiring a full-company assault, and turning the tide of the battle.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Elmer E. Fryar – World War II – December 8, 1944

Wounded and alone on high ground, one paratrooper broke an enemy flanking attack, killed 27 soldiers, rescued wounded comrades, and finally threw himself into the path of a sniper’s burst—saving his platoon leader’s life with his own.