Medal of Honor Recipient Articles

Medal of Honor: Ralph G. Neppel – World War II – December 14, 1944

With his leg severed by a tank shell, one machine-gun squad leader dragged himself back through fire, remounted his weapon, and destroyed the infantry assault—forcing an enemy tank to withdraw.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Henry Talmage Elrod – Wake Island – December 8–23, 1941

Outnumbered in the air and surrounded on the ground, one Marine fighter pilot shot down enemy bombers, sank a Japanese warship, and then took up a rifle to lead the defense of Wake Island until he was killed in action.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Lt. Col. John U. D. Page – Chosin Reservoir – November 29 to December 10, 1950

For twelve days in the frozen hell of the Chosin Reservoir, one artillery officer became a one-man relief force—training stray troops, manning tanks, fighting ambushes, and charging alone into enemy fire to save an entire column.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift – Guadalcanal – August–December 1942

He led the first major American offensive of World War II, holding the line on Guadalcanal against relentless assaults from land, sea, and air—and forged the victory that changed the momentum of the Pacific War.

MOH

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.