Medal of Honor Recipient Articles

Medal of Honor: Private First Class Gino J. Merli Rank, World War II, September 4–5, 1944

When Pfc. Gino Merli’s company came under a ferocious counterattack by superior German forces. His machine-gun position quickly became the last line of resistance.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Rear Admiral James Bond Stockdale, Vietnam War, September 4, 1969

Admiral James Bond Stockdale, the highest-ranking naval officer held at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton," proved that courage does not only roar with gunfire—it can whisper through iron bars and broken bones.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Sergeant Lawrence David Peters, Vietnam War, September 4, 1967

Sometimes leadership is measured not by rank but by the willingness to stand tall in the storm. Sergeant Lawrence David Peters did just that during Operation SWIFT.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Lieutenant Vincent R. Capodanno, Vietnam War, September 4, 1967

He carried no rifle, yet he stood in the firestorm. Lieutenant Vincent R. Capodanno, a Navy chaplain with the 5th Marines, gave his life not with bullets, but with prayer, compassion, and the fearless courage to stand between death and his Marines.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña, Korean War, September 4, 1950

In the chaos of Korea’s desperate early battles, one Texan made a final stand. With his men out of ammunition and retreating to safety, Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña stayed behind, alone, to hold off the enemy until dawn.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Private First Class Melvin L. Brown, Korean War, September 4, 1950

On a stone wall overlooking a deadly battlefield, a young soldier from Pennsylvania held back wave after wave of enemy attackers. When his bullets and grenades were gone, he fought on with the only weapon he had left—an entrenching tool.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Seaman First Class Johnnie David Hutchins, World War II, September 4, 1943

Sometimes, a single second of courage can mean the difference between life and death for an entire crew. In the blazing chaos of a Japanese attack, Seaman Johnnie Hutchins seized that second—and gave his own life to save his shipmates.