Medal of Honor Recipient Articles

Medal of Honor: Dewayne T. Williams , Vietnam War, September 18, 1968

On his 19th birthday, ambushed and gravely wounded, PFC Dewayne T. Williams heard the warning of a grenade. Without hesitation, he rolled onto it—giving his life so his fellow Marines could live.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Charles Howard Roan, World War II, September 18, 1944

On a ridge above Peleliu, grenades rained down on his squad. Wounded once, Charles Roan didn’t hesitate when another fell among his comrades—he threw himself upon it, giving his life to save four Marines.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Joe E. Mann, World War II, September 18, 1944

Four times wounded, he refused evacuation. With his arms bound to his body by bandages, Joe Mann gave his last breath by throwing himself onto a grenade to save his comrades.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Oscar G. Johnson, World War II, September 16–18, 1944

One soldier, alone on a ridgeline, held back wave after wave of German paratroopers. For two days, Oscar Johnson stood firm, saving his company’s flank and forcing the enemy to break.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Arthur J. Jackson Rank, World War II, September 18, 1944

On Peleliu’s blistering battlefield, one Marine charged alone into a nest of fortified positions. With fire and grenades, Arthur Jackson silenced twelve pillboxes and turned the tide of battle.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Melvin Morris, Vietnam War, September 17, 1969

With fire tearing all around him, Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris pushed forward, refusing to leave a fallen brother behind. Wounded three times, he still carried the fight—and his comrades—to safety.

MOH

Medal of Honor: Herbert K. Pililaau, Korean War, September 17, 1951

He fought to the last breath, standing alone on Heartbreak Ridge. Herbert K. Pililaau, a son of Hawaii, gave his life so that his platoon could live.