The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy force which can be awarded to an individual serving in the United States Armed Forces.  

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On December 9, 1861, Iowa Senator, James W. Grimes, presented bill S. No. 82 to the United States Senate, which was designed to "promote the efficiency of the Navy" by presenting "medals of honor" to Sailors and Marines.  Just under two weeks later, On December 21st, the bill was passed allowing 200 medals to be produced "which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and marines as shall distinguish themselves by gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities during the present war (Civil War)."  President Lincoln then signed the bill, and the Navy Medal of Honor was established.

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Not wanting the Army to be left out, Massachusetts Senator Henry Wilson introduced a bill on February 17, 1862 authorizing "the President to distribute medals to privates in the Army of the United States who shall distinguish themselves in battle."  While S.J.R. No. 82 worked its way through Congress, wording changed slightly to make it sound similar to the Navy Medal of Honor.  The final bill read in part:  "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause two thousand "medals of Honor" to be prepared with suitable emblematic devices, and to direct that the same be presented, in the name of the Congress, to such non-commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities, during the present insurrection (Civil War)."  On July 12, 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the bill, and the Army Medal of Honor came into being.  Although at the time these bills passed Congress, they probably seemed rather unimportant, the bill's medal would continue to grow and would eventually become the highest, most distinguished award presented to a member of the United States Armed Forces.

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Due to the ambiguous wording in the original legislation, commanders in the Army and Navy had a wide latitude for selecting recipients.  In the early years of the Medal of Honor, many medals were awarded for actions that were commendable, but not extraordinarily valorous.  During the 1890's, many Civil War veterans went to Congress and the War Department requesting Medals of Honor.  Without adequate review, the veterans were awarded the medal even if they were not deserving.  From 1891 through 1897, over 500 Medals of Honor were awarded for actions during the Civil War.  The newly formed Medal of Honor Legion expressed concern that the prestige of the medal was being diminished with the recent awarding.  President William McKinley ordered the Army to create new requirements for the application and award of a Medal of Honor.  These new regulations established that Medals of Honor could only be awarded for "gallantry and intrepidity" above and beyond the call of duty and also required that the application for a Medal of Honor be submitted by someone other than the veteran who performed the action with a testimony, under oath, by one or more eyewitnesses to the deed.  The regulations also established that after June 26, 1897 the application for a Medal of Honor had to be submitted within one year of the heroic act.

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Although changes from the 1897 had helped, lawmakers still questioned the clarity of the Medal of Honor standards.  In April, 1916, President Wilson signed a law that revised the Medal of Honor standards and also allowed the Army to atone for previous indiscretions. One June 3, 1916, a board of five retired generals was established to investigate and report on past awards of the Medal of Honor.  The board of generals convened under Lt. General Nelson Miles, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Civil War, who was extremely dedicated to protecting the Medal of Honor and took the work of his committee with dedication.  Each of the recipients, represented by a number rather than their name, was reviewed by the panel.

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On February 5, 1917, the Medal of Honor review board published their results, revoking the medals from 911 recipients.  Included in those stricken from the list were 864 recipients from the 27th Maine, 29 members of President Lincoln's funeral guard, and six civilians who had acted bravely but were deemed ineligible for the award because they were not members of the military.  The 27th Maine was a regiment of nine-month volunteers.  They were preparing to leave Washington, D.C. when General Lee's army invaded Pennsylvania.  Fearing that their departure would leave the capital vulnerable, the commander of the regiment, Colonel Wentworth, pleaded with his men to remain to guard the capital.  Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, told Wentworth the all men who stayed would receive the Medal of Honor.  Over 300 of the 864 men ended up staying, although it is doubtful any of then had heard of the Medal of Honor let alone stayed because of the promised medal.  Due to a clerical error, all 864 men of the 27th Maine were awarded the medal.  Of the six civilians whose medals were revoked, five were from the Indian Campaigns including well-known Buffalo Bill Cody.  The other civilian was Civil War Assistant Surgeon Mary Walker, who is the only woman to have received the Medal of Honor.  Eventually all six civilians had their medals restored.

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Although the Medal of Honor was born in 1861, the act of July 9, 1918 defined the future prestige of the medal.  The act of establishing a "Pyramid of Honor" provided lesser awards for less heroic deeds than those deserving of a Medal of Honor.  A key difference between the levels of awards was spelled out, "That the President is authorized to present, in the name of Congress, a medal of honor only to each person who, while an officer or enlisted man of the Army, shall hereafter, in action involving actual conflict with an enemy, distinguish himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty."  The lesser awards were authorized for presentation by the President, but not in the name of Congress.  The act further established time limits, requiring recommendations to be made within two years of the action, and the medal to be presented within three years.  In February, 1919, the act was further clarified so no person could receive more than one Medal of Honor, although in the past, there had been 19 double recipients.  Later, on July 25, 1963, Congress further established criteria and guidelines for the Medal of Honor.  The amendment stated that it must be awarded for action against an enemy of the United States, while engaged in military actions against an opposing force, or while serving with friendly forces in an armed conflict against an opposing force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

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Since the Navy's Medal of Honor was the first approved, it was also the first medal to be designed.  Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, selected the Philadelphia Mint to design the original Medal of Honor.  After submitting several designs, the one created by the Philadelphia firm of William Wilson & Sons was selected.  The medal consisted of an inverted, five point star.  At each of the points on the star was a cluster of laurel and oak leaves, symbolizing victory and strength.  In the center of the star were two engraved images.  On the right side was Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and war.  At the top of her helmet perched an owl representing wisdom, in her left hand she held a bundle of rods and ax blades symbolizing authority, and in her right hand was the shield of the Union of our states.  To her left was a man recoiling from a snake she held in her hands, representing discord.  The insignia on the medal came to be known as "Minerva repulsing Discord" which represented the Civil War soldiers and sailors attempting to overcome the disorder of the states and preserve the union.  Surrounding this design were 34 stars representing each state in the Union as well as the 11 Confederate States.  Holding the medal was a ribbon with a blue bar on top and 13 red and white stripes running vertically connecting to an anchor which was connected to the star.  The Army Medal of Honor was very similar to the Navy.  The only difference was an eagle grasping a cannon and saber which connected the ribbon and star rather than the anchor.  This design of the Medal of Honor was awarded until World War I.

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In 1904 a new design for the Army Medal of Honor was created with a portrait of a helmeted goddess of war replacing the previous design.  There red, white, and blue ribbon was replaced with a light blue ribbon with 13 stars representing the original 13 colonies.  Replacing the 34 stars were the words "United States of America" and at the points of the stars remained oak clusters, however the laurel leaves where changed to a wreath around the outside.  The cannon was replaced with a bar that read "Valor."  In 1913, the Navy also changed the ribbon to the light blue ribbon with 13 stars.  The Navy introduced the Tiffany Cross design for the Medal of Honor in 1919, but it was not well received, and in 1942 it was changed to the previous version.  In 1965, the Air Force designed their own medal using the same basic design of the Army.  They replaced the goddess of war with the head of the Statue of Liberty and the words "United States of America" with 50 start around the outside.  Throughout history, the Navy's medal has undergone the fewest changes retaining the same design that was originally created.  Since 1965, neither the Army nor Air Force medals have changed in design.

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Today the Medal of Honor is held in great respect because it is so rarely awarded.  This rarity is due to the changes that were made to the requirements throughout history, refining the criteria for the recipients.  The Medal of Honor is the only military medal worn around the neck rather than pinned on the uniform.  On May 2, 1985, Congress authorized "a rosette or knot to be worn in lieu of the medal and a ribbon to be worn with the medal."  The Medal of Honor ribbon is blue with five stars, two at the top and three at the bottom.  To protect the integrity of the Medal of Honor and its recipients, Congress has made it illegal for a non-recipient to wear the medal.  It is illegal to manufacture or sell the medal.  Unfortunately, many people still try to find loopholes in the laws, either buying fake medals and wearing them or simply claiming to be a Medal of Honor recipient.  Violators of the law face fines and/or jail time of up to six months.

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Although most Medal of Honor recipients are everyday people, some were either already well known or went on to become famous.  Throughout history, there are only two father and son recipients of the Medal of Honor.  1st Lieutenant Arthur MacArthur and General Douglas MacArthur were the first pair to receive the award, followed by Theodore Roosevelt, who is the only President to receive the medal, and his son Theodore Roosevelt Junior.  Today, no one can receive the Medal of Honor twice, although throughout history there have been 19 double recipients.  It is believed that the youngest recipient was William Johnston who earned the Medal of Honor prior to his 12th birthday.  Only one woman, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, received the Medal of Honor.  She served as a civilian surgeon during the Civil War when the Army rejected her request to become an Army surgeon.  Later, while delivering letters to soldiers, she was captured as a spy by the Confederates and held in a prison camp for five months until she was released in a prisoner exchange.  Other people received the Medal of Honor for non-military actions.  Floyd Bennett and Admiral Richard Byrd received the medal for their flight over the North Pole, and Charles Lindbergh received one for his nonstop flight from New York to Paris.  Some of the most notable men who rose to fame include Audi Murphy, Eddie Rickenbacker, Alvin York, Bob Kerrey, James Stockade, and Daniel Inouye.  The medal is coveted by many people.  General George Patton said that he would have given his immortal soul for the medal, and two Presidents, Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson, told recipients they would rather have the medal than be president.  The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery has a unique tradition with the Medal of Honor.  Since World War I, the United States has created a tomb for the remains of a soldier who was unable to be identified.  On November 11, 1921, the Unknown Soldier from World War I received the Medal of Honor.  After the Korean War, President Dwight D Eisenhower signed a bill to create two more tombs:  one for the Unknown Soldier from World War II and one for an Unknown Soldier from the Korean War.  Both Unknown Soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor before they were buried.  On May 28, 1982, President Reagan awarded the Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier of Vietnam.  In 1998, however, the remains of the Vietnam Unknown Soldier were exhumed, and based on mitochondrial DNA testing, scientists were able to discover the identity of the body.  The crypt cover has since been replaced with one that reads "Honoring and Keeping Faith with America's Missing Servicemen, 1958-1975." Since the Vietnam War, no Unknown Soldier tomb has been erected.

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During the late 1990's and the early twenty-first century, there was a comprehensive effort to review previously overlooked African Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders who were deserving of the Medal of Honor.  No Medal of Honor had been awarded to minority American soldiers during World War I and World War II. President Obama awarded 24 Medals of Honor to veterans of racial and ethnic minorities from these wars.