March 25 is Medal of Honor Day  -  Click on the link at the bottom of this page to check the names of all Medal of honor winners from the Civil war to present. 
 Above and beyond the call of duty. You hear it in corporate conference rooms, on football fields, maybe even after whipping up a gourmet meal. It's one of Americans' favorite phrases to recognize people who surpass our expectations. The saying is so common, in fact, that it's easy to forget where it originated.
"Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty." Those words accompany the presentation of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration. On the medal itself, the same sentiment is captured in one word: valor.

Medal of Honor recipient, retired U.S. Army Col. Jack Jacobs gives the featured speech at USAA's 2010 Memorial Day ceremony. Jacobs is introduced by Stephen Speakes, USAA executive vice president, Enterprise Strategy & Planning Group.
In 2007, Congress passed a resolution to create an annual National Medal of Honor Day, to help all Americans recognize and pay respect to the tremendous bravery of our service members, whose commitment first inspired the words "above and beyond."

A Day to Be Thankful
Congress chose March 25 for Medal of Honor Day to commemorate the first-ever presentation of the award in 1863, during the Civil War. Pvt. Jacob Parrot was the first to receive the medal that day, followed by several others of his fellow soldiers. The group had risked their lives in a daring plot to capture a locomotive and destroy bridges and train tracks, disrupting Confederate supply lines. They were captured and held as POWs for four months before their release, in a swap for Confederate prisoners.

In the 150 years since 1861 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the law providing for a Medal of Honor, more than 3,400 Medals of Honor would be bestowed upon heroic service members from every military branch. Before World War II, the medal could be awarded for bravery not involving direct contact with enemy forces. Such was the case for Navy diver William Badders, who in 1939 received the decoration for rescuing crewmen of the sinking submarine U.S.S. Squalus.

But most Medals of Honor have been earned in battle (464 in World War II alone). Some fearless deeds were recognized almost immediately, like Pvt. Leonard Mason, who single-handedly cleared a Japanese bunker despite being shot multiple times, allowing his platoon to complete an important mission. Others took longer, like for 22 Asian-American service members (including current Sen. Daniel Inouye) who fought valiantly in WWII Europe, and had their awards upgraded to the Medal of Honor in the year 2000. 

Service and Sacrifice
With each passing conflict, the criteria for receiving the honor have grown increasingly demanding, recognizing only the most selfless acts performed with little regard for personal safety. For that reason, the medal is often bestowed posthumously.

Army Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta, the most recent to be honored in 2010, defied the odds. After an ambush by Afghan insurgents, Giunta braved intense enemy fire to rescue a wounded comrade who had been captured. Though his fellow soldier would later succumb to his injuries, Giunta became the first living Medal of Honor recipient since the Vietnam War.

Undoubtedly, most who have lived to receive the medal have accepted it with bittersweet sentiments. They have proved their heroism, but have done so in the face of tragedy.

For that, they are worthy of our greatest admiration, as are those who never left the field of battle. On Medal of Honor Day, we at USAA remember and salute them.

The official citation of every Medal of Honor recipient since 1863 is available at Medal of Honor Citations. 





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