page_title: Medal of Honor
hierarchical_section_title: Medal of Honor
caption_attribution_description: English: The Medals of Honor awarded by each of the three branches of the U.S. military, and are, from left to right, the Army, Coast Guard/Navy/Marine Corps and Air Force.
context_page_description: The Medal of Honor is the United States of America's highest and most-prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. The medal is normally awarded by the President of the United States in the name of the U.S. Congress. Because the medal is presented "in the name of Congress", it is incorrectly known as the "Congressional Medal of Honor". However, the official name of the current award is "Medal of Honor". Within the United States Code the medal is referred to as the "Medal of Honor", and less frequently as "Congressional Medal of Honor". U.S. awards, including the Medal of Honor, do not confer post-nominal titles, but the official abbreviation is "MOH".
  There are three versions of the medal, one each for the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy and Department of the Air Force. Despite not normally being a part of the Department of the Navy, the United States Coast Guard awards the DoN's variant of the medal. The Medal of Honor was introduced for the Department of the Navy in 1861, soon followed by the Department of the Army's version in 1862.
context_section_description: The Medal of Honor is the United States of America's highest and most-prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. The medal is normally awarded by the President of the United States in the name of the U.S. Congress.  Because the medal is presented "in the name of Congress", it is incorrectly known as the "Congressional Medal of Honor".  However, the official name of the current award is "Medal of Honor". Within the United States Code the medal is referred to as the "Medal of Honor", and less frequently as "Congressional Medal of Honor". U.S. awards, including the Medal of Honor, do not confer post-nominal titles, but the official abbreviation (often informally appended after the recipient's name) is "MOH".
  There are three versions of the medal, one each for the Department of the Army (United States Army), Department of the Navy (United States Navy and United States Marine Corps) and Department of the Air Force (United States Air Force and United States Space Force). Despite not normally being a part of the Department of the Navy, the United States Coast Guard awards the DoN's variant of the medal. The Medal of Honor was introduced for the Department of the Navy in 1861, soon followed by the Department of the Army's version in 1862. The Department of the Air Force received their own version in 1965. The Medal of Honor is the oldest continuously issued combat decoration of the United States' armed forces. The President typically presents the Medal at a formal ceremony intended to represent the gratitude of the American people, with posthumous presentations made to the primary next of kin.
  According to the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States, there have been 3,525 Medals of Honor awarded to 3,506 individuals since the decoration's creation, with over 40% awarded for actions during the American Civil War. In 1990, Congress designated March 25 annually as "National Medal of Honor Day". Since 1948, the Medal of Honor and all service decorations awarded to members of the armed forces by any of the armed services have been afforded special protection under U.S. law against any unauthorized adornment, sale, or manufacture, which includes any associated ribbon or badge.
caption: Department of the Army, Navy and Air Force versions
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