Division in its untenable situation at Guadalcanal. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, then commander of U.S. Army Forces East, was awarded the medal for his direction in defending the Philippines, which he and his family departed shortly before the islands fell to the Japanese. Of the 464 World War II medals
awarded, 324 went to soldiers, and the rest were distributed among Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. In 1963, more than a century after the Medal of Honor’s incep- tion, Congress established guide- lines under which the honor could be awarded. The recipient must be a member of the armed forces who distinguishes himself “conspicuous- ly by gallantry at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty” • while engaged in an action against an enemy of the U.S.; • while engaged in military opera- tions involving conflict with an op- posing foreign force; or • while serving with friendly forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the U.S. is not a belligerent party. These guidelines still are followed.
In the face of danger Just a few years after congressional clarification, Vietnam ushered in a
new era of heroism. Citations can be chilling. Self-sacrifice to save fellow soldiers, Marines, sailors, or airmen often garnered top honors. “The medal is not what men of
valor seek,” says Charles Melson, the Marine Corps’ chief historian. “It happens, sometimes in an instant. The Medal of Honor changes the in- dividual and the organization. They are bound together in a way they weren’t before that moment. They all have a stake in the act and the medal,” he says. Recipients humbly accept the
adoration of a grateful nation, but the number of living recipients has dwindled to fewer than 90, down from more than 200 in 1970. Some see more similarities than differ- ences with their brothers over the medal’s 150-year history. “Valor is that quality enabling
one to act positively in the face of danger, especially when facing an enemy force,” says Korean War Medal of Honor recipient retired Navy Capt. Thomas Hudner. “I don’t think valor standards have changed. There may be changing definitions of valor, but the standards are what they always have been.”
MO
— Contributing Editor Gina DiNicolo is a freelance writer based in Virginia. Her last article for Military Officer was “Wag- ing Peace,” July 2011.
Then-Cpl. Dakota Meyer, USMC, Embed- ded Training Team 2-8, rescued 23 Afghan al- lies and 13 Americans in the heat of battle in Ganjgal, Afghanistan, Sept. 8, 2009.
save [others] often gar- nered top honors.
Citations can be chill- ing. Self- sacrifice to
*Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, USA, Special Forc- es Operational Detach- ment Alpha 3312, Special Operations Task Force- 33, was killed while diverting gunfire from Taliban forces in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, Jan. 25, 2008, so fellow soldiers could escape.
PHOTOS: ABOVE, STAFF SGT. COREY DENNIS, USA; RIGHT, SPC. DAVID M. SHARP, USA; TOP, CPL. AUSTIN HAZARD, USMC; FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT, COURTESY U.S. ARMY; COURTESY U.S. ARMY
Then-Staff Sgt. Leroy Petry, USA, 2nd Bat- talion, 75th Ranger Regiment, picked up and threw a live gre- nade away from his fellow soldiers in Paktia Province, Afghanistan, May 26, 2008. He was seriously wounded in the process.
DECEMBER 2011 MILITARY OFFICER 55
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