Throughout American history, the Medal of Honor has been the ultimate symbol of valor, awarded to over 3,500 service members. However, an elite group of just has achieved the extraordinary feat of receiving the medal twice. The Three Paths to a Double Award
The is the United States' highest and most prestigious military decoration, awarded for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty". Since its inception in 1861, more than 3,500 service members have received the award, but it is extremely rare to be honored twice. 2 medal of honor
The two Medals of Honor sat side by side in a polished mahogany case, their blue silk ribbons faded to a dusky violet. To most visitors at the Smithsonian’s storage annex, they looked identical—five-pointed stars hanging from a laurel wreath, each bearing the face of Minerva. But to Dr. Lena Reyes, the curator of military history, they told two entirely different stories of courage. Throughout American history, the Medal of Honor has
Another notable double recipient was , a scout for the U.S. Cavalry. Wilson received his first medal for pursuing a band of hostile Indians in Texas and his second for braving heavy fire to recover a wounded soldier during the same campaign. His actions highlighted a common theme among double recipients: a consistent pattern of risk-taking that went above and beyond the call of duty. Since its inception in 1861, more than 3,500
You do it again.
The most legitimate members of the "2 Medal of Honor" club are the five men who earned the medal for two entirely different battles, years apart, in the 19th century.
She picked up Holloway’s medal first. It was lighter than she expected—93 grams of gilded bronze. The back was engraved with his name and the date. She thought of him living another forty years after that November morning. He’d been a mailman. He’d had three daughters. He’d died in 1989 watching a baseball game on a black-and-white TV. He’d kept his medal in a sock drawer.