1 –Most people think the award is called the Congressional Medal of Honor, most likely because it is always given by the President of the United States, “in the name of Congress.” But the official name is simply Medal of Honor.
2 –There are three different versions of the Medal of Honor: one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Air Force.
3- Mary Edwards Walker is the only woman who’s ever been awarded the Medal of Honor. Walker served as a Union Army surgeon, during the Civil War.
4-Only one U.S. President – Teddy Roosevelt — has ever been awarded the Medal of Honor. Roosevelt quit his job as Secretary of the Navy to lead a volunteer regiment, known as the Rough Riders, during the Spanish-American War.
5 – Nearly 3,500 different people have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Unbelievably, 19 men have been awarded the honor twice.
6-Willie Johnston is the youngest recipient ever to receive the Honor. He earned it at age 11, while serving in the Union Army, alongside his father, as a drummer boy. Willie never let go of his drum, during the “Seven Days Retreat,” while others in his unit shed their weapons and instruments, in order to flee faster. Willie later played for the entire division on July 4th.
7-Jacklyn “Jack” Lucas, is the youngest Marine to have ever received the Medal of Honor. Lucas lied his way into the armed forces, during World War II, at the age of 14. At 17, he shielded several of his fellow soldiers from enemy grenades, during Iwo Jima.
8-There are two father-son pairs that have won the Medal of Honor. Arthur MacArthur, Jr. and his son, General Douglas MacArthur were the first father and son to both be awarded Medals of Honor. The only others were President Teddy Roosevelt and his son, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who led the first wave of troops onto Utah Beach during the Normandy Landings of World War II.
9-There are also five pairs of brothers that have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Most of them fought during the Civil War. Antoine and Julien Gaujot have the unique distinction of receiving their awards for their actions in separate conflicts; Antoine for the Philippine-American War, Julien for crossing the border to rescue both Mexicans and Americans, during the Mexican Revolution.
10-Following a 1993 investigation into possible racial discrimination in the awarding of the Medal of Honor, a group of Distinguished Service Cross recipients were upgraded to the higher honor.
11-More than half of all Medals of Honor have been awarded posthumously.
12-When you get a medal of honor, you earn a lifetime of special benefits and privileges. For example, if you were not previously eligible for burial in Arlington cemetery you are now.
13-Medal of honor recipients also receive invitations to all future presidential inaugurations and inaugural balls.
14-As of 2002, in addition to the actual Medal of Honor, recipients also get a special Medal of Honor flag.
This article originally appeared on Popular Military on July 17, 2015
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