Valor 24 Medal of Honor recipients

As a result of a Congressionally mandated review to ensure brave acts were not overlooked due to prejudice or discrimination, on March 18, 2014 President Obama upgraded Distinguished Service Crosses to Medals of Honor for 24 individuals—the "Valor 24"—for their actions in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Of the 24 Hispanic, Jewish, and African American recipients, three were still living at the time of the ceremony.

Medal of Honor

Main article: Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously.

World War II

Photo	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Notes
	Cano, PedroPedro Cano†	Army	E-01 !Private	Schevenhütte, Germany	000000001944-12-02-0000December 2, 1944 – 000000001944-12-03-0000December 3, 1944	Repeatedly risked his life destroying enemy machine gun positions using rockets and grenades, in support of his own and adjacent infantry company
	Gandara, JoeJoe Gandara†	Army	E-01 !Private	Amfreville, France	000000001944-06-09-0000June 9, 1944	Advanced voluntarily and alone toward an enemy position and destroyed three hostile machine guns before being fatally wounded.
	Lara, Salvador J.Salvador J. Lara	Army	E-06 !Staff Sergeant	Aprilia, Italy	000000001944-05-27-0000May 27, 1944 – 000000001944-05-28-0000May 28, 1944	Aggressively led his rifle squad in neutralizing multiple enemy strongpoints and inflicting large numbers of casualties, and resumed the attack the next day despite receiving a severe leg wound.
	Leonard, William F.William F. Leonard	Army	E-06 !Staff Sergeant	Near St. Die, France	000000001944-11-07-0000November 7, 1944	Led an assault continuously swept by enemy automatic fire, killing two snipers, and, despite bullets wounds to his back, destroyed two machine guns and captured a roadblock objective.
	Mendoza, Manuel V.Manuel V. Mendoza	Army	E-08 !Master Sergeant	Mt. Battaglia, Italy	000000001944-10-04-0000October 4, 1944	Single-handedly broke up a German counterattack.
—	Nietzel, Alfred B.Alfred B. Nietzel†	Army	E-05 !Sergeant	Heistern, Germany	000000001944-11-18-0000November 18, 1944	When an enemy assault threatened to overrun his unit's position, Nietzel covered for the retreating members of his squad, expending all his ammunition and holding his post until being killed. One of 24 soldiers who received their medals in 2014, after a study revealed discrimination that caused them to be overlooked.
	Schwab, Donald K.Donald K. Schwab†	Army	O-02 !First Lieutenant	Near Lure, Haute-Saône, France	000000001944-09-17-0000September 17, 1944	Under intense enemy fire, dismantled a strong German position and took a prisoner of war.

Korean War

The Korean War was an escalation of border clashes between two rival Korean regimes (each of which was supported by external powers) with each Korean regime trying to topple the other through political and guerilla tactics. In a very narrow sense, some may refer to it as a civil war, though many other factors were at play. After failing to strengthen their cause in the free elections held in South Korea during May 1950 and the refusal of South Korea to hold new elections per North Korean demands, the communist North Korean Army moved south on June 25, 1950 to attempt to reunite the Korean peninsula, which had been formally divided since 1948. The conflict was then expanded by the United States and the Soviet Union's involvement as part of the larger Cold War. The main hostilities were during the period from June 25, 1950 until the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953.

Photo	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Notes
	Baldonado, Joe R.Joe R. Baldonado†	Army	E-04Corporal	Kangdong, Korea	000000001950-11-25-0000November 25, 1950	Sacrificed his life by remaining in an exposed machine gun position during an enemy attack; killed numerous enemy troops.
	Espinoza, Victor H.Victor H. Espinoza	Army	E-04Corporal	Chorwon, Korea	000000001952-08-01-0000August 1, 1952	Single-handedly silenced a machine gun crew, discovered and destroyed covert enemy tunnel, wiped out two bunkers.
	Gomez, Eduardo C.Eduardo C. Gomez	Army	Sergeant	Tabu-dong, Korea	000000001950-09-03-0000September 3, 1950	Crawled thirty yards across an open rice field to single-handedly destroy an enemy tank
	Kravitz, Leonard M.Leonard M. Kravitz†	Army	O-03Private First Class	Yangpyong, Korea	000000001951-03-06-0000March 6, 1951 to 000000001951-03-07-0000March 7, 1951	Provided suppressive fire for his retreating unit after position had been overrun by the enemy
	Negrón, JuanJuan Negrón	Army	E-08Master Sergeant	Kalma-Eri, Korea	000000001951-04-28-0000April 28, 1951	Held the most vulnerable position on his company’s position throughout the night, accurately hurling hand grenades at short range when hostile troops approached.
	Pena, Mike C.Mike C. Pena†	Army	E-08Master Sergeant	Waegwan, Korea	000000001950-09-04-0000September 4, 1950	Covered his unit's retreat and single-handedly held off large enemy force overnight, until being killed the following morning.
	Rivera, DemensioDemensio Rivera	Army	E-02Private First Class	Changyongni, Korea	000000001951-05-22-0000May 22, 1951 to 000000001951-05-23-0000May 23, 1951	An automatic rifleman, Rivera tenaciously held a forward position exposed to heavy fire; when his rifle became inoperative, Rivera used his pistol and grenades, and eventually fought hand-to-hand and forced back the enemy.
	Vera, MiguelMiguel Vera†	Army	E-01Private	Chorwon, Korea	000000001952-09-21-0000September 21, 1952	Selflessly chose to remain in position during an enemy attack and cover friendly troops' withdrawal from part of "Old Baldy" hill.
	Weinstein, JackJack Weinstein	Army	E-05Sergeant	Kumson, Korea	000000001951-10-19-0000October 19, 1951	Alone and unaided, held ground in the face of an enemy attack to permit his platoon to withdraw, even using enemy hand grenades to halt enemy advance.

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War took place from 1955 to 1975. The war was fought between the Communist-supported Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the United States-supported Republic of Vietnam, beginning with the presence of a small number of US military advisors in 1955 and escalating into direct US involvement in a ground war in 1965. It concluded with the Fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975, defeating the United States foreign policy in Vietnam.

During the Vietnam War, 248 Medals of Honor were received, 156 (62.9%) of them posthumously. Soldiers of the Army received the most with 161, followed by 57 to the Marines, 16 to the Navy and the remaining 14 to the Air Force.

The first African American recipient of the war was Milton L. Olive, III who sacrificed himself to save others by smothering a grenade with his body. Riley L. Pitts was killed after attacking an enemy force with rifle fire and grenades and was the first African American commissioned officer of the war to receive the medal.

Photo	Name	Service	Rank	Place of action	Date of action	Notes
	Alvarado, Leonard L.Leonard L. Alvarado*	Army	E-4 !Specialist Four	Phước Long Province	000000001969-08-12-0000August 12, 1969	For disrupting an enemy raid and saving the lives of several comrades
	Conde-Falcon, Felix M.Felix M. Conde-Falcon*	Army	E-6 !Staff Sergeant	Ap Tan Hoa	000000001969-04-04-0000April 4, 1969	Killed while assaulting heavily fortified enemy bunkers
	Copas, Ardie R.Ardie R. Copas*	Army	E-4 !Specialist Four	Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia	000000001970-05-12-0000May 12, 1970	Killed while holding off an enemy ambush while wounded, so his comrades could be evacuated
	Duran, Jesus S.Jesus S. Duran*	Army	E-5 !Sergeant	Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia	000000001969-04-10-0000April 10, 1969	Saved wounded Americans on a search and clear operation
	Erevia, Santiago J.Santiago J. Erevia	Army	Specialist Four	near Tam Kỳ	000000001969-05-01-0000May 1969	For his courageous actions while serving as radio telephone operator in Company C, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) during search and clear mission.
	Garcia, CandelarioCandelario Garcia*	Army	Sergeant	Lai Khe	000000001968-12-08-0000December 8, 1968	Destroyed two enemy machine gun nests while saving wounded comrades
	Morris, MelvinMelvin Morris	Army	E-6 !Staff Sergeant	near Chi Lăng	000000001969-09-17-0000September 17, 1969	For his courageous actions while serving as Commander of a Strike Force drawn from Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy.
	Rodela, JoseJose Rodela	Army	Master Sergeant	Phuoc Long Province	000000001969-09-01-0000September 1, 1969	Repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to attend to the fallen and eliminate an enemy rocket position.

Bibliography

• Murphy, Edward F. (July 1987). Vietnam Medal of Honor Heroes. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-33890-7.