Arlington National Cemetery is a United States military cemetery located in Arlington County, Virginia near The Pentagon and directly across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. The cemetery has graves for thousands of casualties and deceased veterans of the nation's conflicts, beginning with the American Civil War but includes reinterred dead from earlier wars as well. It was established during the Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, which had been the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna (Custis) Lee (a great-granddaughter of Martha Washington).
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.[1]
Recipients
Image | Name | Service | Rank | Death date | Burial location | Comments |
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Beauford T. Anderson | Army | Technical Sergeant | 7 Nov 1996 | Section 44, Grave 292 | Risked his life to save several of his fellow soldiers and repel an enemy attack single-handedly. |
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Richard N. Antrim | Navy | Lieutenant | March 7, 1969 | Section 35, Grave 2613 | During the early part of his imprisonment at Makassar in April 1942, he saw a Japanese guard brutally beating a fellow prisoner of war and successfully intervened, at great risk to his own life. For his conspicuous act of valor, Antrim later received the Medal of Honor. |
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Vernon J. Baker | Army | Second Lieutenant | July 13, 2010 | Section 59, Grave 4408 | Demonstrated outstanding courage and leadership in destroying enemy installations, personnel and equipment during his company's attack against a strongly entrenched enemy in mountainous terrain. One of seven African American soldiers who received their medals belatedly, after a 1993 study revealed discrimination that caused them to be overlooked at the time. |
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John Basilone | Marine Corps | Sergeant | February 19, 1945 | Section 12, Grave 384 | On the night of October 24–25, 1942 his unit engaged the Japanese in the Lunga area when their position came under attack by a regiment of approximately 3,000 soldiers. The Japanese forces began a frontal attack using machine guns, grenades and mortars against the American heavy machine guns. Basilone commanded two sections of machine guns that fought for the next 48 hours until only Basilone and two other men were still able to continue fighting. Basilone moved an extra gun into position and maintained continual fire against the incoming Japanese forces. He repaired another machine-gun and personally manned it, holding the defensive line until replacements arrived. With the continuous fighting, ammunition became critically low and supply lines were cut off. Basilone fought through hostile lines and returned with urgently needed ammunition for his gunners. He was killed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. He was the first Enlisted Marine to receive The Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, and The Navy Cross. |
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Bernard P. Bell | Army | Technical Sergeant | January 8, 1971 | Section 25, Site 3840 | By his intrepidity and bold, aggressive leadership, T/Sgt. Bell enabled his 8-man squad to drive back approximately 150 of the enemy, killing at least 87 and capturing 42. Personally, he killed more than 20 and captured 33 prisoners. |
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Pappy Boyington | Marine Corps | Major | January 11, 1988 | Section 7A, Grave 150 | Fighter pilot with 26 victories. |
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Bobbie E. Brown | Army | Captain | November 8, 1971 | Section 46, Grave 1021-17 | |
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John D. Bulkeley | Navy | Lieutenant Commander | April 6, 1996 | Section 5, Grave 129-9 | |
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Justice M. Chambers | Marine Corps | Lieutenant Colonel | July 29, 1982 | Section 6, Grave 5813-A-9 | |
File:RDavila.jpg | Rudolph B. Davila | Army | Staff Sergeant | January 26, 2002 | Section 67, Grave 3458 | One of 22 Asian American soldiers who received their medals in 2000, after a study revealed discrimination that caused them to be overlooked at the time. |
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Charles W. Davis | Army | Captain | January 18, 1991 | Section 7A, Lot 170 | |
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Jimmy Doolittle | Army Air Forces | Lieutenant Colonel | September 27, 1993 | Section 7A, Grave 110 | For leading the Doolittle Raid over the Japanese mainland. |
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Merritt A. Edson | Marine Corps | Colonel | August 14, 1955 | Section 2, Lot 4960-2 | |
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Henry T. Elrod† | Marine Corps | Captain | December 23, 1941 | Section 12, Grave 3246 | |
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Forrest E. Everhart | Army | Technical Sergeant | August 30, 1986 | Section 60, Grave 7516 | |
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Almond E. Fisher | Army | Second Lieutenant | January 7, 1982 | Section 6, Grave 8751-2 | |
Joseph J. Foss | Marine Corps | Captain | January 1, 2003 | Section 7A, Grave 162 | For shooting down 26 aircraft as leader of the Flying Circus. Later became a Governor of South Dakota. First commissioner of the American Football League. | |
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Robert E. Gerstung | Army | Technical Sergeant | June 17, 1979 | Section 66, Grave 6152 | |
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Leonard A. Funk, Jr. | Army | First Sergeant | November 20, 1992 | Section 35, Grave 2373-4 | |
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Samuel G. Fuqua | Navy | Lieutenant Commander | January 27, 1987 | Section 59, lot 485 | For heroism aboard the USS Arizona. |
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Freeman V. Horner | Army | Staff Sergeant | |||
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James H. Howard | Army Air Forces | Major | Was the only fighter pilot in the European Theater of Operations in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor | ||
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Douglas T. Jacobson | Marine Corps | Private First Class | |||
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Leon W. Johnson | Army Air Forces | Colonel | |||
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John R. Kane | Army Air Forces | Colonel | |||
File:Thomas J Kelly, MOH.jpg | Thomas J. Kelly | Army | Corporal | |||
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David R. Kingsley† | Army Air Forces | Second Lieutenant | |||
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John H. Leims | Marine Corps | Second Lieutenant | |||
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Charles A. MacGillivary | Army | Sergeant | Immigrant from Canada. | ||
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David McCampbell | Navy | Commander | Top Navy flying ace. 34 kills. | ||
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Joseph J. McCarthy | Marine Corps | Captain | |||
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Thomas B. McGuire, Jr.† | Army Air Forces | Major | The second leading air ace in World War II before being killed in action in January 1945. McGuire Air Force Base is named for him. | ||
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John W. Meagher | Army | Technical Sergeant | |||
File:John C. Morgan.gif | John C. Morgan | Army Air Forces | Second Lieutenant | |||
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Audie L. Murphy | Army | Second Lieutenant | Highest number of decorations for US combatant.
Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, one of the tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad that was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued his single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way back to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack, which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective | ||
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Charles P. Murray, Jr. | Army | First Lieutenant | |||
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Carlos C. Ogden | Army | First Lieutenant | |||
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Richard H. O'Kane | Navy | Commander | For submarine operations against two Japanese convoys. | ||
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Jackson C. Pharris | Navy | Gunner | |||
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Everett P. Pope | Marine Corps | Captain | |||
Arthur M. Preston | Navy | Lieutenant | ||||
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Lawson P. Ramage | Navy | Commander | Sunk enemy ships in gallant action. | ||
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Robert E. Roeder† | Army | Captain | |||
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Herbert E. Schonland | Navy | Commander | Took command of USS San Francisco after captain had been killed, fought ship and led her to safety. | ||
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David M. Shoup | Marine Corps | Colonel | Wrote battle plan for Tarawa assault, directed assault from trench on Betio beach as first waves came ashore.Twenty-second Commandant of the United States Marine Corps (January 1, 1960 – December 31, 1963) | ||
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Franklin E. Sigler | Marine Corps | Private | |||
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Edward A. Silk | Army | First Lieutenant | |||
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Luther Skaggs, Jr. | Marine Corps | Private First Class | |||
John L. Smith | Marine Corps | Major | ||||
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George L. Street, III | Navy | Lieutenant Commander | For torpedoing three enemy ships while captain of USS Triante. | ||
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Clyde A. Thomason† | Marine Corps | Sergeant | |||
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John J. Tominac | Army | First Lieutenant | |||
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Matt Urban | Army | Captain | March 4, 1995 | Section 7a, Grave 40 | For bravery as a company commander during combat operations. |
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Alexander A. Vandegrift | Marine Corps | Major General | Later became the 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps. | ||
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Jonathan M. Wainwright, IV | Army | Lieutenant General | |||
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Kenneth A. Walsh | Marine Corps | First Lieutenant | |||
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William G. Walsh† | Marine Corps | Gunnery Sergeant | |||
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Keith L. Ware | Army | Lieutenant Colonel | |||
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Hulon B. Whittington | Army | Sergeant | |||
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Thomas W. Wigle† | Army | Second Lieutenant | |||
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Louis H. Wilson, Jr. | Marine Corps | Captain | Later Became Commandant of the Marine Corps | ||
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Jay Zeamer, Jr. | Army Air Forces | Captain | March 22, 2007 | Section 34, Site 809-4 | Volunteered as pilot of a bomber on an important photographic mapping mission covering the formidably defended area in the vicinity of Buka, Solomon Islands |
Notes
References
- ↑ "A Brief History—The Medal of Honor". Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Department of Defense. August 8, 2006. http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/med_of_honor.html. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
Bibliography
- "Medal of Honor recipients". Listing of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who received the Medal of Honor during World War II. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/moh.html. Retrieved December 27, 2010.