Each branch has it's own design. Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel are awarded the Navy version.
Posted on 09/22/2017 9:45:08 AM PDT by bimboeruption
Are Medal of Honor recipients awarded the citation in the uniform they earned it in or the rank they retired as?
I did a number of searches asking this question in several different ways and can't find an answer.
If you can provide a link, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Last rank that they held.
However,I'm not at *all* certain of this so I could *very* well be mistaken.
They are awarded in uniform, with their current rank. Meaning if a SSG (E-6) earned it as a SPC (E-4), the award would read “SPC So and So) but the award ceremony would occur in Class A’s with SSG rank.
Thanks Thomas.
I’m having a discussion with someone who says it’s the rank they earned it in. My husband (Vietnam Vet) thinks otherwise but I can’t find anything in writing.
Awards citations always refer to the individual in the rank held at the time the award was earned. The individual may wear a different rank at the time the award ceremony is held due to the administrative time required for the review process.
That makes sense, last active rank held.
Rank achieved I believe.
I looked at photos of award ceremonies to see what uniform the recipient is wearing and then reading the info about what rank he was when it happened and then comparing uniforms.
But I know very little about rank patches and my husband is out of town so I’m just spinning my wheels.
I agree. I can think of no armed services ceremony where you don’t wear your current rank and branch.
I knew a MOH recipient who was a First Lt. in the Army guard who had been a Navy Corpsman at the time of his valorous conduct. He went to various ceremonies and I never saw him in his Vietnam era naval uniform.
Each branch has it's own design. Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel are awarded the Navy version.
Your answer makes sense.
T-Bird, do you know where I can find this in writing?
Air Force would try to make theirs look bigger....compensating? ;)
Air Force personnel have bigger brains, hence the larger ornament.
;)
SGT
USAF
1972-1976
You need to go to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for the correct answer and if no answer is posted, submit your inquiry directly to them:
My own review shows that the MOH citation reflects the individual’s rank at the time of the action for which the award is being given. The individual wears his current uniform and rank when it is presented.
See thse articles on MOH receipient LTC Bruce P. Crandall, who was Major Crandall at the time of the action. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3250/crandall-bruce-p.php
https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/crandall/
Thank you GreyFriar...I just sent the MOH Society my question.
I want to talk more with you about the photos you posted, but I have to leave home for a couple of hours.
Thanks again!
For awards that are not posthumous, the pattern appears to be that the primary reference to their grade is the grade they held at the time of the award, with a parenthetical reference to the grade they held at the time of the action they are being recognized for.
An example here:
http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3216/anderson-webster.php
“Sfc. Anderson (then S/Sgt.), distinguished himself...”
Dear Bim,
I merely attached the URLs for the photos rather than posting them on the original sites. But will try to answer your questions.
V/r, G-F
Thanks for the info Duncan, but what uniform do they wear at their award ceremony? Their current rank or the rank they were when the valorous conduct took place?
To the best of my knowledge it would be whatever service/grade in effect at the time of the award.
In the case of those who receive the award after they leave the service, it would be the uniform associated with their last duty date.
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