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The President of the United
States BIDDLE, MELVIN E. Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Near Soy, Belgium, 23-24 December 1944. Entered service at: Anderson, Ind. Birth: Daleville, Ind. G.O. No.. 95, 30 October 1945. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy near Soy, Belgium, on 23 and 24 December 1944. Serving as lead scout during an attack to relieve the enemy-encircled town of Hotton, he aggressively penetrated a densely wooded area, advanced 400 yards until he came within range of intense enemy rifle fire, and within 20 yards of enemy positions killed 3 snipers with unerring marksmanship. Courageously continuing his advance an additional 200 yards, he discovered a hostile machinegun position and dispatched its 2 occupants. He then located the approximate position of a well-concealed enemy machinegun nest, and crawling forward threw hand grenades which killed two Germans and fatally wounded a third. After signaling his company to advance, he entered a determined line of enemy defense, coolly and deliberately shifted his position, and shot 3 more enemy soldiers. Undaunted by enemy fire, he crawled within 20 yards of a machinegun nest, tossed his last hand grenade into the position, and after the explosion charged the emplacement firing his rifle. When night fell, he scouted enemy positions alone for several hours and returned with valuable information which enabled our attacking infantry and armor to knock out 2 enemy tanks. At daybreak he again led the advance and, when flanking elements were pinned down by enemy fire, without hesitation made his way toward a hostile machinegun position and from a distance of 50 yards killed the crew and 2 supporting riflemen. The remainder of the enemy, finding themselves without automatic weapon support, fled panic stricken. Pfc. Biddle's intrepid courage and superb daring during his 20-hour action enabled his battalion to break the enemy grasp on Hotton with a minimum of casualties. |
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The Living Recipients of the Medal of Honor |
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The Medal of Honor may well be our Nation's rarest "gem", and the men who wear it are certainly our most "endangered species". Even most military veterans have never actually SEEN a Medal of Honor, much less met one of the few men authorized to display it around his neck. Since it was established in 1862 at the beginning of the Civil War, it has only been awarded to 3,442 heroes...almost half of them Civil War soldiers.
Since the beginning of World War II, only 844 Medals of Honor have been awarded. Over half that number died in their moment of heroism. Only 327 soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen from Pearl Harbor to Somalia have survived to actually wear the Medal. Today only 116 of them are still with us. The information below details the 844 Medals awarded from World War II to present. (There are no surviving World War I Medal of Honor recipients today.)
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Of 844 Recipients since World
War II |
It is often lamented that our Nation needs REAL heroes, role models for us to admire and emulate. The men who have received our Nation's highest award for heroism certainly meet the criteria. In an age that worships sports heroes, movie stars, and the rich and famous, Medal of Honor recipients stand out. Their claim to the title "hero" comes not from athletic prowess, a celebrity fan club, or financial success. These men attained their title for caring enough about their Nation and their comrades in arms, to risk and often sacrifice their life, that others might live. That quality of character defines a REAL hero.
WHY DO MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS MAKE SUCH GOOD ROLE MODELS?
Beyond the obvious answer to this question are some often over-looked criteria. First, no matter who YOU are, there is bound to be a Medal of Honor recipient YOU can identify with. You can find your heroes on the sports field, but deep in your heart you know you can never be like them. You realize that it is unrealistic to think you would ever have an arm like John Elway, be the size of "Magic" Johnson, or have the speed of Carl Lewis. Medal of Honor recipients are ordinary people...people just like YOU...who in one moment of terror found within themselves the character and courage to do the unthinkable. From 5'2" John Baker, Jr. to 6'5" General Robert Foley, from 17 year old Jack Lucas at Iwo Jima to George Day who was 42 years old the day he was shot down over North Vietnam, these men who define the word "HERO" come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and from every situation imaginable.
Imagine for a moment what it would be like to visit Mount Rushmore, and suddenly hear the voices of the Presidents memorialized there. Imagine what it would be like to hear from and ask questions of heroes like Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt. Sadly, these symbols of American greatness, no longer can tell us their thoughts, encourage us in moments of despair, or inspire us to new levels of service and achievement. The few remaining living Medal of Honor recipients may be the ONLY such tribute from our history that still has a voice...yet many Americans don't even know who they are.
Today there are 116 of them, most over the age of 75. Sadly we are loosing them far too quickly...and it is important that we move swiftly to share their part of our heritage with our youth before it is too late.
The Living Medal of Honor Recipients
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Living MOH by War |
Living MOH by Branch of Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Living Recipients by AGE:
| AVERAGE AGE OF ALL LIVING RECIPIENTS: |
73 Years of Age |
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Breakdown by Age | |
| Aged 50 - 59 |
16 Recipients |
| Aged 60 - 69 |
33 Recipients |
| Aged 70 - 79 | 22 Recipients |
| Aged 80 - 89 | 43 Recipients |
| Aged 90+ | 2 Recipients |
The pages in this part of the Wall of Honor exhibit will acquaint you with the remaining heroes. You can visit the various pages and learn more about them. We've also included TWO very special ideas pages. One of these two pages provides ideas for schools and teachers to help them with historical lesson plans and projects to introduce their students to our remaining Medal of Honor recipients. The other page is designed to afford every thankful citizen the opportunity to send their regards to a real hero.
