Veracruz 1914: Medal of Honor Recipients

On April 21–22, 1914, U.S. sailors and Marines landed at Veracruz, Mexico, and seized the city after two days of street fighting. The landing produced an unusually large number of Medals of Honor, many for officers who were simply in command — a pattern that drew criticism and helped push the Navy toward stricter standards.

Major Smedley Butler reportedly tried to return his Veracruz medal, saying he had done nothing to deserve it; he was ordered to keep it and later earned a second one in Haiti.