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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

1941–1945

World War II: Medal of Honor Recipients

474 Medals of Honor were awarded for the World War II (1941–1945), 276 of them posthumously.

474medals
276posthumous
0living
50states

More than 16 million Americans served in World War II, from the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, to the surrender of Japan in September 1945. Medals of Honor were earned in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany, across the Pacific islands, in the skies over Europe and at sea.

Some of the most familiar names in American military history appear here — among them Audie Murphy, Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector to receive the medal, and Daniel Inouye, one of 22 Asian American soldiers whose awards were upgraded in 2000 after a review of possible discrimination.

By service branch

U.S. Army295
U.S. Navy47
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve46
U.S. Army Air Corps38
U.S. Marine Corps36
U.S. Naval Reserve9
U.S. Naval Reserve Force1
U.S. Coast Guard1

Medals by month of action

Top states (credited to)

New York35
Texas32
Ohio29
Pennsylvania29
Illinois26
California25
Massachusetts18
Wisconsin16

Days with the most recipients

All recipients · page 1 of 4

474 total, A–Z by last name
Lucian Adams Staff Sergeant · Army October 28, 1944 Harold Christ Agerholm Private First Class · Marine Corps July 7, 1944 ✦ Beauford Theodore Anderson Technical Sergeant · Army April 13, 1945 Richard Beatty Anderson Private First Class · Marine Corps February 1, 1944 ✦ SA Sylvester Antolak Sergeant · Army May 24, 1944 ✦ Richard Nott Antrim Commander · Navy April 1942 TA Thomas Eugene "gene" Atkins Private First Class · Army March 10, 1945 Kenneth Dillon Bailey Major · Marine Corps September 12 - 13, 1942 ✦ Addison Earl Baker Lieutenant Colonel · Air Force August 1, 1943 ✦ TB Thomas Alexander Baker Jr. Sergeant · Army June 19 - July 7, 1944 ✦ Vernon Joseph Baker First Lieutenant · Army April 5 - 6, 1945 Van Thomas Barfoot Second Lieutenant · Army May 23, 1944 CB Carlton William Barrett Private · Army June 6, 1944 John "Manila John" Basilone Sergeant · Marine Corps October 24 - 25, 1942 Harold William "indian joe" Bauer Lieutenant Colonel · Marine Corps May 10 - November 14, 1942 ✦ Lewis Kenneth Bausell Corporal · Marine Corps September 15, 1944 ✦ Raymond Ovila Beaudoin First Lieutenant · Army April 6, 1945 ✦ Bernard Pious Bell Technical Sergeant · Army December 18, 1944 SB Stanley Bender Staff Sergeant · Army August 17, 1944 GB George Benjamin Jr. Private First Class · Army December 21, 1944 ✦ EB Edward Andrew Bennett Corporal · Army February 1, 1945 Mervyn Sharp Bennion Captain · Navy December 7, 1941 ✦ Charles Joseph Berry Corporal · Marine Corps March 3, 1945 ✦ VB Vito R. Bertoldo Master Sergeant · Army January 9 - 10, 1945 Arthur O. Beyer Corporal · Army January 15, 1945 Willibald Charles Bianchi First Lieutenant · Army February 3, 1942 ✦ MB Melvin Earl Biddle Private First Class · Army December 23 - 24, 1944 Elmer Charles Bigelow Watertender First Class · Navy February 14, 1945 ✦ Arnold L. Bjorklund First Lieutenant · Army September 13, 1943 OB Orville Emil Bloch First Lieutenant · Army September 22, 1944 Paul Luther Bolden Staff Sergeant · Army December 23, 1944 Cecil Hamilton Bolton First Lieutenant · Army November 2, 1944 Richard Ira Bong Major · Air Force October 10 - November 15, 1944 Alexander "Sandy" Bonnyman Jr. First Lieutenant · Marine Corps November 20 - 22, 1943 ✦ Robert D. Booker Private · Army April 9, 1943 ✦ William James Bordelon Staff Sergeant · Marine Corps November 20, 1943 ✦ GB George W. g Boyce Jr. Second Lieutenant · Army July 23, 1944 ✦ Gregory "Pappy" Boyington Major · Marine Corps September 12, 1943 Herschel Floyd "pete" Briles Staff Sergeant · Army November 20, 1944 MB Maurice Lee (footsie) Britt Captain · Army November 10, 1943 LB Leonard Carl Brostrom Private First Class · Army October 28, 1944 ✦ BB Bobbie Evan Brown Jr. Captain · Army October 8, 1944 John Duncan Bulkeley Lieutenant · Navy December 7, 1941 Francis Xavier Burke First Lieutenant · Army April 17, 1945 EB Elmer J. Burr First Sergeant · Army December 24, 1942 ✦ HB Herbert Hoover Burr Staff Sergeant · Army March 19, 1945 James Montross Burt Captain · Army October 13, 1944 Richard Earl Bush Corporal · Marine Corps April 16, 1945 Robert Eugene Bush Hospital Apprentice First Class · Navy May 2, 1945 John Edward Butts Second Lieutenant · Army June 23, 1944 ✦ William Robert Caddy Private First Class · Marine Corps March 3, 1945 ✦ Daniel Judson Callaghan Rear Admiral · Navy November 12 - 13, 1942 ✦ JC Jose Calugas Sergeant · Army January 16, 1942 George Ham Cannon First Lieutenant · Marine Corps December 7, 1941 ✦ PC Pedro Cano Private · Army December 2 - 3, 1944 ✦ AC Alvin P. Carey Staff Sergeant · Army August 23, 1944 ✦ CC Charles F. Carey Jr. Technical Sergeant · Army January 8 - 9, 1945 ✦ CC Chris Carr Sergeant · Army October 1 - 2, 1944 Horace Seaver Carswell Jr. Major · Air Force October 26, 1944 ✦ Edward Allen Carter Jr. Staff Sergeant · Army March 23, 1945 ✦ AC Anthony Casamento Corporal · Marine Corps November 1, 1942 Frederick Walker Castle Brigadier General · Air Force December 24, 1944 ✦ JC Justice Marion Chambers Lieutenant Colonel · Marine Corps February 19 - 22, 1945 Ralph Cheli Major · Air Force August 18, 1943 ✦ Ernest "Chief" Childers Second Lieutenant · Army September 22, 1943 Clyde Lee Choate Staff Sergeant · Army October 25, 1944 Dale Eldon Christensen Second Lieutenant · Army July 16 - 19, 1944 ✦ Herbert F. Christian Private · Army June 2 - 3, 1944 ✦ JC Joseph J. Cicchetti Private First Class · Army February 9, 1945 ✦ FC Francis J. Clark Technical Sergeant · Army September 17, 1944 Michael "Mike" Colalillo Private First Class · Army April 7, 1945 Darrell Samuel Cole Sergeant · Marine Corps February 19, 1945 ✦ RC Robert George Cole Lieutenant Colonel · Army June 11, 1944 ✦ GC Garlin Murl Conner First Lieutenant · Army January 24, 1945 ✦ JC James Phillip Connor Sergeant · Army August 15, 1944 RC Raymond Henry Cooley Staff Sergeant · Army February 24, 1945 Charles Henry Coolidge Technical Sergeant · Army October 24 - 27, 1944 Henry Alexius Courtney Jr. Major · Marine Corps May 14 - 15, 1945 ✦ RC Richard Eller Cowan Private First Class · Army December 17, 1944 ✦ CC Clarence Byrle Craft Private First Class · Army May 31, 1945 Robert Craig Second Lieutenant · Army July 11, 1943 ✦ MC Morris E. Crain Technical Sergeant · Army March 13, 1945 ✦ Demas Thurlow "Nick" Craw Colonel · Air Force November 8, 1942 ✦ William John Crawford Private · Army September 13, 1943 JC John R. Crews Staff Sergeant · Army April 8, 1945 John Philip Cromwell Captain · Navy November 19, 1943 ✦ Francis Sherman "frank" Currey Private First Class · Army December 21, 1944 Edward Carl Dahlgren Second Lieutenant · Army February 11, 1945 PD Peter Joseph Dalessondro Technical Sergeant · Army December 22, 1944 Michael Joseph Daly Captain · Army April 18, 1945 AD Anthony Peter Damato Corporal · Marine Corps February 19 - 20, 1944 ✦ Albert Leroy David Lieutenant · Navy June 4, 1944 ✦ Rudolph Bianco Davila Second Lieutenant · Army May 28, 1944 Charles Willis Davis Major · Army January 12, 1943 George Fleming Davis Commander · Navy January 6, 1945 ✦ James Lewis Day Major General · Marine Corps May 17, 1945 Samuel David Dealey Commander · Navy May 26 - July 3, 1944 ✦ Jefferson Joseph Deblanc Captain · Marine Corps January 31, 1943 AD Arthur Frederick Defranzo Staff Sergeant · Army June 10, 1944 ✦ Charles N. Deglopper Private First Class · Army June 9, 1944 ✦ ED Emile Deleau Jr. Sergeant · Army February 1 - 2, 1945 ✦ Ernest Herbert Dervishian Second Lieutenant · Army May 23, 1944 James H. Diamond Private First Class · Army May 14, 1945 ✦ Robert H. Dietz Staff Sergeant · Army March 29, 1945 ✦ James Harold Doolittle Lieutenant Colonel · Air Force April 18, 1942 Desmond Thomas Doss Private First Class · Army April 29 - May 21, 1945 JD Jesse Ray Drowley Staff Sergeant · Army January 30, 1944 RD Russell Dunham Technical Sergeant · Army January 8, 1945 Robert Hugo Dunlap Captain · Marine Corps February 20 - 21, 1945 JD John W. Dutko Private First Class · Army May 23, 1944 ✦ AD Aquilla James "big red" Dyess Lieutenant Colonel · Marine Corps February 1 - 2, 1944 ✦ RE Roderick W. "Roddie" Edmonds Master Sergeant · Army January 27 - March 30, 1945 ✦ Merritt Austin "red mike" Edson Colonel · Marine Corps September 13 - 14, 1942 Walter David Ehlers Staff Sergeant · Army June 9 - 10, 1944 Henry Talmage Elrod Captain · Marine Corps December 8 - 23, 1941 ✦ GE Gerald Leon Endl Staff Sergeant · Army July 11, 1944 ✦ Harold Glenn Epperson Private First Class · Marine Corps June 25, 1944 ✦ Henry Eugene "red" Erwin Staff Sergeant · Air Force April 12, 1945 Ray E. Eubanks Sergeant · Army July 23, 1944 ✦ Ernest Edwin "Chief" Evans Commander · Navy October 25, 1944 ✦

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