Veteran in crisis? Dial 988 then press 1 · Text 838255 Next observance: Navy Birthday · October 13
Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Service — highest (joint)

Notable recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal

Exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security in a position of unique and great responsibility.

About this decoration

111 notable recipients

Names link to Wikipedia; ★ MoH marks people who also received the Medal of Honor (links to their profile here).

NameLifeBranchWar
Chiang Kai-shek1887–1975Imperial Japanese ArmyChinese Civil War
Colin Powell1937–2021United States ArmyGulf War
Grace Hopper1906–1992United States NavyWorld War II
Robert McNamara1916–2009World War II
Lloyd J. Austin III1953United States ArmyWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Jim Mattis1950United States Marine CorpsWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
David Petraeus1952United States ArmyWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Alexander Haig1924–2010United States ArmyKorean War
Bruce McCandless II1937–2017United States Navy
David M. Brown1956–2003United States Navy
Creighton Abrams1914–1974United States ArmyWorld War II
Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder1890–1967British ArmyWorld War II
John F. Kelly1950United States Marine CorpsGulf War
Martin Dempsey1952United States ArmyGulf War
Stanley A. McChrystal1954United States ArmyWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Tommy Franks1945United States ArmyKorean War
Charles Q. Brown Jr.1962United States Air ForceWar on Terrorism
John Shalikashvili1936–2011United States ArmyVietnam War
Bülent Ulusu1923–2015Turkish Naval Forces
George W. Casey, Jr.1948United States ArmyIraq War
Charles Cooper II1967United States NavyGulf War
John Abizaid1951United States ArmyWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Peter Pace1945United States Marine CorpsVietnam War
Raymond T. Odierno1954–2021United States ArmyGulf War
Jeremiah Denton1924–2014United States NavyVietnam War
Lisa Franchetti1964United States Navy
Joe Sestak1951United States Navy
Curtis Scaparrotti1956United States ArmyIraq War
Hugh Shelton1942United States ArmyGulf War
Peter Schoomaker1946United States ArmyGulf War
David L. Goldfein1959United States Air ForceGulf War
Lew Allen1925–2010United States Air ForceWorld War II
Carter Ham1952United States ArmyGulf War
Tod D. Wolters1960United States Air ForceGulf War
David C. Jones1921–2013United States Air ForceWorld War II
William J. Crowe1925–2007United States NavyVietnam War
Eric T. Olson1952United States Navy
Earle Wheeler1908–1975United States ArmyWorld War II
Ricardo Sanchez1953United States ArmyGulf War
Edward C. Meyer1928–2020United States ArmyKorean War
Jeremy Michael Boorda1939–1996United States NavyVietnam War
Paul J. Selva1958United States Air ForceGulf War
Joseph Votel1958United States ArmyIraq War
John William Vessey1922–2016United States ArmyWorld War II
Louis H. Wilson ★ MoH1920–2005United States Marine CorpsWorld War II
Paul X. Kelley1928–2019United States Marine CorpsVietnam War
Carl E. Vuono1934United States ArmyVietnam War
Thad Allen1949
Robert Harward1956United States Navy
John W. Nicholson, Jr.1956United States Army
Christopher W. Grady1962United States Navy
Wayne A. Downing1940–2007United States ArmyGulf War
Gary Roughead1951United States NavyVietnam War
Bryan D. Brown1948United States ArmyVietnam War
Peter W. Chiarelli1950United States ArmyIraq War
Jeffrey L. Harrigian1962United States Air ForceIraq War
William E. Ward1949United States Army
Craig R. McKinley1952United States Air Force
Larry O. Spencer1954United States Air Force
Luis Cresencio Sandoval1960Mexican Army
Robert H. Barrow1922–2008United States Marine CorpsWorld War II
John Kizirian1928–2006United States ArmyWorld War II
Vern Clark1944United States NavyVietnam War
Timothy J. Keating1948United States NavyVietnam War
William Owens1940United States NavyVietnam War
Joseph P. Hoar1934–2022United States Marine CorpsVietnam War
James J. Lindsay1932–2023United States ArmyVietnam War
James Oren Ellis, Jr.1947United States NavyVietnam War
Darren W. McDew1960United States Air ForceWar on Terrorism
Keith Dayton1949United States ArmyIraq War
Thomas D. Waldhauser1953United States Marine CorpsIraq War
Robert T. Herres1932–2008United States Air Force
Frank J. Grass1951United States Army
Kurt W. Tidd1956United States Navy
Gary E. Luck1937–2024United States ArmyGulf War
George Lee Butler1939United States Air ForceCold War
Robert W. RisCassi1936United States ArmyCold War
Carl Stiner1936–2022United States ArmyVietnam War
Joseph D. Kernan1955United States Navy
Nina M. Armagno1966United States Space Force
Thomas A. Bussiere1963United States Air Force
Robert E. Huyser1924–1997United States Air ForceWorld War II
Joseph K. Bratton1926–2007United States ArmyKorean War
Roger A. Brady1946United States Air Force
Jonathan Howe1935United States Navy
Stephen T. Koehler1964United States Navy
Ernest Graves, Jr.1924–2019United States ArmyWorld War II
Barry M. Costello1951United States NavyGulf War
Ira C. Owens1936United States ArmyCold War
Raymond C. Smith1943–2022United States NavyVietnam War
Gordon S. Holder1946United States NavyGulf War
Kristin Panzenhagen1978United States Space ForceIraq War
Burwell B. Bell III1947United States Army
Duncan McNabb1952United States Air Force
John Scott Redd1944United States Navy
Robert F. Willard1950United States Navy
Thomas F. Metz1948United States Army
Walter Doran1945United States Navy
Wallace H. Robinson1920–2013United States Marine CorpsWorld War II
Carlton W. Fulford, Jr.1944United States Marine CorpsGulf War
D. Brian Petermancoast guardCold War
Joseph C. Strasser1940–2019United States NavyCold War
Rick Francona1951United States Air ForceVietnam War
Carrol Chandler1952United States Air Force
Eldon W. Joersz1944United States Air Force
Patricia Ann Tracey1950United States Navy
Jerry O. Tuttle1934–2018United States Navy
Michele BredenkampUnited States Army
Frank Helmick1953United States ArmyIraq War
Ann E. Rondeau1951United States Navy
Cornell A. Wilson, Jr.United States Marine Corps