Skip to content

On this day in history

May 17: Medal of Honor Actions

8 Medal of Honors earned on May 17 between 1863 and 1968.

← May 16 May 18 →Full calendar

May 17, 1863

Civil War · Black River Bridge, Mississippi · 1 recipient

WK William Wesley Kendall First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863

May 17, 1870

Indian Campaigns · Little Blue, Nebraska · 5 recipients

HC Heth Canfield Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870 MH Michael Himmelsback Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870 TH Thomas H. Hubbard Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870 PL Patrick James Leonard Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870 GT George Washington Thompson Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870

May 17, 1945

World War II · Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands · 1 recipient

James Lewis Day Major General · Marine Corps World War II · 1945

May 17, 1968

Vietnam War · Le Nam 1, Go Nai Island, Quang Nam Province (southern), Republic of… · 1 recipient

Robert Charles Burke Private First Class · Marine Corps Vietnam War · 1968 ✦