Medal of Honor

U.S. Air Force Security

"Defensor Fortis" (Defender of the Force)


Medal of Honor Medal and Ribbon
		Medal of Honor Ribbon
Was established by Congress on July 6, 1960, as the highest of several awards created specifically for the Air Force. It is given in the name of Congress to officers and enlisted members who distinguished themselves by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their lives, above and beyond the call of duty, in action involving actual combat with an armed enemy of the United States.





The medal was designed by Lewis J. King, Jr., of the Army's Institute of Heraldry. It is a gold finished five pointed star, one point down, tipped with trefoils and each point containing a crown of laurel and oak on a green enamel background. Centered on the star is an annular of thirty-four stars which surround the profile of the head from the Statue of Liberty. The star is surrounded by a green enameled laurel wreath, edged in gold. The medal is suspended from a design, taken from the Air Force coat of arms. In the center is a baton with eagle claws at both ends resting on a pair of aviator's wings emitting thunderbolts from the center. This is attached to a horizontal bar bearing the word "Valor." The neck ribbon passes through the bar, and has an octagonal pad of the traditional light blue moire ribbon with thirteen white stars. The reverse of this decoration is blank and suitable for engraving.		Medal of Honor Medal












The first presentation of this Medal of Honor was made at the White House in Washington on Jan. 19, 1967, when the President placed it around the neck of Maj. Bernard F. Fisher, United States Air Force.




The Medal of Honor confers special privileges on its recipients, both by tradition and by law.


By Tradition:

All other Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen, even higher-ranking officers up to the President of the United States, who are not themselves recipients of the Medal of Honor initiate the salute. In the event of an officer encountering an enlisted member of the military who has been awarded the Medal of Honor, officers by tradition salute not the person, but the medal itself, thus attempting to time their salute to coincide with the enlisted member's.







By law:

Recipients have several benefits:

•	Each Medal of Honor recipient may have his or her name entered on the Medal of Honor Roll. Each person whose name is placed on the Medal of Honor Roll is certified to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being entitled to receive the special pension of US$1,027 per month above and beyond any military pensions or other benefits for which they may be eligible. As of December 1, 2004, the pension is subject to cost-of-living increases.

•	Enlisted recipients of the Medal of Honor are entitled to a supplemental uniform allowance.

•	Recipients receive special entitlements to air transportation under the provisions of DOD Regulation 4515.13-R.

•	Special identification cards and commissary and exchange privileges are provided for Medal of Honor recipients and their eligible dependents.

•	Children of recipients are eligible for admission to the United States military academies without regard to the quota requirements.

•	Recipients receive a 10% increase in retired pay under 10 U.S.C. § 3991.

•	Those awarded the medal after October 23, 2002 also receive a Medal of Honor Flag. The law also specifies that all living Medal of Honor recipients receive the flag along with all future recipients.(14 U.S.C. § 505).

•	As with all medals, retired personnel may wear the Medal of Honor on "appropriate" civilian clothing. Regulations also specify that recipients of the Medal of Honor are allowed to wear the uniform "at their pleasure" with standard restrictions on political, commercial, or extremist purposes; other former members of the armed forces may do so only at certain ceremonial occasions.

If you have information and/or images that you would like to contribute please visit the "Contribute" page.

for website questions or comments contact Jose J. Sanchez; Jose@JoseJSanchez.com