About the Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military award for bravery that can be conferred on a member of the American armed forces. It is bestowed for a deed of supreme valor. More often than not, the Medal of Honor is awarded posthumously.

Congress established the Medal of Honor in 1861. Because it was the only military medal in existence and the criteria for the award were rather broad, the Medal of Honor was not bestowed very selectively during its early history. In one case, President Abraham Lincoln awarded the Medal of Honor to each member of a Massachusetts infantry regiment who volunteered to re-enlist in the Union Army.

To restore the prestige of the Medal of Honor, Congress established a board in 1916 to review all past awards. The board rescinded 911 of the 2,625 Medals of Honor issued before 1916. In addition, stricter standards and the creation of other medals to honor gallant actions caused the number of Medal of Honor awards to decrease significantly in the 20th century. Only 123 Medals of Honor were approved in World War I and only 435 in World War II. During the Korean War, 131 Medals of Honor were awarded, and 240 were bestowed during the Vietnam War.

About Wisconsin Medal of Honor Recipients

Wisconsin citizens have been the recipients of 63 Medals of Honor. This figure does not include a special Congressional medal awarded to General William "Billy" Mitchell of Milwaukee, the pioneer air power theorist after whom Milwaukee's airport is named. Listed below, by conflict, are the Wisconsinites who have received the Medal of Honor. Read about some of Wisconsin's recipients on our blog.

The national record of recipients can be found here.

Posthumous Medal of Honor posthumous award

Wisconsin Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (1861-1865)

Name

Branch

Residence or place of birth

Place of burial

Anderson, Peter Army Lafayette Co., WI Newell, IA
Coates, Jefferson Army Boscobel, WI Dorchester, NE
Cosgriff, Richard H. Army Hudson, WI Chippewa Falls, WI
Croft, James E. Army Janesville, WI Janesville, WI
Cushing, Alonzo 1st Lt. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Delafield, WI West Point, NY
Durham, John S. Army Malone, WI Leavenworth, KS
Ellis, Horace Army Chippewa Falls, WI Eagle Point, WI
Ellis, William Army Little Rock, AR
(served with Company K, 3rd WI Cavalry)
San Bernadino Co., CA
Hayes, John Navy Mercer Co., PA
(resided in Wisconsin 1869-1867)
Blairstown, IA
Hilliker, Benjamin Army Waupaca, WI Hollywood, CA
Johnson, John Army Janesville, WI Washington, DC
MacArthur, Arthur Jr. Army Milwaukee, WI Arlington, VA
Moore, Daniel B. Army Mifflin, WI Mineral Point, WI
Murphy, Denis J.F. Army Green Bay, WI Allouez, WI
O'Connor, Albert Army Columbia Co., WI Orting, WA
Patterson, John T. Army Mauston, WI Mauston, WI
Pond, George F. Army Fairwater, WI Fort Scott, KS
Pond, James B. Army Janesville, WI Bronx, NY
Sickles, William H. Army Columbia Co., WI Orting, WA
Toohey, Thomas Army Milwaukee, WI Kansas City, MO
Truell, Edwin M. Army Manston, WI Arlington, VA
Waller, Francis A. Army DeSoto, WI Retreat, WI

Wisconsin Frontier Wars Medal of Honor Recipients (1865-1891)

Name

Branch

Residence or place of birth

Place of burial

Albee, George Army Baraboo, WI Arlington, VA
Cable, Joseph A. Army Madison, WI Crow Agency, MT
Goldin, Theodore F. Army Avon, WI King, WI
Hill, Frank E. Army Mayfield, WI San Francisco, CA
Nolan, Richard J. Army Milwaukee, WI Washington, DC
Robbins, Marcus M. Army Elba, WI Pittsfield, MA
Windus, Clarion A. Army Janesville, WI Bracketville, TX

Wisconsin Spanish - American War Medal of Honor Recipients (1898)

Name

Branch

Residence or place of birth

Place of burial

Brookins, Oscar Army Byron, WI Galloway, OH

Wisconsin Philippine - American War Medal of Honor Recipients (1899-1902)

Name

Branch

Residence or place of birth

Place of burial

McGrath, Hugh J. Army Eau Claire, WI Arlington, VA

Wisconsin Boxer Rebellion - China Relief Expedition Medal of Honor Recipients (1900)

Name

Branch

Residence or place of birth

Place of burial

Young, Frank A. Marine Corps Milwaukee, WI Arlington, VA

Wisconsin Mexican Border Campaign Medal of Honor Recipients (1914-1917)

Name

Branch

Residence or place of birth

Place of burial

Castle, Guy W.S. Navy Portage, WI Arlington, VA
De Somer, Abraham Navy Milwaukee, WI At sea

Wisconsin World War I Medal of Honor Recipients (1917-1918)

Name

Branch

Residence or place of birth

Place of burial

Siegel, John O. Navy Milwaukee, WI unknown
Slack, Clayton Army Madison, WI Arlington, VA

Wisconsin World War II Medal of Honor Recipients (1941-1945)

Name

Branch

Residence or place of birth

Place of burial

Agerholm, Harold C. Posthumous Medal of Honor Marine Corps Racine, WI Racine, WI
Anderson, Beauford T. Army Soldiers Grove, WI California
Bong, Richard I. Army Air Corps Poplar, WI Poplar, WI
Burr, Elmer J. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Menasha, WI Neenah, WI
Endl, Gerald L. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Janesville, WI Fort Atkinson, WI
Gruennert, Kenneth E. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Helenville, WI Helenville, WI
Jerstad, John L. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Air Corps Racine, WI *ABMC, Belgium
MacArthur, Douglas Army Milwaukee, WI Norfolk, VA
Miller, Andrew Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Two Rivers, WI *ABMC, France
Mower, Charles E. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Chippewa Falls, WI *ABMC, Philippines
Newman, Beryl R. Army Baraboo, WI Urbanna, VA
Olson, Truman O. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Cambridge, WI Stoughton, WI
Peterson, Oscar V. Posthumous Medal of Honor Navy Prentice, WI Missing at sea
Salomon, Benjamin L. Army Milwaukee, WI Glendale, CA
Van Valkenburgh, Franklin Posthumous Medal of Honor Navy Milwaukee, WI Pearl Harbor, HI
Young, Cassin Navy Milwaukee, WI Pearl Harbor, HI
* American Battle Monuments Commission Cemetery

Wisconsin Korean War Medal of Honor Recipients (1950-1953)

Name

Branch

Residence or place of birth

Place of burial

Christianson, Stanley R. Posthumous Medal of Honor Marine Corps Mindoro, WI Mindoro, WI
Handrich, Melvin O. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Manawa, WI Manawa, WI
Ingman, Einar Army Irma, WI Lincoln Co., WI
Red Cloud, Mitchell Jr. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Jackson Co., WI Jackson Co., WI
Sudut, Jerome A. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Wausau, WI Wausau, WI

Wisconsin Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipients (1964-1972)

Name

Branch

Residence or place of birth

Place of burial

Bellrichard, Leslie A. Posthumous Medal of Honor Army Janesville, WI Janesville, WI
Fritz, Harold A. Army Milwaukee, WI living
Modrzejewski, Robert J. Marine Corps Milwaukee, WI living
Sijan, Lance Posthumous Medal of Honor Air Force Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee, WI
Stumpf, Kenneth E. Army Menasha, WI Arlington, VA
Wetzel, Gary G. Army Milwaukee, WI living
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