Global InformationList of Jewish Medal of Honor recipients information
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| All recipients |
| American Civil War |
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The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States to a member of its armed forces. Recipients must distinguish themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. The medal is presented to the recipient by the President of the United States.
Since it was instituted there have been 3,473 recipients; at least 17 American Jews have received the Medal of Honor[n 1] for their actions starting in the American Civil War through the Vietnam War. The first recipient of the medal was Benjamin B. Levy of the 1st New York Volunteer infantry for his service at the Battle of Glendale on June 30, 1862. The citation for his medal read: This soldier, a drummer boy, took the gun of a sick comrade, went into the fight, and when the color bearers were shot down, carried the colors and saved them from capture. He was only seventeen years old when he earned his medal.[1] David Orbansky also received it for his actions in 1863 during the American Civil War. Samuel Gross was the only Jewish American Marine to receive the medal for his actions in Fort Riviere, Haiti. During World War II, medic Benjamin L. Salomon is accredited with killing 98 Japanese soldiers to cover for the retreat of wounded American soldiers. After repeated recommendations, he was posthumously granted the medal in 2002, 58 years after he was killed in action. The last to receive it was Tibor Rubin in 2005, who was believed to have been overlooked due to discrimination. His medal was for his actions in the Korean War in 1950, 55 years before he received the medal.
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- ^ "American Battlefield Trust".