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The Medal of Honor is awarded for bravery above and beyond the call of duty to members of its military and naval forces. It is the highest award for heroism bestowed by the United States.
About 71 West Virginians have received the Medal of Honor since its creation by act of Congress on July 12, 1862, during the Civil War. "About," in this case, means that other states might assert that specific Medal recipients were their state. This is understandable given that people often live in different places throughout their lifetimes.
The Civil War offers another wrinkle. Some Civil War Medal of Honor recipients listed here from West Virginia served in West Virginia regiments but were actually from other states (usually Ohio or Pennsylvania). Likewise, some West Virginia Medal recipients likely are not listed here because they did the opposite, enlisting in regiments from other states.
Due to the large number of Medals awarded during the Civil War, the guidelines for earning one became more stringent in the 1870s. As a result, Civil War recipient's comprise about one-half of West Virginia's total.
*Note: If only a photo of a Medal of Honor appears in this exhibit, no known photo is available for that individual. Three different versions of the medal exist, with distinct designs for the Army, Navy (which includes the Marine Corps and Coast Guard), and Air Force.
This major from Mason City (Mason County) with the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry led 20 troops in capturing a Confederate camp of 500 at Sinking Creek Valley, Virginia, on 26 November 1862. Powell (1825-1904) was an iron maker before the war, at the i...
Born and raised in Meigs County, Ohio, and entering the service in Jackson County, this private served in the 4th West Virginia Infantry and stormed a Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863.He lived from 1841 to 1917 and ...
This Fayette County native and sergeant with the 4th West Virginia Infantry stormed a Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863. He was born in Fayetteville in 1842. After the war, served as a judge in Indiana and Georgia. H...
This Mason City (Mason County) native, while serving as a sergeant with the 4th West Virginia Infantry, assaulted the Confederate works at Vicksburg, Mississippi, 22 May 1863. He was born in Mason County in 1837, moved to Indiana some time in the ...
This Lewis County native, while serving in the 47th Ohio Infantry, stormed a Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863. He was born in Weston, where he also enlisted, about 1843. He was wounded in action at Atlanta, Georgia,...
This Mason County native, while serving as a 1st sergeant in the 22nd Iowa Infantry, was severely wounded while leading troops to the parapet of Confederate works at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863. He was born in 1836. After the war, he mo...
This private with the 4th West Virginia Infantry stormed a Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863. He was born in Athens County, Ohio, in 1842, and died in Morgan County, Ohio, in 1918.
Entering the service at Mason City (Mason County), this private with the 4th West Virginia Infantry stormed a Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863. He was born in Jackson County in 1840, moved to Mason County and was a ...
This Kanawha County native, while serving as a private with the 4th West Virginia Infantry, stormed a Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863. He was born about 1838. After the war, he worked as a wagoner in Charleston and...
This Romney (Hampshire County) native, while serving as a private with the 116th Illinois Infantry, stormed a Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863. He was born in 1837. After the war, he moved to Illinois, where he work...
Entering the service at Clarksburg, this 2nd lieutenant with the 12th West Virginia Infantry, led his command over a stone wall during the Battle of Winchester, Virginia, on 14 June 1863.He was born in 1833 in Richmond, Virginia, and died in 1904,...
This major with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry led a midnight attack on a retreating Confederate wagon train at Monterey Mountain, Pennsylvania, on 4 July 1863, at the end of the Battle of Gettysburg. He was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1833...
This sergeant from Wheeling, while serving with the 1st West Virginia Infantry, led troops to safety and carried a wounded man from the battlefield under heavy fire at New Market, Virginia, on 15 May 1864. After the war, this native of Ireland (bo...
This Pennsylvania native, while serving as a colonel with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry, saved the life of a drowning soldier under Confederate gunfire in the Greenbrier River (Greenbrier County), 22 May 1864. His brother also earned a Medal of Ho...
This Monongalia County native, while serving as a private with the 14th West Virginia Infantry, singlehandedly took out a Confederate fieldpiece at the Battle of Carters Farm, Virginia, on 20 July 1864. He was born in 1844 and died in 1904 in Brav...
This Tyler County native, while serving as a private with the 11th West Virginia Infantry, captured a Confederate flag at the Battle of Fishers Hill, Virginia, on 22 September 1864. He was born in 1844 and died in Greeley, Colorado, in 1925.
This Cabell County native served in the 1st West Virginia Cavalry and captured the state flag of the 14th Virginia Cavalry (CSA) at Ninevah, Virginia, on 12 November 1864. He was born in Harveytown in 1844. After the war, he was a farmer in the Ba...
This Monongalia County native, while serving as a private with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry, captured the battle flag of the 22nd Virginia Cavalry (CSA) at Nineveh, Virginia, on 12 November 1864. He was born in 1840 in Hilderbrand and died in 191...
This private with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry was one of two men to get through Confederate lines with dispatches for General Ulysses Grant in the winter of 1864-65.He was born and died in Pittsburgh (1845-1913).
Entering the service at Wirt Courthouse (Elizabeth), this sergeant with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry, captured a Confederate flag at Chancellorsville, Virginia, on 5 March 1865. He was born in Monroe County, Ohio. After the war, he lived in Willi...
This lieutenant with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry led a successful advance on Confederate troops at Five Forks, Virginia, on 1 April 1865. He was born in Bristol, Pennsylvania, in 1841 and died in Boise, Idaho, in 1905. He lived much of his postw...
This corporal with the 12th West Virginia Infantry served with "conspicuous gallantry" as a color bearer during the assault on Fort Gregg at Petersburg, Virginia, on 2 April 1865. He had previously served in Company G, 155th Ohio Volunteers. He wa...
This Ohio County native, a second lieutenant with the 12th West Virginia Infantry, retrieved his unit's flag from two fallen color bearers and was one of the first Union soldiers to reach Fort Gregg during an assault on Petersburg, Virginia, on 2 ...
This West Liberty (Ohio County) native, with the 12th West Virginia Infantry, served with "conspicuous gallantry" as a color bearer during the assault on Fort Gregg at Petersburg, Virginia, on 2 April 1865. He was born and died in West Liberty (Oh...
This Wood County native, while serving as a private with the 12th West Virginia Infantry, captured a Confederate flag during an assault on Fort Gregg at Petersburg, Virginia, on 2 April 1865. After the war, he worked as a merchant. He was born in ...
This Mason County native, while serving as a private with the 116th Ohio Infantry, led an attack on Fort Gregg at Petersburg, Virginia, on 2 April 1865. He was born and died in Mason City (1833-1902).
Entering the service at Parkersburg, this corporal with the 11th West Virginia Infantry captured a Confederate flag at Hatchers Run, Virginia, on 2 April 1865. He was born in 1833 in Tyner (Wood County), or in Switzerland depending on sources, and...
This captain with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry captured a Confederate flag at Sailors Creek, Virginia, on 6 April 1865. He was born and died in Washington, Pennsylvania (1831-1908). Before and after the war, he worked as a grocer and then became ...
This sergeant from Centerport (Harrison County), while serving with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry, captured the battle flag of the 12th Virginia Infantry (CSA) at Sailors Creek, Virginia, on 6 April 1865. He was born about 1840. His death date is ...
This commissary sergeant with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry captured a Confederate flag at Sailors Creek, Virginia, on 6 April 1865. He had earlier served in Company K of the 182nd Ohio Infantry. He was born in Clymer, New York, in 1835, and died ...
This private with the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry captured the battle flag of the 6th North Carolina Infantry (CSA) at Sailors Creek, Virginia, on 6 April 1865. He was born in 1844 Littleton, New Hampshire, entered the service in Ironton, Ohio, and ...
Entering the service at Point Pleasant (Mason County), this private with the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry captured a Confederate flag at Sailors Creek, Virginia, on 6 April 1865. He was born in 1845 in Meigs County, Ohio, and died in 1923 at the Nati...
This Lewis County native, while serving as a commissary sergeant with the 3rd West Virginia Cavalry, captured the battle flag of the 6th Tennessee Infantry (CSA) at Sailors Creek, Virginia, on 6 April 1865. He was born in 1836 and died in 1877 in ...
This Preston County native, while serving as a corporal with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry, captured the battle flag of the 76th Georgia Infantry (CSA) at Sailors Creek, Virginia, on 6 April 1865. He was born in 1843 and died in 1919. After the wa...
This Ohio County native, while serving as a private with the Company K, 1st West Virginia Cavalry, captured the battle flag of the 18th Florida Infantry (CSA) at Sailors Creek, Virginia, on 6 April 1865. After the war, he was a member of the Holli...
Entering the service at Wheeling, this corporal with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry captured a Confederate flag at Appomattox Station, Virginia, on 8 April 1865. He was born in 1841 in Scenery Hill, Pennsylvania, and died in 1912 in Washington, Pen...
Entering the service at Mason City (Mason County), this chief bugler for the 1st West Virginia Cavalry captured the battle flag of the Sumter Flying Artillery (CSA) at Appomattox Station, Virginia, on 8 April 1865. He was born in 1842 in Germany a...
This private from Pittsburgh, while serving with the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry, captured the battle flag of the Washington Artillery (CSA) at Appomattox Station, Virginia, on 8 April 1865. He was born about 1833 in Ireland and died in 1887 in Ohio...
Ohio County native William "Billy" Dixon earned the Medal of Honor at the Battle of Buffalo Wallow, sometimes called the Buffalo Wallow Fight, while defending his community of Adobe Walls, Texas, from an attack by 700-1,200 Indians. He is one of o...
This Marshall County native, while serving as a sergeant with the 7th U.S. Cavalry, led troops against Sioux Indians and rescued the body of a lieutenant at the Battle of Little Big Horn, Montana, on 25 June 1876. He was awarded the Medal of Honor...
This Charles Town (Jefferson County) native, while serving as a Marine sergeant, signaled the U.S.S. Dolphin on three occasions despite heavy gunfire during the Battle of Cuzco, Cuba, on 14 June 1898. During his 26-year Marine career, he participa...
Entering the service at Williamson (Mingo County), this corporal with the 27th U.S. Infantry swam to obtain a canoe under heavy fire at San Mateo in the Philippines, on 19 December 1899. He is the brother of Medal of Honor recipient Julien E. Gauj...
This Navy chief gunner of St. Albans (Kanawha County) helped bring a major fire under control that killed 36 crewmen on the U.S.S. Missouri on 13 April 1904. He died in 1937 in Philadelphia.
This Mingo Countian garnered the Medal of Honor for actions on the Arizona border during the Mexican Revolution in 1911. He is the brother of Medal of Honor recipient Antoine Gaujot and the only soldier ever to receive the medal for peacekeeping a...
This Edgewood (Ohio County) native, while serving as a Navy boatswain's mate second class, demonstrated "extraordinary heroism" aboard the U.S.S. Utah during the Battle of Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 21 April 1914. After being discharged from the servic...
This Burnt House (Ritchie County) native, while serving as a Navy seaman, demonstrated "extraordinary heroism" aboard the U.S.S. Florida during the battle of Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 21 April 1914. He was born in 1888 and died in 1962. He is buried i...
This Navy ensign from Martinsburg saved the life of a wounded soldier during the Battle of Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 22 April 1914. He also served in World Wars I and II. He was born in 1891 in Martinsburg and died in 1975 in Washington, D.C. He is bu...
This Fire Creek (Fayette County) native, while serving as a Navy commander, remained at the helm of the U.S.S. Memphis despite scalding steam from exploding boilers during a hurricane off Santo Domingo City on 29 August 1916.He was born 1885 and d...
This resident of South Charleston before World War II, while serving as a sergeant with the 3rd Marine Division, was killed when he fell on a grenade at the Battle of the Koromokina River, Bougainville Islands in the Solomon Islands, on 7 November...
This Carlisle (Fayette County) native, while serving as a sergeant with the 7th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division, singlehandedly overtook a German machine gun battery near La Lande, France, on 17 August 1944. Bender also received the French Croix d...
This Huntington native, while serving as a 2nd lieutenant with the 711th heavy Bombing Squadron, was severely wounded over Merseburg, Germany, on 2 November 1944, but continued to fly his crew for over two hours to Great Britain. He died shortly a...
This resident of Bluefield before World War II, while serving as a staff sergeant with the 134th infantry, 35th Division, singlehandedly killed 25 German troops and captured another 22 at Achain, France, on 13 November 1944.For more information, s...
This Grantsville (Calhoun County) native, while serving as a technical sergeant in the U.S. Army 142nd Infantry, 36th Infantry Division, singlehandedly captured a a schoolhouse filled with 26 German troops at Mittelwihr, France, on 18 December 194...
This resident of Rhoda (Mineral County) before World War II, while serving as a staff sergeant with the 311th Infantry, 78th Infantry Division, was shot and killed in battle at Kesternich, Germany, on 31 January 1945. Over the previous two days, h...
This Huntington native, while serving as a lieutenant colonel with the Marine Corps Reserve, 3rd Assault Battalion Landing Team, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, led the initial assault on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands from 19 to 22 February 1...
This native of Quiet Dell (Marion County), while serving as a corporal with the 3rd Marine Corps, continually attacked Japanese machine gun batteries on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands with a flamethrower on 23 February 1945. A bridge in Barboursv...
This native of Cherry Grove (Pendleton County), while serving in the 194th Glider Infantry, 17th Airborne Division, was killed at Lembeck, Germany, on 28 March 1945. He had singlehandedly pursued German troops into Lembeck Castle before being shot...
This Huntington native, while serving with the 13th Infantry, 8th Infantry Division, was killed when he fell on two grenades at Birken, Germany, on 3 April 1945, to save the lives of other soldiers.For more information, see the e-WV entry on Walte...
This Salem (Harrison County) native, while serving as a corporal with the 20th Infantry, 6th Infantry Division, singlehandedly destroyed an enemy machine gun battery in the Cordillera Mountains in the Philippines on 29 July 1945, despite a serious...
Entering the service at Racine (Boone County), this 2nd lieutenant with the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, was killed while leading a bayonet charge near Kamil-ni, Korea, on 16 February 1951.For more information, see the e-WV entry ...
This East Gulf (Raleigh County) native, while serving as a sergeant with the 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Army Infantry Division, was killed while leading his troops up Hill 543 near Chipo-ri, Korea, on 1 June 1952. A bridge on I-77 in Mercer Coun...
This resident of Quinwood (Greenbrier County), while serving as a private first class with the 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was killed while defending a communication trench near Kumhwa, Korea, on 15 October 1952.For more informa...
This West Columbia (Mason County) native, while serving as a staff sergeant with the 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division Airmobile, was killed while singlehandedly defending a position in Vietnam on 18 May 1966.
This Accoville (Logan County) native, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, was killed when he fell on a grenade at Plei Djerang, Vietnam, on 19 November 1966, to save the lives of his troops.
This resident of Charleston before the Vietnam War, while serving as a private with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, saved the life of a wounded soldier after being fatally wounded himself at Binh Son, Vietnam, on 21 April 1967.
This Logan native, while serving as a staff sergeant with the 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, was killed when he fell on a grenade in Kontum Province, Vietnam, on 20 May 1967, to save the lives of other soldiers.
This Montgomery (Fayette County) native, while serving as a specialist 4c with the 1st Cavalry Division Airmobile, was killed when enemy fire exploded a grenade attached to his belt while charging an enemy position in Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam, ...
This Avondale (McDowell County) native, while serving as a private first class with the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, was killed while providing cover fire near Kontum City, Vietnam, on 7 June 1968.
This Claremont (Fayette County) native, while serving as a lieutenant colonel with the 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division, was seriously wounded but continued to lead an artillery attack at Fishhook near the Cambodian border on 1 ...
This Morgantown native, while serving as a corporal and a medic with the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, was killed in the Chu Pa Region of Pleiku Province, Vietnam, on 11 February 1969, while trying to save the life of a soldier. For three days, he...
Entering the service at Fairmont, this staff sergeant with the 44th Infantry Platoon, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, was killed when he fell on a satchel charge in Hau Nghia Province, Vietnam, on 23 February 1969, to save the lives of other ...
Notable Military Figures: The Civil War
This Exhibit has 16 Sections
Notable Military Figures: The World Wars
This Exhibit has 22 Sections