and the semantics of how it is obtained is incredible.
It is not like a merit badge so it is not earned.
It's not a race or contest so it is not won. It is what it is. It is something that is awarded for a conspicuous act or series of acts of gallantry in action. People that are awarded it are recipients of it.
It's an interesting award. It's been awarded to people that have killed numerous enemy soldiers and it has been awarded to at least three contentious objectors that have never picked up a weapon much less fired one in action. Probably the most famous CO that received it was Desmond Doss.
The youngest was Willie Johnson who was 11 when he became a recipient during the Civil War. The oldest was Douglas MacArthur who became a recipient at 62. (MacArthur's is under questionable circumstances. Politics seems to have entered its head here. Still, MacArthur received the award.)
Audie Murphy was awarded his as a teenager and the youngest one awarded was Jackie Lucas who became the youngest at 17 to become a recipient since the Civil War.
The rules regarding the awarding of the medal are not really clear.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the U.S. government, bestowed upon individuals in the armed forces who distinguish themselves with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their life, above and beyond the call of duty.
That leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
This post is a result of watching a petty little stupid argument over semantics over winning, earning and so on and so forth.
I figure that the easiest way to keep the semantics people happy is to simply say that So and So is a Medal of honor recipient and leave it at that.
Some people's children!
Good intel. Thank you for a clear explanation.
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