Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest honor a United States soldier can receive. Since it was created by an act of Congress in 1861, there have been 3,459 recipients. Approximately 17 percent of those died as a result of their heroic acts and received the medal posthumously. The medal is awarded by the president on behalf of Congress. The following is a gallery of the last ten recipients and a synopsis of their incredible acts of bravery and self-sacrifice. Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis Branch: Army Place and Date of Action: Baghdad, Iraq, December 4, 2006 Date of Issue: June 5, 2008 Private McGinnis and his ...