from Statista.com
— this post authored by Niall McCarthy
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and it’s the most prestigious military award presented by the U.S. government to members of the armed forces.
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Awarded by the president in the name of Congress to recognize acts of valor on the battlefield, some 3,515 Medals of Honors have been awarded to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen over the years. As America remembers its fallen this Memorial Day, it’s important to keep in mind that since the start of U.S. involvement in World War II, over half of all Medals of Honor have been awarded posthumously.
18 American servicemen have received the Medal of Honor since 9/11. All four medals were awarded to posthumous recipients in the Iraq War while 14 Americans received it for their actions in Afghanistan. Out of those 14, three were presented with the Medal of Honor posthumously. Navy SEAL Edward Byers is the most recent recipient. The first living SEAL to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, Byers was presented with the award by President Obama in February 2016 for his actions during a daring hostage rescue mission in Afghanistan in 2012.
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