Posted on Jan 30, 2018
Can someone get two medals of honors? If so, would they wear both or what would it look like?
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Posted in these groups: 
Medals
Medal of Honor
Medals Medal of Honor
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 16
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Yes, Dan Dailey (almost was awarded three) and Smedley Butler both were awarded two Medals of Honors.
Update as others have mentioned as of 1919 second awards of the Medal of Honor are not authorized.
Also just for fun here is a more in-depth history on Dan Daly
http://www.badassoftheweek.com/daly.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Daly
Update as others have mentioned as of 1919 second awards of the Medal of Honor are not authorized.
Also just for fun here is a more in-depth history on Dan Daly
http://www.badassoftheweek.com/daly.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Daly
The ultimate list of all badasses past and present.
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CWO3 (Join to see)
Detail on Maj Gen Smedley Butler. The wiki article shows his ribbons at bottom of article.
"By the end of his career, Butler had received 16 medals, five for heroism. He is one of 19 men to receive the Medal of Honor twice, one of three to be awarded both the Marine Corps Brevet Medal (along with Wendell Neville and David Porter) and the Medal of Honor, and the only Marine to be awarded the Brevet Medal and two Medals of Honor, all for separate actions."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler
"By the end of his career, Butler had received 16 medals, five for heroism. He is one of 19 men to receive the Medal of Honor twice, one of three to be awarded both the Marine Corps Brevet Medal (along with Wendell Neville and David Porter) and the Medal of Honor, and the only Marine to be awarded the Brevet Medal and two Medals of Honor, all for separate actions."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler
Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881– June 21, 1940) was a United States Marine Corps major general, the highest rank authorized at that time, and at the time of his death the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. During his 34-year career as a Marine, he participated in military actions in the Philippines, China, in Central America and the Caribbean during the Banana Wars, and France in World War I. Butler later became an outspoken...
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Imagine the kind of awful circumstances or poor luck for a person to be in two different situations that would be considered honorable enough to earn more than one Medal of Honor.
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SPC David Willis
Imagine the sheer luck though of a person who was able to wear two MOHs while still breathing.
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PFC Bradley Campbell
"Snuffy" Smith got his in the Eighth AF over Germany. he was a total screw up soldier. he was on KP when the people arrived to present his award.
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19 people have received the Medal of Honor twice. None recently, but they have received it.
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There are total of 19 recipients of two MoH - most notable one being Sergeant Major Dan Daly. He was recommended for the third one which was downgraded to Distinguished Service Cross.
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In 2011, Department of Defense instructions in regard to the Medal of Honor were amended to read "for each succeeding act that would otherwise justify award of the Medal of Honor, the individual receiving the subsequent award is authorized to wear an additional Medal of Honor ribbon and/or a 'V' device on the Medal of Honor suspension ribbon" (the "V" device is a 1⁄4-inch-high (6.4 mm) bronze miniature letter "V" with serifs that denotes valor). The Medal of Honor was the only decoration authorized the use of the "V" device (none were ever issued) to designate subsequent awards in such fashion. Nineteen individuals, all now deceased, were double Medal of Honor recipients.[63] In July 2014, DoD instructions were changed to read, "A separate MOH is presented to an individual for each succeeding act that justified award."[64] As of 2014, no attachments are authorized for the Medal of Honor.
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19 people have received the Medal of Honor twice, none recently but they have received it.
The last individual to be awarded two Medals of Honor was John J. Kelly in 1918; the last individual to receive two Medals of Honor for two different actions was Smedley Butler, in 1914 and 1915.
The last individual to be awarded two Medals of Honor was John J. Kelly in 1918; the last individual to receive two Medals of Honor for two different actions was Smedley Butler, in 1914 and 1915.
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Yes and no, currently the law prohibits someone from getting a second award, but if check online you will see it has been awarded to service members more than once. I think there is around 10 or 12 who have been awarded it twice. One who sticks out is General Custer's Brother. He was awarded it twice for capturing Flags during the Civil War.
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SGT Matthew S.
CW2 (Join to see) - From the Medal of Honor Society website (cmohs.org):
09 July 1918
"The act of July 9th further established time limits to avoid problems like those encountered with Civil War veterans seeking the award. Recommendations for Medals of Honor had to be made within 2 years of the act of heroism for which it was to be awarded, and the Medal was to be presented within 3 years.
The act of July 9th was further clarified in September, then again in February 1919, to stipulate that no person could receive more than one Medal of Honor. Previously there had been 19 double recipients of the Medal, but hereafter, while there were provisions for second and consecutive awards of lesser medals to be made and noted with appropriate ribbon devices, no more than one Medal of Honor could be awarded."
09 July 1918
"The act of July 9th further established time limits to avoid problems like those encountered with Civil War veterans seeking the award. Recommendations for Medals of Honor had to be made within 2 years of the act of heroism for which it was to be awarded, and the Medal was to be presented within 3 years.
The act of July 9th was further clarified in September, then again in February 1919, to stipulate that no person could receive more than one Medal of Honor. Previously there had been 19 double recipients of the Medal, but hereafter, while there were provisions for second and consecutive awards of lesser medals to be made and noted with appropriate ribbon devices, no more than one Medal of Honor could be awarded."
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On a side note, Chesty Puller had 5 navy crosses, and it has been said more than once that at least 2 of them should have been MOH, but he had made many political enemies due to his outspokenness.
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What would the robin look like would he wear two ribbons or would he have a star or something on it
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CW3 Kevin Storm
As no one is living who had two, I never had to look it up, but there is a picture of Custer's brother, and at that time you wore both awards, keep in mind it was a medal at that time, I don't think they had the hung device around the neck at that time period. Of the 19 who have earned it twice, this is the only picture with a double recipient wearing both. http://www.cmohs.org/double-recipients.php
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SSG Randy Talbot
Thomas Custer received both of his medals during the civil war... for actions about a week or two apart!
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Not after 1917. You can get multiple awards of any other medal for heroism except the Medal of Honor. Before that time, there were a number of double recipients.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
Capt Gregory Rush - I think that if you look, they received one Army Medal of Honor and one Navy Medal of Honor for the same action. They haven't allowed that since 1919.
Technically one can still get two MOH's today, but they have to be from different combat actions under the control of a different agency. An example being that you enlisted in the Army, won the MOH, then enlisted in the Marines and win the Navy one. So far, since 1919, no one has done it.
Technically one can still get two MOH's today, but they have to be from different combat actions under the control of a different agency. An example being that you enlisted in the Army, won the MOH, then enlisted in the Marines and win the Navy one. So far, since 1919, no one has done it.
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LCpl Shane Couch
CPT Lawrence Cable - I do not believe you have to be under different agencies/branches. They must be separate actions though.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
LCpl Shane Couch - You can't get two MOH's from the Army even if it was for different actions in different wars. I am pretty sure that the same applies for the Navy. The only loophole apparently is that you can still get two for separate actions, but you have to be part of that "Department" that issues the award. So in theory anyway, if John Basilone had done something to earn a MOH while he was in the Army, he would still have been able to receive the MOH for his action on Guadalcanal through the Marines since they are part of the Navy Dept. That apparently is in theory only, since I can't find anyone with two since WWI.
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LCpl Shane Couch
CPT Lawrence Cable - okay, I thought it was made where you couldn't receive for the same action/conflict.
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