Why do most recent Medal of Honor recipients leave the military shortly after being awarded it?

USMC SgtMaj Kellog received his MOH in Nam, he didnt retire until after Desert Storm...

I have met several MOH recipients, each one of them basically traveled and met with soldiers and talked with them. No more war fighting. After a while I don't think many soldiers could do that for a career.

Because after you earn one who the hell can tell you anything about anything? I'd get out as well.

Most do not want the attention. Every time a new MoH is nominated, reporters will dig up facts on past recipients. Reporters will call to ask for comment. Also, MoHs are public documents. There's no hiding from the notoriety. Service crosses, Silver Stars and Bronze Stars can all have an unclassified citation and a classified citation. A person can hide behind what they really did in a classified citation.

Not true.... Leroy Petry stayed in for a year or two, went back to "The 'Stan" before retiring. Don Ballard got out of the navy before he received The MOH... he got a commission in the army and retired a colonel.

Jack Lucas got the Medal on Iwo Jima and was ret from the Corps on medical... was out until his 30s and talked himself into a army commission In the 82nd and retired at Captain. George Whalen Iwo also got Army commission and retired a major after a tour of Vietnam.... I knew/know them personally.

Well obviously having never received the MoH or anything remotely close, I did serve with one man that did receive it for actions in combat that occurred in 1968. We was awarded the MoH in 1969. Roughly 18 months later. He stayed active and was eventually allowed to be part of operational filed units. Even reaching the rank of Command Sargeant Major and was the Squadron CSM of 4th sqdn 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment during Desert Shield and Desert Storm before retiring in 1991. I had the extreme honor to serve with this man and would have followed him straight into the mouth of hell had he but asked.

Of the five MOH recipients I've had the honor to meet -- CAPT Tom Hudner, CAPT Tom Kelley, Col Bud Day, CSM Jon Cavaiani, and MSG Leroy Petry -- only Petry didn't stay for 20 years, but he did reenlist after receiving his award and medically retired in 2014.

Two others who come to mind are COL Robert Howard, who received the MOH for actions in 1968 and retired in 1992, and MSG Fred Zabitosky (who has a road named after him on Ft. Bragg) who also earned his MOH in 1968 and retired in 1989.

Robert Foley from the 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds" received the MoH as a Captain in Vietnam. He stayed in for the long run retiring as LTG.

Purely speculating as 3rd generation Army but to be a living recipient of the MOH you have most certainly cheated death thru the willingness and selflessness to risk your life so others may live. More than likely having suffered some serious trauma I feel they given their 20 years. Just my opinion.

Also said personnel who earned the MOH (Combat or Humanitarian) generally weren't awarded right away as with it's status it has to be under heavy review and at times may not be awarded till years after the event when the service member is already retired or in a significant amount of cases already deceased. Now on the flip side you do have someone who has gone through serious events who really don't want to remember every vivid detail and put it to words, from a previous position they held to being a piece of show and tell/propaganda. Though something that sticks with me till this day is when I met Arthur Jackson. Recipient of the Combat MOH from WW2. Recorded was 55+ confirmed kills and with fellow Marines running him supply's he destroyed 15(?) Japanese bunkers. A very nice gentleman and his wife is also a great artist.