Soldier's Medal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Soldier's Medal | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Awarded by United States Army | |
| Type | Medal |
| Awarded for | "[Distinguishing oneself] by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy." |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Statistics | |
| First awarded | October 17, 1927 |
| Precedence | |
| Next highest | Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Same | Navy - Navy and Marine Corps Medal Air Force - Airman's Medal |
| Next lowest | Bronze Star |
The Soldier's Medal is a military award of the United States Army. It was introduced by a law passed by U.S. Congress on July 2, 1926. The criteria for the medal are: "The Soldier's Medal is awarded to any person of the Armed Forces of the United States or of a friendly foreign nation who, while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, distinguished himself or herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy." (Army Regulation 600-8-22).
Often, the medal is awarded to soldiers who risk their life to save other people. The medal can be awarded in peacetime if the soldier's heroism is held to be equal to or greater than the level which would have justified an award of the Distinguished Service Cross (which is only awarded for valor) if the act had taken place in combat. An enlisted recipient who is eligible for retirement pay (20 years or more of service) will receive an increase of 10 percent in retirement pay, just as if the soldier had earned the DSC.
The first medals were awarded on October 17, 1927 to John F. Burns and James P. Martin, for heroism during a fire and to James K. Wilson and Cleophas C. Burnett for saving people from drowning.
Notable recipients of the Soldier's Medal include Colin Powell, who was awarded the decoration during his second tour in Vietnam (1968-69) when he was injured in a helicopter crash and, despite his wounds, rescued two comrades from the burning wreckage. Other recipients are the three soldiers awarded in 1998 for their intervention in the My Lai Massacre (1968). They were Hugh Thompson, Jr., Lawrence Colburn and Glenn Andreotta; Andreotta was awarded the decoration posthumously.
Specialist Eric S. Burns, Sergeant Shandon Gifford, Staff Sergeant Spencer A. Howell, and First Lieutenant John Paul, were the most recent recipients of the Soldier's Medal for heroism in Iraq. Sergeant Major Roderick Anderson was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for his heroism in Afghanistan.
Army Spc. Aaron Wittrock and Spc. Andrew Roe retrieved six Afghan men from a burning building at the Kandahar airport on April 4, 2005.
[edit] External link
On May 22nd 2003, four Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division (AA) were awarded the Soldiers Medal. Four Soldiers Medals were given out that day, the most so far in Iraq for one event. These Soldiers exposed themselves to a constant hail of shrapnel and unexploded ordnance in order to save the life of SPC Paul F. Young. The four were the Company Commander CPT Gordon Moon, CW2 Paul King, SGT Felix Garcia, and SPC Scott Descoteaux.
Spc. Kraig C. Lemme was the most recent recipient of the Soldier's Medal for heroism shown during a rescue of fellow soldiers who flipped their tank upside down in a canal in Iraq in 2004.
