List of African-American Medal of Honor recipients

Medal of Honor    By conflict All conflicts American Civil War:   A–F • G–L • M–P • Q–S • T–Z • Second Battle of Fort Fisher (ACW) Indian Wars • Spanish–American War • Philippine–American War • Boxer Rebellion • Veracruz • World War I • World War II: Iwo Jima Korea • Vietnam • Peacetime By ethnic group African American • Asian American • Hispanic • Italian American • Jewish American • Native American • Puerto Rican Other Living • Naval Academy alumni • Military Academy alumni

The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously.^[1]

Of the 3,464 Medals of Honor awarded as of June 2009^[update], 88 have been awarded to 87 different African American recipients.^[2] Robert Augustus Sweeney is one of nineteen men, and the only African American, to have been awarded two Medals of Honor.^[3]

A 1993 study commissioned by the Army investigated racial discrimination in the awarding of medals.^[4] At the time, no Medals of Honor had been awarded to black soldiers who served in World War II. After an exhaustive review of files, the study recommended that several black Distinguished Service Cross recipients be upgraded to the Medal of Honor. On January 13, 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal to seven African American World War II veterans; of these, only Vernon Baker was still alive.^[4]

Civil War

Twenty-five African Americans earned the Medal of Honor during the American Civil War, including seven sailors of the Union Navy, fifteen soldiers of the United States Colored Troops, and three soldiers of other Army units.^[2] Fourteen African American men earned the Medal for actions in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm, where a division of U.S. Colored Troops saw heavy action. Another four men, all sailors, earned their Medals at the Battle of Mobile Bay. William Harvey Carney was the first African American to perform an action for which a Medal of Honor was awarded, but Robert Blake was the first to actually receive the Medal (Blake's was issued in 1864, Carney did not receive his until 1900). It was common for Civil War Medals of Honor to be awarded decades after the conflict ended; in one case, Andrew Jackson Smith's Medal was not awarded until 2001, 137 years after the action in which he earned it. Smith's wait, caused by a missing battle report, is the longest delay of the award for any recipient, African American or otherwise.^[5]

      This along with * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied from the official Medal of Honor citation

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Unit	Place of action	Date of action	Notes
—	Anderson, AaronAaron Anderson	Navy	E-01Landsman	USS Wyandank (1847)	Mattox Creek, Virginia	01865-03-17 March 17, 1865	"Participating with a boat crew in the clearing of Mattox Creek, L/man Anderson carried out his duties courageously in the face of a devastating fire which cut away half the oars, pierced the launch in many places and cut the barrel off a musket being fired at the enemy."
—	Anderson, BruceBruce Anderson	Army	E-01Private	142nd New York Volunteer Infantry	Second Battle of Fort Fisher, North Carolina	01865-01-15 January 15, 1865	"Voluntarily advanced with the head of the column and cut down the palisading."
—	Barnes, William H.William H. Barnes	Army	E-01Private	38th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Among the first to enter the enemy's works; although wounded."
	Beaty, PowhatanPowhatan Beaty	Army	E-08First Sergeant	5th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Took command of his company, all the officers having been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it."
—	Blake, RobertRobert Blake	Navy	0Contraband[n 1]	USS Marblehead (1861)	off Legareville in the Stono River, Johns Island, South Carolina	01863-12-25 December 25, 1863	"[I]n an engagement with the enemy on John's Island. Serving the rifle gun, Blake, an escaped slave, carried out his duties bravely throughout the engagement which resulted in the enemy's abandonment of positions, leaving a caisson and one gun behind."
—	Bronson, James H.James H. Bronson	Army	E-08First Sergeant	5th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Took command of his company, all the officers having been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it."
—	Brown, William H.William H. Brown	Navy	E-01Landsman	—	Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama	01864-08-05 August 5, 1864	"[R]emained steadfast at his post and performed his duties in the powder division throughout the furious action which resulted in the surrender of the prize rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan."
—	Brown, WilsonWilson Brown	Navy	E-01Landsman	USS Hartford	Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama	01864-08-05 August 5, 1864	"Knocked unconscious into the hold of the ship when an enemy shellburst fatally wounded a man on the ladder above him, Brown, upon regaining consciousness, promptly returned to the shell whip on the berth deck and zealously continued to perform his duties although 4 of the 6 men at this station had been either killed or wounded by the enemy's terrific fire."
	Carney, William HarveyWilliam Harvey Carney	Army	E-05Sergeant	54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry	Battle of Fort Wagner, Morris Island, South Carolina	01863-07-18 July 18, 1863	"[G]rasped the flag, led the way to the parapet, and planted the colors thereon. When the troops fell back he brought off the flag, under a fierce fire in which he was twice severely wounded."
—	Dorsey, DecaturDecatur Dorsey	Army	E-04Corporal	39th United States Colored Infantry Regiment	Battle of the Crater, Petersburg, Virginia	01864-07-30 July 30, 1864	"Planted his colors on the Confederate works in advance of his regiment, and when the regiment was driven back to the Union works he carried the colors there and bravely rallied the men."
	Fleetwood, ChristianChristian Fleetwood	Army	E-05Sergeant	4th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Seized the colors, after 2 color bearers had been shot down, and bore them nobly through the fight."
	Gardner, James DanielJames Daniel Gardner	Army	E-01Private	36th United States Colored Infantry Regiment	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Rushed in advance of his brigade, shot a rebel officer who was on the parapet rallying his men, and then ran him through with his bayonet."
	Harris, James H.James H. Harris	Army	E-05Sergeant	38th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Gallantry in the assault"
	Hawkins, Thomas R.Thomas R. Hawkins	Army	E-01Private	6th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Deep Bottom, Virginia	01864-07-21 July 21, 1864	"Rescue of regimental colors."
—	Hilton, Alfred B.Alfred B. Hilton*	Army	E-05Sergeant	4th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"When the regimental color bearer fell, this soldier seized the color and carried it forward, together with the national standard, until disabled at the enemy's inner line."
	Holland, Milton M.Milton M. Holland	Army	E-05Sergeant	5th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Took command of Company C, after all the officers had been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it."
—	James, MilesMiles James	Army	E-04Corporal	36th United States Colored Infantry Regiment	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Having had his arm mutilated, making immediate amputation necessary, he loaded and discharged his piece with one hand and urged his men forward; this within 30 yards of the enemy's works."
	Kelly, AlexanderAlexander Kelly	Army	E-08First Sergeant	6th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Gallantly seized the colors, which had fallen near the enemy's lines of abatis, raised them and rallied the men at a time of confusion and in a place of the greatest danger."
	Lawson, John HenryJohn Henry Lawson	Navy	E-01Landsman	USS Hartford	Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama	01864-08-05 August 5, 1864	Although "Wounded in the leg and thrown violently against the side of the ship when an enemy shell killed or wounded the 6-man crew as the shell whipped on the berth deck, Lawson, upon regaining his composure, promptly returned to his station and, although urged to go below for treatment, steadfastly continued his duties..."
—	Mifflin, JamesJames Mifflin	Navy	0Engineer's Cook		Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama	01864-08-05 August 5, 1864	"[R]emained steadfast at his post and performed his duties in the powder division throughout the furious action which resulted in the surrender of the prize rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan."
—	Pease, JoachimJoachim Pease	Navy	E-01Seaman	USS Kearsarge (1861)	off Cherbourg, France	01864-06-19 June 19, 1864	"Acting as loader on the No. 2 gun during this bitter engagement, Pease exhibited marked coolness and good conduct and was highly recommended by the divisional officer for gallantry under fire."
	Pinn, RobertRobert Pinn	Army	E-08First Sergeant	5th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Took command of his company after all the officers had been killed or wounded and gallantly led it in battle."
—	Ratcliff, EdwardEdward Ratcliff	Army	E-08First Sergeant	38th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Commanded and gallantly led his company after the commanding officer had been killed; was the first enlisted man to enter the enemy's works."
	Smith, Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson Smith	Army	E-04Corporal	55th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry	Battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina	01864-11-30 November 30, 1864	"Saving his regimental colors, after the color bearer was killed during al bloody charge called the Battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina"
—	Veale, CharlesCharles Veale	Army	E-01Private	4th U.S. Colored Infantry	Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia	01864-09-29 September 29, 1864	"Seized the national colors after 2 color bearers had been shot down close to the enemy's works, and bore them through the remainder of the battle."

Indian Wars

Eighteen African Americans earned the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars of the western United States.^[2] Fourteen were "Buffalo Soldiers", members of the Army's first peacetime black regiments. The four Buffalo Soldier regiments, the 9th Cavalry, 10th Cavalry, 24th Infantry, and 25th Infantry, fought in campaigns throughout the west. The remaining four Medal of Honor recipients were U.S. Army Indian Scouts recruited from among the Black Seminoles, a group of Seminole Indians of African descent.

Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied in their entirety from the actual Medal of Honor citation

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Unit	Place of action	Date of action	Notes
—	Boyne, ThomasThomas Boyne	Army	E-05Sergeant	9th Cavalry Regiment	Mimbres Mountains and near Ojo Caliente, New Mexico	01879-05-29 May 29, 1879 and 01879-09-27 September 27, 1879	"Bravery in action"
	Brown, BenjaminBenjamin Brown	Army	E-05Sergeant	24th Infantry Regiment	Arizona	01889-05-11 May 11, 1889	"Although shot in the abdomen, in a fight between a paymaster's escort and robbers, did not leave the field until again wounded through both arms."
	Denny, JohnJohn Denny	Army	E-05Sergeant	9th Cavalry Regiment	Las Animas Canyon, New Mexico	01879-09-18 September 18, 1879	"Removed a wounded comrade, under a heavy fire, to a place of safety."
	Factor, PompeyPompey Factor	Army	E-01Private	Indian Scouts	Pecos River, Texas	01875-04-25 April 25, 1875	"With 3 other men, he participated in a charge against 25 hostiles while on a scouting patrol."
—	Greaves, ClintonClinton Greaves	Army	E-04Corporal	9th Cavalry Regiment	Florida Mountains, Luna County, New Mexico	01877-01-24 January 24, 1877	"While part of a small detachment to persuade a band of renegade Apache Indians to surrender, his group was surrounded. Cpl. Greaves in the center of the savage hand-to-hand fighting, managed to shoot and bash a gap through the swarming Apaches, permitting his companions to break free."
	Johnson, HenryHenry Johnson	Army	E-05Sergeant	9th Cavalry Regiment	Milk River, Colorado	01879-10-02 October 2, 1879– 01879-10-05 October 5, 1879	"Voluntarily left fortified shelter and under heavy fire at close range made the rounds of the pits to instruct the guards, fought his way to the creek and back to bring water to the wounded."
	Jordan, GeorgeGeorge Jordan	Army	E-05Sergeant	9th Cavalry Regiment	Fort Tularosa and Carrizo Canyon, New Mexico	01880-05-14 May 14, 1880 and 01881-08-12 August 12, 1881	For repulsing a larger force of Indians on 2 separate occasions
	Mays, IsaiahIsaiah Mays	Army	E-04Corporal	24th Infantry Regiment	Cedar Springs, Arizona	01889-05-11 May 11, 1889	"Gallantry in the fight between Paymaster Wham's escort and robbers. Mays walked and crawled 2 miles to a ranch for help."
	McBryar, WilliamWilliam McBryar	Army	E-05Sergeant	10th Cavalry Regiment	Salt River, north of Globe, Arizona	01890-03-07 March 7, 1890	"Distinguished himself for coolness, bravery and marksmanship while his troop was in pursuit of hostile Apache Indians."
—	Paine, AdamAdam Paine	Army	E-01Private	Indian Scouts	Canyon Blanco, Staked Plains, Texas (Red River War)	01874-09-26 September 26, 1874 – 01874-09-27 September 27, 1874	"Rendered invaluable service to Col. R. S. Mackenzie, 4th U.S. Cavalry, during this engagement."
—	Payne, IsaacIsaac Payne	Army	0Trumpeter	Indian Scouts	Pecos River, Texas	01875-04-25 April 25, 1875	"With 3 other men, he participated in a charge against 25 hostiles while on a scouting patrol."
	Shaw, ThomasThomas Shaw	Army	E-05Sergeant	9th Cavalry Regiment	Carrizo Canyon, Cuchillo Negra Mountains, New Mexico	01881-08-12 August 12, 1881	"Forced the enemy back after stubbornly holding his ground in an extremely exposed position and prevented the enemy's superior numbers from surrounding his command."
—	Stance, EmanuelEmanuel Stance	Army	E-05Sergeant	9th Cavalry Regiment	Kickapoo Springs, Texas	01870-05-20 May 20, 1870	"Gallantry on scout after Indians"
—	Walley, AugustusAugustus Walley	Army	E-01Private	9th Cavalry Regiment	Cuchillo Negro Mountains, New Mexico	01881-08-16 August 16, 1881	"Bravery in action with hostile Apaches"
—	Ward, JohnJohn Ward	Army	E-05Sergeant	Indian Scouts, 24th Infantry Regiment	Pecos River, Texas	01875-04-25 April 25, 1875	"With 3 other men, he participated in a charge against 25 hostiles while on a scouting patrol"
—	Williams, MosesMoses Williams	Army	E-08First Sergeant	9th Cavalry Regiment	Cuchillo Negro Mountains, New Mexico	01881-08-16 August 16, 1881	"Rallied a detachment, skillfully conducted a running flght of 3 or 4 hours, and by his coolness, bravery, and unflinching devotion to duty in standing by his commanding officer in an exposed position under a heavy fire from a large party of Indians saved the lives of at least 3 of his comrades."
—	Wilson, William OthelloWilliam Othello Wilson	Army	E-04Corporal	9th Cavalry Regiment	Sioux Campaign	01890-12-30 December 30, 1890	"Bravery"
	Woods, BrentBrent Woods	Army	E-05Sergeant	9th Cavalry Regiment	Gavilan Canyon, New Mexico	01881-08-19 August 19, 1881	"Saved the lives of his comrades and citizens of the detachment"

Spanish-American War

Six African Americans earned the Medal of Honor during the Spanish-American War: five Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry Regiment and one United States Navy sailor.^[2] Four of the five Buffalo Soldiers received the Medal for rescuing a trapped landing party during the Battle of Tayacoba.

Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied in their entirety from the actual Medal of Honor citation

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Unit	Place of action	Date of action	Notes
	Baker, Jr., Edward L.Edward L. Baker, Jr.	Army	E-09Sergeant Major	10th Cavalry Regiment	Santiago, Cuba	01898-07-01 July 1, 1898	"Left cover and, under fire, rescued a wounded comrade from drowning."
	Bell, DennisDennis Bell	Army	E-01Private	10th Cavalry Regiment	Tayabacoa, Cuba	01898-06-30 June 30, 1898	"Voluntarily went ashore in the face of the enemy and aided in the rescue of his wounded comrades; this after several previous attempts at rescue had been frustrated."
—	Lee, FitzFitz Lee	Army	E-01Private	10th Cavalry Regiment	Tayabacoa, Cuba	01898-06-30 June 30, 1898	"Voluntarily went ashore in the face of the enemy and aided in the rescue of his wounded comrades; this after several previous attempts had been frustrated."
	Penn, RobertRobert Penn	Navy	Fireman First Class	USS Iowa (BB-4)	On board the U.S.S. Iowa off Santiago de Cuba	01898-07-20 July 20, 1898	"Performing his duty at the risk of serious scalding at the time of the blowing out of the manhole gasket on board the vessel, Penn hauled the fire while standing on a board thrown across a coal bucket 1 foot above the boiling water which was still blowing from the boiler."
—	Thompkins, William H.William H. Thompkins	Army	E-01Private	10th Cavalry Regiment	Tayabacoa, Cuba	01898-06-30 June 30, 1898	"Voluntarily went ashore in the face of the enemy and aided in the rescue of his wounded comrades; this after several previous attempts at rescue had been frustrated."
—	Wanton, George H.George H. Wanton	Army	E-01Private	10th Cavalry Regiment	Tayabacoa, Cuba	01898-06-30 June 30, 1898	"Voluntarily went ashore in the face of the enemy and aided in the rescue of his wounded comrades; this after several previous attempts at rescue had been frustrated."

World War I

Freddie Stowers was the only African American to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in World War I.^[2] Stowers had led an assault on German trenches, continuing to lead and encourage his men even after being twice wounded. Stowers died of his wounds, and was shortly afterwards recommended for the Medal of Honor; however, this recommendation was never processed. In 1990, the Department of the Army conducted a review and the Stowers recommendation was uncovered. An investigation was launched, and based on results of the investigation the award of the Medal of Honor was approved. Stowers' Medal of Honor was presented on April 24, 1991—seventy-three years after he was killed-in-action.

      This along with * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

World War II

No African American was awarded a Medal of Honor either during World War II or immediately afterwards with respect to their actions during that conflict. This changed in 1992 when a study conducted by Shaw University and commissioned by the U.S. Dept. of Defense and the United States Army asserted that systematic racial discrimination had been present in the criteria for awarding medals during the war. After an exhaustive review of files the study recommended that several of the Distinguished Service Crosses awarded to African Americans be upgraded to the Medal of Honor. On January 13, 1997, more than fifty years after the end of the war, President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal to seven African American World War II veterans. Vernon Baker was the only living recipient—the other six men had been killed in action or died in the intervening years.

      This along with * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied in their entirety from the actual Medal of Honor citation

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Unit	Place of action	Date of action	Notes
	Baker, VernonVernon Baker	Army	O-01Second Lieutenant	370th Infantry Regiment, 92d Infantry Division (Colored)	near Viareggio, Italy	01945-04-05 April 5, 1945 and 01945-04-06 April 6, 1945	Repeatedly risked his life to eliminate the enemy and to allow his unit to evacuate their wounded
	Carter, Jr., Edward A.Edward A. Carter, Jr.*	Army	E-06Staff Sergeant	12th Armored Division	near Speyer, Germany	01945-03-23 March 23, 1945	"Voluntarily attempted to lead a three-man group across an open field. Within a short time, two of his men were killed and the third seriously wounded. Continuing on alone, he was wounded five times and finally forced to take cover. As eight enemy riflemen attempted to capture him, Sergeant Carter killed six of them and captured the remaining two. He then crossed the field using as a shield his two prisoners from which he obtained valuable information concerning the disposition of enemy troops."
	Fox, John R.John R. Fox*	Army	O-02First Lieutenant	366th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division (Colored)	the vicinity of Sommocolonia, Italy	01944-12-26 December 26, 1944	"[V]oluntarily remained on the second floor of a house to direct defensive artillery fire" so his unit could escape. "when a counterattack retook the position from the Germans, Lieutenant Fox's body was found with the bodies of approximately 100 German soldiers."
—	James, Jr., Willy F.Willy F. James, Jr.*	Army	E-02Private First Class	413th Infantry Regiment, 104th Infantry Division	near Lippoldsberg, Germany	01945-04-07 April 7, 1945	"[L]ed a squad in the assault, accurately designating targets as he advanced, until he was killed by enemy machine gun fire while going to the aid of his fatally wounded platoon leader."
	Rivers, RubenRuben Rivers*	Army	E-06Staff Sergeant	761st Tank Battalion (Colored), 26th Infantry Division (United States)	Guebling, France	01944-11-15 November 15, 1944 – 01944-11-19 November 19, 1944	"Though severely wounded... refused medical treatment and evacuation, took command of another tank, and advanced with his company in Guebling the next day. Repeatedly refusing evacuation, ...continued to direct his tank's fire at enemy positions through the morning of 19 November 1944. At dawn, Company A's tanks began to advance towards Bougaktroff, but were stopped by enemy fire. Sergeant Rivers, joined by another tank, opened fire on the enemy tanks, covering company A as they withdrew. While doing so, Sergeant River's tank was hit, killing him and wounding the crew"
	Thomas, Charles L.Charles L. Thomas*	Army	O-02First Lieutenant	614th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 103rd Infantry Division	near Climbach, France	01944-12-14 December 14, 1944	Although severely wounded assisted in rescuing other injured personnel and maintained command until he could orient his Company Commander on the situation
	Watson , George George Watson *	Army	E-01Private	2nd Battalion, 29th Quartermaster Regiment, Quartermaster Corps	Unknown	01943-03-08 March 8, 1943	When his ship was hit by enemy bombers he sacrificed himself to save several other crewmembers who could not swim and drown when the suction of the ship sinking pulled him under

Korean War

Two African Americans received the Medal of Honor for action in the Korean War, both were soldiers of the 24th Infantry Regiment.^[2] Despite a 1948 Executive Order commanding the integration of the military, segregated units persisted until 1954; the 24th Infantry was one of the last remaining all-black regiments, and these two men were the last African Americans to receive the Medal of Honor for actions while serving in a segregated unit.

      This along with * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Unit	Place of action	Date of action	Notes
	Charlton, Cornelius H.Cornelius H. Charlton*	Army	E-05Sergeant	24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division	Near Chipo-ri, Korea	01951-06-02 June 2, 1951	Using grenades and machine-gun fire he led his men to fight back a group of enemy soldiers until he was killed
	Thompson, William HenryWilliam Henry Thompson*	Army	E-02Private First Class	24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division	Near Haman, Korea	01950-08-06 August 6, 1950	Sacrificed his life to allow the rest of his unit to escape a group of enemy soldiers

Vietnam War

Twenty African Americans were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in the Vietnam War, including James Anderson, Jr., the first African American Marine to receive the Medal.^[2]

      This along with * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied in their entirety from the actual Medal of Honor citation

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Unit	Place of action	Date of action	Notes
	Anderson, Jr., JamesJames Anderson, Jr.*	Marine Corps	E-02Private First Class	3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division	Cam Lo, Vietnam	01967-02-28 February 28, 1967	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
	Anderson, WebsterWebster Anderson	Army	E-06Staff Sergeant	320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile)	Tam Kỳ, Vietnam	01967-10-15 October 15, 1967	Anderson's artillery unit was attacked by North Vietnamese forces near Tam Kỳ in the Republic of Vietnam. Anderson directed the defense of the unit's position and continued to lead after twice being severely wounded.
—	Ashley, Jr., EugeneEugene Ashley, Jr.*	Army	E-07Sergeant First Class	5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces	Battle of Lang Vei, Vietnam	01968-02-06 February 6, 1968 – 01968-02-07 February 7, 1968	Led 5 assaults against the enemy, continuously exposing himself to enemy grenades, machine gun and automatic weapons fire until he Was killed by enemy mortar fire after being carried off the battlefield
	Austin, Oscar P.Oscar P. Austin*	Marine Corps	E-02Private First Class	7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced)	Da Nang, Vietnam	01969-02-23 February 23, 1969	Sacrificed his life to save a wounded Marine
—	Bryant, William MaudWilliam Maud Bryant*	Army	E-07Sergeant First Class	5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces	Long Khanh Province, Vietnam	01969-03-24 March 24, 1969	Killed by an enemy rocket after leading his men on repeated attacks upon enemy bunkers
	Davis, Rodney M.Rodney M. Davis*	Marine Corps	E-05Sergeant	5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division	Quang Nam Province, Vietnam	01967-09-06 September 6, 1967	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
—	Jenkins, Jr., Robert H.Robert H. Jenkins, Jr.*	Marine Corps	E-02Private First Class	3rd Marine Division (Reinforced)	Fire Support Base Argonne, DMZ, Vietnam	01969-03-05 March 5, 1969	Sacrificed his life to shield a wounded Marine from an exploding grenade
	Joel, LawrenceLawrence Joel	Army	E-04Specialist Sixth Class	503d Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade	Vietnam	01965-11-08 November 8, 1965	After a long battle with enemy soldiers and despite his own wounds he continued to treat wounded until he was ordered to evacuate
	Johnson, Dwight H.Dwight H. Johnson	Army	E-04Specialist Fifth Class	69th Armor Regiment, 4th Infantry Division	Dak To, Kon Tum Province, Vietnam	01968-01-15 January 15, 1968	Risked his life to repeatedly attack a group of enemy soldiers until all of the enemy had been repulsed or killed
	Johnson, Ralph H.Ralph H. Johnson*	Marine Corps	E-02Private First Class	1st Marine Division (Reinforced)	Hill 146, Quan Duc Valley, Vietnam	01968-03-05 March 5, 1968	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
—	Langhorn, Garfield M.Garfield M. Langhorn*	Army	E-02Private First Class	17th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade	Plei Djereng, Pleiku Province, Vietnam	01969-01-15 January 15, 1969	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
—	Leonard, MatthewMatthew Leonard*	Army	E-07Sergeant First Class	16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division	Suoi Da, Vietnam	01967-02-28 February 28, 1967	Although severely wounded he continued to fight the enemy until succombing to his wounds
—	Long, Donald RussellDonald Russell Long*	Army	E-05Sergeant	4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division	Vietnam	01966-06-30 June 30, 1966	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
	Olive, III, Milton L.Milton L. Olive, III*	Army	E-02Private First Class	503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade	Phu Cuong, Vietnam	01965-10-22 October 22, 1965	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
	Pitts, Riley L.Riley L. Pitts*	Army	O-03Captain	27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division	Ap Dong, Vietnam	01967-10-31 October 31, 1967	Led his men against numerous attacks against the enemy until they had been defeated
	Rogers, Charles CalvinCharles Calvin Rogers	Army	O-05Lieutenant Colonel	5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division	Fishook region (near the Cambodian border), Vietnam	01968-11-01 November 1, 1968	"Although too severely wounded to physically lead the defenders, Lt. Col. Rogers continued to give encouragement and direction to his men in the defeating and repelling of the enemy attack"
—	Sargent, Ruppert L.Ruppert L. Sargent*	Army	O-02First Lieutenant	9th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division	Hau Nghia Province, Vietnam	01967-03-15 March 15, 1967	Sacrificed his life by smothering two enemy grenades with his body
	Sasser, ClarenceClarence Sasser	Army	E-02Private First Class	60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division	Ding Tuong Province, Vietnam	01968-01-10 January 10, 1968	Although wounded himself he proceeded to administer first aid to the wounded for more than five hours until they were evacuated
—	Sims, Clifford ChesterClifford Chester Sims*	Army	E-06Staff Sergeant	501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division	Huế, Vietnam	01968-02-21 February 21, 1968	Sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body
	Warren, Jr., John E.John E. Warren, Jr.*	Army	O-02First Lieutenant	22d Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division	Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam	01969-01-14 January 14, 1969	Treated the wounded and administered last rites to the dead and dying until he was killed by the enemy

Peacetime

Before World War II, the Medal of Honor could be awarded for actions not involving direct combat with the enemy; eight African Americans earned the Medal in this way, all of them sailors.^[2] Robert Augustus Sweeney received two peacetime Medals of Honor, one of only nineteen men, and the only African American, to be awarded the medal twice. Most of the non-combat medals, including both of Sweeney's, were awarded for rescuing or attempting to rescue someone from drowning.

      This along with * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied in their entirety from the actual Medal of Honor citation

Image	Name	Service	Rank	Unit	Place of action	Date of action	Notes
	Atkins, DanielDaniel Atkins	Navy	Ship's Cook First Class	USS Cushing (TB-1)	aboard ship at sea	01898-02-11 February 11, 1898	Attempted to save the life of an officer who fell overboard at sea
—	Davis, JohnJohn Davis	Navy	E-01Ordinary Seaman	USS Trenton (1876)	Toulon, France	01881-02 February 1881	"Jumping overboard, Davis rescued Augustus Ohlensen, coxswain, from drowning"
—	Girandy, AlphonseAlphonse Girandy	Navy	E-01Seaman	USS Petrel (PG-2)	aboard ship at sea	01901-03-31 March 31, 1901	"[F]earlessly exposing his own life to danger for the saving of others"
—	Johnson, JohnJohn Johnson	Navy	E-01Seaman	USS Kansas (1863)	near Greytown, Nicaragua	01872-04-12 April 12, 1872	"[D]isplayed great coolness and self-possession at the time Comdr. A. F. Crosman and others were drowned and, by extraordinary heroism and personal exertion, prevented greater loss of life."
—	Johnson, WilliamWilliam Johnson	Navy	Cooper	USS Adams (1874)	Navy Yard, Mare Island, California	01879-11-14 November 14, 1879	"[R]escued Daniel W. Kloppen, a workman, from drowning"
	Noil, Joseph B.Joseph B. Noil	Navy	E-01Seaman	USS Powhatan (1850)	Norfolk, Virginia	01872-12-26 December 26, 1872	"[S]aved Boatswain J. C. Walton from drowning"
—	Smith, JohnJohn Smith	Navy	E-01Seaman	USS Shenandoah (1862)	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	01880-09-19 September 19, 1880	"[R]escuing from drowning James Grady, first class fireman"
—	Sweeney, Robert AugustusRobert Augustus Sweeney	Navy	E-01Ordinary Seaman	First action: USS Kearsarge (1861) Second action: USS Jamestown (1844)	First action: Hampton Roads, Virginia Second action: New York Navy Yard	First action: 01881-10-26 October 26, 1881 Second action: 01884-10-18 October 18, 1884	First action:"[J]umped overboard and assisted in saving from drowning a shipmate who had fallen overboard into a strongly running tide" Second action:"[R]escued from drowning A. A. George, who had fallen overboard from that vessel"

See also

• Military history of African Americans

Footnotes

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

General

• Hanna, Charles W. (2002). African American recipients of the Medal of Honor: a biographical dictionary, Civil War through Vietnam War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0-7864-1355-7. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". American Civil War (A–L) War Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". American Civil War (M–Z) War Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwarmz.html. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/indianwars.html. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". Peacetime (1871–1898) Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/int1871-98.html. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". Spanish–American War Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/warspain.html. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". Peacetime (1901–1911) Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/inter1901-11.html. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". World War I War Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/worldwari.html. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". World War II African American Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/mohb.html. Retrieved June 23, 2009. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". Korean War Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html. Retrieved June 23, 2009. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". Vietnam War (A–L) Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
• "Medal of Honor recipients". Vietnam War (M–Z) Medal of Honor recipients. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-m-z.html. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 

Inline

External links

• 371st Regiment Monument