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Search - Medal of Honor: Profiles of America's Military Heroes from the Civil War to the Present

Medal of Honor Profiles of America's Military Heroes from the Civil War to the Present
Author: Allen Mikaelian, Mike Wallace

Introduction and Commentary by Mike Wallace. "The President may award, and present in the name of Congress, a medal of honor of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to a person who, while a member of the Army, Navy, or Air Force distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and bey... more »ond the call of duty." --The United States Congress 140 Years of American Courage. In 1863, President Lincoln first awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, which was created to boost morale among the Union rank-and-file. In the decades that followed, the award evolved to take on an almost sacred quality. Today, it remains the highest U.S. military decoration. Of the millions of Americans who have gone into combat in the past century, fewer than 1300 have earned the Medal of Honor, and many of those for actions they did not survive. Now comes a book that tells the history of the medal, and profiles in depth individuals from each branch of the military who have received it. Their courageous and selfless feats in battle are barely conceivable. They plunged into heavy fire, ventured boldly behind enemy lines, and threw themselves on live grenades. But who are these people? Medal of Honor portrays eleven recipients of the award, from the Civil War through the Vietnam War, and examines what drove them to go so far above and beyond the call of duty. They include Leopold Karpeles, a Union color-bearer who earned his during the horrifically chaotic Battle of the Wilderness; Vernon Baker, who single-handedly destroyed three German machine-gun nests during a fierce World War II engagement; and Thomas Kelley, who, during a river battle in Vietnam, continued to protect a disabled troop transport even after sustaining a severe head wound from the blast of an enemy rocket. Among the other stories are an account of the life of the only woman ever to receive the medal; of an officer who staged a daring escape from a German POW camp in WWI; and of a soldier from the legendary WWII Japanese-American 442nd, who went on to earn the medal in the Korean War. The book tells not only of astonishing military actions but also, significantly, of the recipients' lives before and after their wartime experiences. In his moving Commentary, acclaimed "60 Minutes" reporter Mike Wallace places these actions in historical context, and he relates his own personal experiences in WWII and as a reporter covering recent wars. He also meditates on the meaning of courage and shows what we can all learn from these extraordinary individuals.

ISBN-13: 9780786866625
ISBN-10: 0786866624
Publication Date: 5/15/2002
Pages: 320
Rating:

Currently 4/5 Stars.

4 stars, based on 5 ratings

Publisher: Hyperion
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Read All 2 Book Reviews of "Medal of Honor Profiles of Americas Military Heroes from the Civil War to the Present"

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Allison P. reviewed Medal of Honor: Profiles of America's Military Heroes from the Civil War to the Present on 3/10/2007 + 13 more book reviews

Moving and informative.

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Tom P. reviewed Medal of Honor: Profiles of America's Military Heroes from the Civil War to the Present on 12/23/2006 + 36 more book reviews

Good historical perspective!

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Read All Book Reviews of "Medal of Honor Profiles of Americas Military Heroes from the Civil War to the Present"

Genres:

Biographies & Memoirs >> Leaders & Notable People >> Military >> General
Biographies & Memoirs >> Professionals & Academics >> Military & Spies
History >> Military >> General
History >> Military >> United States >> General

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