Out of the more than 3,500 service members who have received the nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, only 90 have been African Americans — and they have spanned every conflict from the Civil War to the Vietnam War.
CIVIL WAR
Sergeant William Harvey Carney — U.S. Army | July 18, 1863
"When the color sergeant was shot down, this soldier grasped 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."
Landsman Aaron Sanderson — U.S. Navy, USS Wyandank | March 17, 1865
Private Bruce Anderson — U.S. Army | January 15, 1865
Private William H. Barnes — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
First Sergeant Powhatan Beaty — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
"Took command of his company, all the officers having been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it."
First Sergeant James Bronson — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
Landsman William H. Brown — U.S. Navy | August 5, 1864
Landsman Wilson Brown — U.S. Navy, USS Hartford | August 5, 1864
Sergeant Decatur Dorsey — U.S. Army | July 30, 1864
Sergeant Major Christian A. Fleetwood — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
"Seized the colors, after 2 color bearers had been shot down, and bore them nobly through the fight."
Private James Gardiner — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
Sergeant James Harris — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
Sergeant Major Thomas Hawkins — U.S. Army | July 21, 1864
Sergeant Alfred Hilton — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
Sergeant Major Milton Holland — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
Corporal Miles James — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
First Sergeant Alexander Kelly — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
Landsman John Lawson — U.S. Navy, USS Hartford | August 5, 1864
Engineer’s Cook James Mifflin — U.S. Navy, USS Brooklyn | August 5, 1864
Robert Blake — U.S. Navy, USS Marblehead | December 25, 1863
"On board the U.S. Steam Gunboat Marblehead off Legareville, Stono River, 25 December 1863, in 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."
Seaman Joachim Pease — U.S. Navy, USS Kearsarge | June 19, 1864
First Sergeant Robert Pinn — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
First Sergeant Edward Ratcliff — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
Corporal Andrew Jackson Smith — U.S. Army | November 30, 1864
Private Charles Veale — U.S. Army | September 29, 1864
INDIAN WAR CAMPAIGNS
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Sergeant Thomas Boyne — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | May 29, 1879, and September 27, 1879
Sergeant Benjamin Brown — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | May 11, 1889
Sergeant John Denny — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | September 18, 1879
Principal Musician Pompey Factor — U.S. Army | April 25, 1875
Corporal Clinton Greaves — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | January 24, 1877
Sergeant Henry Johnson — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | October 2-5, 1879
Sergeant George Jordan — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | May 14, 1880 and August 12, 1881
Corporal Isaiah Mays — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | May 11, 1889
Sergeant William McBryar — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | March 7, 1890
Private Adam Paine — U.S. Army | September 26-27, 1874
Trumpeter Isaac Payne — U.S. Army | April 25, 1875
Sergeant Thomas Shaw — U.S. Army | August 12, 1881
Sergeant Emanuel Stance — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | May 20, 1870
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Private Augustus Walley — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | August 16, 1881
Sergeant John Ward — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | April 25, 1875
First Sergeant Moses Williams — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | August 16, 1881
Corporal William Othello Wilson — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | December 30, 1890
Sergeant Brent Woods — U.S. Army, Buffalo Soldiers | August 19, 1881
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
Sergeant Major Edward Baker — U.S. Army | July 1, 1898
Private Dennis Bell — U.S. Army | June 30, 1898
Private Fitz Lee — U.S. Army | June 30, 1898
Fireman First Class Robert Penn — U.S. Navy | July 20, 1898
Private William Thompkins — U.S. Army | June 30, 1898
Private George Wanton — U.S. Army | June 30, 1898
WORLD WAR I
Corporal Freddie Stowers — U.S. Army | September 28, 1918
Private Henry Johnson — U.S. Army | May 14, 1918
"Private Henry Johnson distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving on May 15, 1918, during combat operations against the enemy on the front lines of the Western Front in France."
WORLD WAR II
First Lieutenant Vernon Baker (Right) — U.S. Army | April 5-6, 1945
"For extraordinary heroism in action on 5 and 6 April 1945, near Viareggio, Italy."
First Lieutenant John Fox — U.S. Army | December 26, 1944
Private First Class Willy James — U.S. Army | April 7, 1945
Sergeant Ruben Rivers — U.S. Army | November 15-19, 1944
Lieutenant Charles Thomas — U.S. Army | December 14, 1944
Private George Watson — U.S. Army | March 8, 1943
Staff Sergeant Edward Carter — U.S. Army | March 23, 1945
"When the tank he was riding received heavy bazooka and small arms fire, Sgt. Carter voluntarily attempted to lead a three-man group across an open field...He was wounded five times and finally was forced to take cover. As eight enemy riflemen attempted to capture him, Sgt. Carter killed six of them and captured the remaining two."
KOREAN WAR
Sergeant Cornelius Charlton — U.S. Army | 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."
Private First Class William Thompson — U.S. Army | August 6, 1950
VIETNAM WAR
Sergeant First Class Webster Anderson — U.S. Army | October 15, 1967
Sergeant First Class Eugene Ashley — U.S. Army | February 6-7, 1968
Sergeant First Class William Bryant — U.S. Army | March 24, 1969
Specialist Sixth Class Lawrence Joel — U.S. Army | November 8, 1965
Specialist Fifth Class Dwight Johnson — U.S. Army | January 15, 1968
Private First Class Garfield Langhorn — U.S. Army | January 15, 1969
Sergeant Matthew Leonard — U.S. Army | February 28, 1967
Sergeant Donald Long — U.S. Army | June 30, 1966
Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris — U.S. Army | Sept. 17, 1969
Private First Class Milton Olive — U.S. Army | October 22, 1965
"Pfc. Olive saw the grenade, and then saved the lives of his fellow soldiers at the sacrifice of his by grabbing the grenade in his hand and falling on it to absorb the blast with his body."
Captain Riley Pitts — U.S. Army | October 31, 1967
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Rogers — U.S. Army | November 1, 1968
First Lieutenant Ruppert Sargent — U.S. Army | March 15, 1967
Specialist Fifth Class Clarence E. Sasser (Left) — U.S. Army | January 10, 1968
"Although in agonizing pain and faint from loss of blood, Sp5c. Sasser reached the man, treated him, and proceeded on to encourage another group of soldiers to crawl 200 meters to relative safety. There he attended their wounds for 5 hours until they were evacuated."
Staff Sergeant Clifford Sims — U.S. Army | February 21, 1968
First Lieutenant John Warren — U.S. Army | January 14, 1969
Private First Class James Anderson — U.S. Marine Corps | February 28, 1967
Private First Class Oscar Austin — U.S. Marine Corps | February 23, 1969
Gunnery Sergeant John Canley — U.S. Marine Corps | Jan. 31-Feb. 6, 1968
"By his undaunted courage, selfless sacrifice, and unwavering devotion to duty, Gunnery Sergeant Canley reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service."
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Sergeant Rodney Davis — U.S. Marine Corps | September 6, 1967
Private First Class Robert Jenkins — U.S. Marine Corps | March 5, 1969
Private First Class Ralph Johnson — U.S. Marine Corps | March 5, 1968
PEACETIME
Ordinary Seaman Robert Sweeney — U.S. Navy, USS Kearsarge, USS Jamestown | October 26, 1881 and December 20, 1883
Seaman John Smith — U.S. Navy, USS Shenandoah | September 19, 1880
Seaman Joseph Noil — U.S. Navy, USS Powhatan | December 26, 1872
Cooper William Johnson — U.S. Navy, USS Adams | November 14, 1879
Seaman John Johnson — U.S. Navy, USS Kansas | April 12, 1872
Seaman Alphonse Girandy — U.S. Navy, USS Petrel | March 31, 1901
Ordinary Seaman John Davis — U.S. Navy, USS Trenton | February 1881
Ship’s Cook First Class Daniel Atkins — U.S. Navy, USS Cushing | February 11, 1898