The earliest Medal of Honor recipient educated at the United States Military Academy was

John Cleveland Robinson John Cleveland Robinson (April 10, 1817 – February 18, 1897) had a long and distinguished career in the United States Army, fighting in numerous wars and culminating his career as a Union Army brigadier general of volunteers and brevet major g ...

, a non-graduating member of the class of 1839. The first alumnus of the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

(USMA) to perform actions to be recognized with the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

was

Charles Henry Tompkins Charles Henry Tompkins (September 12, 1830 – January 18, 1915) was an American officer who served as a Union Army colonel, who received an appointment to the brevet grade of Brigadier General of volunteers during the American Civil War. He w ...

, a non-graduating member of the class of 1851, while the last alumnus to perform actions so recognized was

Andre Lucas Andre Cavaro Lucas (October 2, 1930 – July 23, 1970) was killed in action while serving as the commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (United States), 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, United States Army, at FSB Ripco ...

, a graduating member of the class of 1954. There are ten

wars involving the United States This is a list of wars and rebellions involving the United States of America. Currently, there are 107 wars on this list, 3 of which are ongoing. : : : : 18th-century wars 19th-century wars 20th-century wars 21st-century wars ...

for which the Medal of Honor has been bestowed upon a USMA alumnus. More than half of the alumni who received the distinction were thereby recognized for actions in either the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

or the

American Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

; twenty-five alumni were awarded the medal in connection with the Civil War and twenty-one in connection with the Indian Wars. Four alumni were recognized for their contributions to the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

, nine for the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

, two for the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

, and one for the

Banana Wars The Banana Wars were a series of conflicts that consisted of military occupation, police action, and intervention by the United States in Central America and the Caribbean between the end of the Spanish–American War in 1898 and the inception ...

. While only one alumnus received the Medal of Honor for actions in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, ten alumni were so recognized for actions in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The final two conflicts for which the Medal of Honor was given to USMA alumni are the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, for which two alumni were recognized, and the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, for which eight alumni were recognized. Of the eighty-three USMA alumni who have received the Medal of Honor, eight were non-graduates: John Cleveland Robinson, Charles Henry Tompkins, John Alexander Logan, Jr., Louis J. Van Schaick, Eli Thompson Fryer, Michael J. Daly, Roger Donlon, and

James A. Gardner James Alton Gardner (February 7, 1943 – February 7, 1966) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. Biography Gardner was born ...

. Two graduates,

John Gregory Bourke John Gregory Bourke (; June 23, 1846 – June 8, 1896) was a captain in the United States Army and a prolific diarist and postbellum author; he wrote several books about the American Old West, including ethnologies of its indigenous peoples. He ...

(class of 1869) and

Calvin Pearl Titus Calvin Pearl Titus (September 22, 1879 – May 27, 1966) was a soldier of the United States Army and the last American standard-bearer. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Peking of the Boxer Rebellion. He is kn ...

(class of 1905), received the Medal of Honor before being appointed to the academy. Other notable Academy alumni who received the Medal of Honor include

William Harding Carter William Giles Harding Carter (November 19, 1851 – May 24, 1925) was a US Cavalry officer who served during the American Civil War, Spanish–American War and World War I. He also took part in the Indian Wars seeing extensive service against the ...

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...

, and

Humbert Roque Versace Captain (United States), Captain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace (July 2, 1937 – September 26, 1965) was a United States Army officer of Puerto Rican American, Puerto Rican-Italian people, Italian descent who was posthumously awarded the United S ...

. __TOC__

Medal of Honor recipients

:''Note: "Class year" refers to the alumnus's class year, which usually is the same year they graduated. However, in times of war, classes often graduate early.'' :''ex: after the class year indicates the alumni is a non-graduating member of that class.''

American Civil War

All of the USMA alumni who received the Medal of Honor for action in the

were part of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

fighting against the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

to undo the

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

. The Civil War was the first war for which the Medal of Honor was granted, and more USMA alumni received this honor for participation in the Civil War than for any other conflict. Of the 3464 American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients, 25 attended USMA.

American Indian Wars

The USMA alumni receiving the Medal of Honor for their efforts in the

fought against the

Native Americans in the United States Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States ( Indigenous peoples of Hawaii, Alaska and territories of the United State ...

in order to expand the territory controlled by

American settlers American settlers is a broad-concept term which may refer to: * Settlement of the Americas, which began when Paleolithic hunter-gatherers entered North America via the Beringia land bridge from Siberia * European colonization of the Americas, which ...

and the

federal government of the United States The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

. Among the American Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipients, 21 were USMA alumni.

Spanish–American War

The Medal of Honor was given to Americans who fought in the

against

Spain under the Restoration , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

during the

Cuban War of Independence The Cuban War of Independence (), fought from 1895 to 1898, was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Little War (1879–1880). The final three months ...

. Four USMA alumni were among the Spanish–American War Medal of Honor recipients.

Philippine–American War

USMA alumni who received the Medal of Honor for participating in the

fought against the

First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic ( es, República Filipina), now officially known as the First Philippine Republic, also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was established in Malolos, Bulacan during the Philippine Revolution against ...

, the

Katipunan The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK; en, Supreme and Honorable Association of the Children of the Nation ...

, the ''

Pulahan The Pulahan (literally "those wearing red" in Cebuano; es, pulajanes), also known as dios-dios, were the members of a religious revival of Philippine beliefs that developed in the Visayas prior to the Philippine Revolution. At its peak, it ...

'', the

Sultanate of Sulu The Sultanate of Sulu (Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Kasultanan sin Sūg'', كاسولتانن سين سوڬ; malay language, Malay: ''Kesultanan Sulu''; fil, Sultanato ng Sulu; Chavacano: ''Sultanato de Sulu/Joló''; ar, سلطنة سولك) ...

, and the

Moro people The Moro people or Bangsamoro people are the 13 Muslim-majority ethnolinguistic Austronesian groups of Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan, native to the region known as the Bangsamoro (lit. ''Moro nation'' or ''Moro country''). As Muslim-majority ...

in order to suppress the

Philippine Declaration of Independence The Philippine Declaration of Independence ( fil, Pagpapahayag ng Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas; es, Declaración de Independencia de Filipinas); es, Acta de la proclamación de independencia del pueblo Filipino, link=no) was proclaimed by Fili ...

. Nine USMA alumni were among the 86 men who received the medal for their involvement in this war.

Boxer Rebellion

The Medal of Honor was given to two USMA alumni who fought in the

in China against the Righteous Harmony Society of the

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

in order to defend foreigners and Christians in China. Another 57 Americans received the Medal of Honor for participating in this conflict.

Banana Wars

Eli Thompson Fryer is the sole USMA alumnus to have received the Medal of Honor for his involvement in the

, supporting the

United States occupation of Veracruz The United States occupation of Veracruz (April 21 to November 23, 1914) began with the Battle of Veracruz and lasted for seven months. The incident came in the midst of poor diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States, and was re ...

. All of the 62 other Americans who received the Medal of Honor for fighting in the Banana Wars were involved specifically in the occupation of Veracruz.

World War I

The United States' involvement in World War I was as a neutral party for most of the war, but included the deployment of expeditionary forces towards the end of the war. Of the 119 Americans who received the Medal of Honor for action in World War I, only one attended USMA:

Emory Jenison Pike Emory Jenison Pike (December 18, 1876 – September 16, 1918) was a United States Army officer during World War I who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at Vandieres, France on September 15, 1918. A 1901 graduate of West Point, and ...

World War II

At the beginning of

, the United States was a neutral party just as it was at the beginning of

. Unlike in World War I, however, the United States was involved in World War II in a military capacity for most of the war. Ten of the 464 men who received the Medal of Honor for action in World War II were educated at USMA.

Korean War

The United States and twenty other

member states of the United Nations The United Nations member states are the sovereign states that are members of the United Nations (UN) and have equal representation in the UN General Assembly. The UN is the world's largest intergovernmental organization. The criteria ...

supported

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

in repelling an invasion by

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

and its allies into South Korea. For their involvement, 133 Americans were presented with the Medal of Honor, two of whom attended USMA.

Vietnam War

The United States and other

anti-communist Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...

countries fought against

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...

and its

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

allies during the

in an attempt to prevent the communist takeover of

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

and, more broadly, to implement the United States' policy of

containment Containment was a geopolitical strategic foreign policy pursued by the United States during the Cold War to prevent the spread of communism after the end of World War II. The name was loosely related to the term ''cordon sanitaire'', which was ...

to prevent the spread of communism. Eight of the 246 men who received the Medal of Honor for fighting in this war attended USMA.

References

Bibliography

External links

Home of Heroes: West Point Medal of Honor recipients

at www.arlingtoncemetery.net (Unofficial website) {{DEFAULTSORT:List of United States Military Academy Alumni (Medal of Honor)

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

Academy alumni, famous list

United States Army officers United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

*Med