List of post-Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients

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 recipients 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.

Since the April 1975 end of American presence in Vietnam, the United States military has been involved in a number of conflicts and peacekeeping activities, including actions in the invasion of Grenada, Lebanese Civil War, invasion of Panama, the Yugoslav Wars, the Somali Civil War and elsewhere.[1][2] Following the September 11 attacks, the United States entered into a War on Terror against militant Islamists, the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War.[3][4]

The Medal of Honor has been awarded to 30 U.S. servicemen for actions since Vietnam, seventeen to living recipients.

The first post-Vietnam Medal of Honor recipients were two Delta Force snipers, MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randy Shughart, who volunteered to defend a downed helicopter pilot in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia; the medals were awarded posthumously.[5]

  1. ^ Stewart, Richard W. (23 May 2006). "Rebuilding the Army Vietnam to Desert Storm". Center of Military History. United States Army. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  2. ^ Bullington, James R. (September 1999). "The Coming American Retreat from Global Military Interventions". American Diplomacy. University of North Carolina. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  3. ^ Stewart, Dona J. (2012). The Middle East Today: Political, Geographical and Cultural Perspectives. Routledge. p. 251. ISBN 9780415782432.
  4. ^ "Iraq War". Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Medal of Honor Recipients Somalia". Center of Military History. United States Army. 26 June 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2013.

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