list of Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients

{{Medal of Honor recipients}}File:Ortega meda of Honor.jpg

The Medal of Honor was introduced 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.{{cite web

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|url=http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/med_of_honor.html

|work=Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

|title=A Brief History — The Medal of Honor

|publisher=Department of Defense

|date=August 8, 2006

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519025114/http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/med_of_honor.html

|archive-date=May 19, 2009

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Sixty-one (61) men of Hispanic heritage have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Of the sixty-one Medals of Honor presented to Hispanics, two were presented to members of the United States Navy, thirteen to members of the United States Marine Corps and forty-six to members of the United States Army. Forty-two Medals of Honor were presented posthumously.{{cite web|url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/topics/hispam/hisp-moh.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826155934/http://www.history.army.mil/html/topics/hispam/hisp-moh.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 26, 2009|title=Hispanic American Medal of Honor recipients|publisher=United States Army Center of Military History|access-date=January 24, 2010}}

The first recipient was Corporal Joseph H. De Castro of the Union Army for his actions at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on July 3, 1863, during the American Civil War and the most recent recipient is Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry for his actions in Afghanistan. Corporal De Castro was a member of the Massachusetts Infantry, a militia that was not part of the "regular" army; however, Private David Bennes Barkley was a member of the regular army during World War I and has been recognized as the Army's first Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient.[http://www.neta.com/~1stbooks/m-b.htm Medal of Honor recipient of Hispanic Heritage] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623155149/http://www.neta.com/~1stbooks/m-b.htm |date=2006-06-23 }}, Hispanic America USA, Retrieved July 29, 2008 In 1864, Seaman John Ortega became the first Hispanic member of the U.S. Navy to receive the Medal of Honor and in 1900, Private France Silva became the first person of Hispanic descent in the U.S. Marine Corps to receive the medal.[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20070326/ai_n18755799 Local hero no longer forgotten], Retrieved July 29, 2008 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080318192705/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20070326/ai_n18755799 |date=March 18, 2008 }}

President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to 17 Hispanics on a March 18, 2014 in a ceremony in the White House. The award comes through the National Defense Authorization Act which called for a review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to ensure that no prejudice was shown to those deserving the Medal of Honor.{{USPL|107|107}}{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-award-medal-honor-24-army-veterans-22623301?singlePage=true|title=Obama to Award Medal of Honor to 24 Army Veterans - ABC News|publisher=abcnews.go.com|access-date=2014-02-22}}

Fifteen recipients were born outside the United States mainland, one each in Chile and Spain, five in Mexico and eight in Puerto Rico. Seaman Philip Bazaar from Chile received the medal in January 1865 and Seaman John Ortega from Spain in December 1865. The first native Mexican recipient was Staff Sergeant Marcario Garcia and the first Puerto Rican was PFC Fernando Luis Garcia.[http://www.elboricua.com/MedalHonor.html Puerto Rican Medal of Honor recipients], Oakland Tribune, Retrieved July 29, 2008 1st Lt. Rudolph B. Davila, of Hispanic-Filipino descent, was the only person of Filipino ancestry to receive the medal for his actions in the war in Europe during World War II.{{cite web

|url=http://www.somosprimos.com/sp2007/spmar07/spmar07.htm

|title=Hispanic of Filipino ancestry to receive the medal

|work=Somos Primos

}} Private Joe P. Martinez was the first Hispanic-American recipient to be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for combat heroism on American soil during the same conflict.[http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=45241 22 Asian Americans Inducted into Hall of Heroes], El Boricua, Retrieved July 29, 2008 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez, is the only Hispanic graduate of the United States Naval Academy to receive the Medal of Honor.[http://www.ansomil.org/node/250 1st Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez, USMC] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723202414/http://www.ansomil.org/node/250 |date=2011-07-23 }}, Association of Naval Services Officers, Retrieved July 29, 2008 Captain Humbert Roque Versace was the first recipient of the Medal of Honor to be given to an Army POW for his actions during captivity in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.Mishalov, Neil; [http://www.mishalov.com/Versace.html Versace MoH Citation] excerpts from:The Washington Post, July 8, 2002; By Steve Vogel, The Washington Times; July 4, 2002; By Ellen Sorokin; The Washington Post; May 27, 2001; Stars and Stripes; January 18, 2001; By Dave Eberhart, Stars and Stripes Veterans Affairs Editor, Stars and Stripes; July 18, 2000; By Dave Eberhart, Stars and Stripes Veterans Affairs Editor and Stars and Stripes; Oct 7, 2000; By Mike Faber, Stars and Stripes Contributing Writer, Retrieved July 29, 2008

Terminology

Hispanic is an ethnic term employed to categorize any citizen or resident of the United States, of any racial background, of any country, and of any religion, who has at least one ancestor from the people of Spain or is of non-Hispanic origin, but has an ancestor from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central or South America, or other Hispanic origin. The three largest Hispanic groups in the United States are the Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans.[https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hispanic/hispdef.html Hispanic Population of the United States: Current Population - Survey Definition and Background] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990219133940/http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hispanic/hispdef.html |date=1999-02-19 }}, United States Census Bureau, November 2, 2000, Retrieved December 28, 2007

American Civil War

Three Hispanic Americans earned the Medal of Honor during the American Civil War, two were sailors of the Union Navy and one was a soldier of the 19th Massachusetts Infantry.

{{legend2|#e3d9ff|This with the * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

class="wikitable sortable" width="98%"
class="unsortable"\|Image !Name !Rank !Branch !Unit !Place of action !Date of action !class="unsortable"\|Notes/Reference
{{center\|—}} \|{{nowrap\|{{Sortname\|Philip\|Bazaar}}}} \|{{Sort\|E-01\|Ordinary Seaman}} \|Navy \|Massachusetts, {{USS\|Santiago de Cuba\|1861\|6}} \|Assault on Fort Fisher \|{{nowrap\|{{dts\|1865\|January\|15}}}} \|"As one of a boat crew detailed to one of the generals on shore, O.S. Bazaar bravely entered the fort in the assault and accompanied his party in carrying dispatches at the height of the battle. He was 1 of 6 men who entered the fort in the assault from the fleet"{{cite web \|url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20071214025428/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=December 14, 2007 \|title=Medal of Honor recipients - Civil War A-L \|publisher=United States Army Center of Military History \|date=August 6, 2009 \|access-date=January 16, 2010}}
{{center\|—}} \|{{nowrap\|{{Sortname\|Joseph H.\|De Castro}}}} \|{{Sort\|E-04\|Corporal}} \|Army \|Company I, 19th Massachusetts Infantry \|Gettysburg, Pennsylvania \|{{nowrap\|{{dts\|1863\|July\|3}}}} \|Attacked a confederate flag bearer from the 19th Virginia Infantry regiment and captured their flag.
{{center\|—}} \|{{nowrap\|{{Sortname\|John\|Ortega}}}} \|{{Sort\|E-01\|Seaman}} \|Navy \|{{USS\|Saratoga\|1842\|6}} \|{{USS\|Saratoga\|1842\|6}} \|{{nowrap\|{{dts\|1864\|December}}}} \|Was a member of a landing party who made several raids in August and September 1864 which resulted in the capture of many confederate prisoners and the taking or destruction of substantial quantities of ordnance, ammunition, and supplies. A number of buildings, bridges, and salt works were also destroyed during the expedition{{cite web \|url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwarmz.html \|title=Medal of Honor recipients - Civil War M-Z \|publisher=United States Army Center of Military History \|date=August 3, 2009 \|access-date=January 16, 2010 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223063700/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwarmz.html \|archive-date=February 23, 2009 }}

class="wikitable sortable" width="98%"

class="unsortable"|Image

!Name

!Rank

!Branch

!Unit

!Place of action

!Date of action

!class="unsortable"|Notes/Reference

|{{nowrap|{{Sortname|Philip|Bazaar}}}}

|{{Sort|E-01|Ordinary Seaman}}

|Navy

|Massachusetts, {{USS|Santiago de Cuba|1861|6}}

|Assault on Fort Fisher

|{{nowrap|{{dts|1865|January|15}}}}

|"As one of a boat crew detailed to one of the generals on shore, O.S. Bazaar bravely entered the fort in the assault and accompanied his party in carrying dispatches at the height of the battle. He was 1 of 6 men who entered the fort in the assault from the fleet"{{cite web

|url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20071214025428/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html

|url-status=dead

|archive-date=December 14, 2007

|title=Medal of Honor recipients - Civil War A-L

|publisher=United States Army Center of Military History

|date=August 6, 2009

|access-date=January 16, 2010}}

|{{nowrap|{{Sortname|Joseph H.|De Castro}}}}

|{{Sort|E-04|Corporal}}

Military branch	Posthumously	In person	Number of awards
class="wikitable sortable" align=center style="float: center; clear:center; width:11em" \|+ Awards by branch of service
Army	align=right\|30	align=right\|16	align=right\|46
Marines	align=right\|11	align=right\|2	align=right\|13
Navy	align=right\|0	align=right\|2	align=right\|2
Total	align=right\|41	align=right\|20	align=right\|61

list of Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients

Terminology

American Civil War

Boxer Rebellion

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

[[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]]

By military branch

See also

References

External links