| Medal of Honor |
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| All recipients |
| American Civil War |
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| Other wars and conflicts |
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| By ethnic group |
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The following is a list of Irish-American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who were awarded the American military's highest decoration — the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is bestowed "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty, in actual combat against an armed enemy force." The medal is awarded by the President of the United States on behalf of the Congress.
Of the 3,464 Medals of Honor awarded as of September 17, 2009,[1] an estimated 2,021 (58%) have been awarded to Irish-American recipients, more than twice the number awarded any other ethnic group;[2][3] 257 Irish-born Americans have received the Medal of Honor[4][5] which represents more than half of foreign-born MOH recipients.[6] A monument to these Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients is located at Valley Forge's Medal of Honor Grove;[7] erected by the Ancient Order of Hibernians.[8] The first Irish American to receive the Medal was Michael Madden, who received it for his actions in the American Civil War (Note that the earliest action for which the Medal of Honor was awarded was to Irish American U.S. Army Assistant Surgeon Bernard J.D. Irwin for the engagement at Apache Pass, February 1861. The award was made three decades after the event and after Madden's award).[9]
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- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Medal of Honor. United States Navy. Archived from the original on June 5, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
- ^ "America's Irish honor St. Patrick". The Miami News. Associated Press. March 17, 1987. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
- ^ Riehecky, Janet. Cultures of America: Irish Americans. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1995. (p. 68) ISBN 1854357832
- ^ United States Congress. Immigration reform: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Affairs of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred First Congress, first session, on S. 358 ... and S. 448 ... March 3, 1989. Washington, DC: US Government Print Office, 1990. (p. 131)
- ^ O'Hanlon, Ray. The New Irish Americans. Niwot, Colorado: Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1998. (p. 77) ISBN 1570982120
- ^ Fox, Thomas. Hidden History of the Irish of New Jersey. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2011. (pp. 110–116) ISBN 1609490304
- ^ Barnes, John A. Irish-American Landmarks: A Traveler's Guide. 9th ed. New York: Gale Research, 1995. (p. 167) ISBN 0810396033
- ^ "Medal of Honor Grove". www.freedomsfoundation.org. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
- ^ "First Medal of Honor action – Feb 13, 1861". History.com. Retrieved 2017-08-02.