The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.

History

The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the successor award to the "

Citation Star The Citation Star was a Department of War personal valor decoration issued as a ribbon device which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918 (Bulletin No. 43, War Dept. 1918). When awarded, a silver star was placed o ...

" ( silver star) which was established by an Act of Congress on July 9, 1918, during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. On July 19, 1932, the Secretary of War approved the conversion of the "Citation Star" to the SSM with the original "Citation Star" incorporated into the center of the medal. Authorization for the Silver Star Medal was placed into law by an Act of Congress for the U.S. Navy on August 7, 1942, and an Act of Congress for the U.S. Army on December 15, 1942. The current statutory authorization for the medal is Title 10 of the United States Code, for the U.S. Army, for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, and for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. The U.S. Army awards the medal as the "Silver Star". The U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard award the medal as the "Silver Star Medal". Since 21 December 2016, the Department of Defense (DoD) refers to the decoration as the "Silver Star Medal".

Award criteria

The Silver Star Medal is awarded for gallantry, so long as the action does not justify the award of one of the next higher valor awards: the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, the Air Force Cross, or the Coast Guard Cross. The gallantry displayed must have taken place while in action against an enemy of the United States, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The Silver Star Medal is awarded for singular acts of valor or heroism over a brief period, such as one or two days of a battle. Air Force pilots and combat systems officers and Navy/Marine Corps naval aviators and flight officers flying fighter aircraft, are often considered eligible to receive the Silver Star upon becoming an ace (i.e., having five or more confirmed aerial kills), which entails the pilot and, in multi-seat fighters, the weapons system officer or radar intercept officer, intentionally and successfully risking his life multiple times under combat conditions and emerging victorious. However, during 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 ...

, the last conflict to produce U.S. fighter aces: an Air Force pilot and two navigators/weapon systems officers (who were later retrained as Air Force pilots), a naval aviator and a naval flight officer/radar intercept officer who had achieved this distinction, were eventually awarded the Air Force Cross and Navy Cross, respectively, in addition to SSMs previously awarded for earlier aerial kills. ;Unit award equivalent * Air Force – Gallant Unit Citation * Army –

Valorous Unit Award The Valorous Unit Award (VUA) is the second highest United States Army unit decoration which may be bestowed upon an Army unit after the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). The VUA is awarded by the United States Army to units of the United State ...

* Coast Guard – Coast Guard Unit Commendation * Navy-Marine Corps – Navy Unit Commendation

Appearance

The Silver Star Medal is a gold five-pointed star, in circumscribing diameter with a laurel wreath encircling rays from the center and a diameter silver star superimposed in the center. The pendant is suspended from a rectangular shaped metal loop with rounded corners. The reverse has the inscription ''FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION''. The ribbon is wide and consists of the following stripes: Old Glory red (center stripe); proceeding outward in pairs white; ultramarine blue; white; and ultramarine blue. ;Ribbon devices Second and subsequent awards of the Silver Star Medal are denoted by bronze or silver oak leaf clusters in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and Air Force and by gold or silver inch stars in the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

Recipients

The Department of Defense does not keep extensive records for the Silver Star Medal. Independent groups estimate that between 100,000 and 150,000 SSMs have been awarded since the decoration was established.

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

David Hackworth who was awarded ten SSMs while serving in the Army during the Korean War and Vietnam War, is likely to be the person awarded the most SSMs. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was awarded seven SSMs for his service in France in

from February to November 1918 as a colonel and then brigadier general. Donald H. Russell, a civilian Vought F4U Corsair technical support engineer attached to a Marine Corps fighter wing, received the SSM for his actions aboard after the carrier was attacked by a Japanese dive bomber in March 1945. In the fall of 1944, President Roosevelt's close adviser Harry Hopkins, the U.S. Ambassador in Moscow

W. Averell Harriman William Averell Harriman (November 15, 1891July 26, 1986), better known as Averell Harriman, was an American Democratic politician, businessman, and diplomat. The son of railroad baron E. H. Harriman, he served as Secretary of Commerce un ...

and a military attaché presented the SSM to Soviet Red Army artillery officer Alexei Voloshin, who was the first to cross the Dnieper with his battery and was one of four junior Red Army officers who received the award.

Female recipients

Three Army nurses that served in World War I were cited in 1919 and 1920 with Citation Stars for gallantry in attending to the wounded while under artillery fire in July 1918. In 2007, it was discovered that they had never been awarded their Citation Stars. The three nurses (Army nurses served without rank until 1920) were awarded the Silver Star Medal posthumously: *

Jane Rignel Jane I. Rignel St. John ARRC (June 16, 1884 – April 1, 1977) was a United States Army nurse who was the Chief Nurse of Mobile Hospital No. 2 during World War I. For her heroism she was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, the British Royal Red ...

– Mobile Hospital No. 2, 42nd Division, for gallantry in "giving aid to the wounded under heavy fire" in France on July 15, 1918 * Linnie Leckrone – Shock Team No. 134, Field Hospital No. 127, 32nd Division, for gallantry while "attending to the wounded during an artillery bombardment" in France on July 29, 1918 * Irene Robar – Shock Team No. 134, Field Hospital No. 127, 32nd Division, for gallantry while "attending to the wounded during an artillery bombardment" in France on July 29, 1918 An unknown number of servicewomen received the award in World War II. Four Army nurses serving in Italy during the war—

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

Mary Roberts, Second Lieutenant

Elaine Roe Second Lieutenant Elaine A. Roe was an officer in the United States Army during World War II. She was awarded the Silver Star for her actions during Operation Shingle. Action Roe and her fellow nurses serving at the time - Mary Roberts, Rita Rour ...

, Second Lieutenant Rita Virginia Rourke, and Second Lieutenant

Ellen Ainsworth Ellen Ainsworth (1918 in Glenwood City, Wisconsin – 1944 in Anzio, Italy) was an officer in the United States Army during World War II. Ainsworth was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart for her actions during Operation Shingle while se ...

(posthumous)—became the first women recipients of the Silver Star, all cited for their bravery in evacuating the 33rd Field Hospital at

Anzio Anzio (, also , ) is a town and '' comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Is ...

on February 10, 1944. Later that same year, Corporal Maggie Leones, a Filipino who later immigrated to the United States, received the medal for clandestine activities on

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, ...

; , she is the only female Asian to receive a Silver Star. The next known servicewomen to receive the Silver Star were Army National Guard Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester in 2005, for gallantry during an insurgent ambush on a convoy in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

and Army

Specialist Specialist may refer to: Occupations * Specialist (rank), a military rank ** Specialist (Singapore) * Specialist (arena football) * Specialist degree, in academia * Specialty (medicine) * Designated market maker, in the American stock market * ...

Monica Lin Brown Monica Lin Brown (born 24 May 1988) is a United States Army sergeant and medic who became the first woman during the War in Afghanistan and only the second woman since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the United States military's third ...

in March 2008, for extraordinary heroism as a combat medic in the War in Afghanistan.

Notable recipients

* John Adair * Joseph H. Albers *

John R. Alison John Richardson Alison (November 21, 1912 – June 6, 2011) was a highly decorated American combat ace of World War II and is often cited as the father of Air Force Special Operations. Early years Born in Micanopy, Florida, near Gainesville ...

* Darr H. Alkire * Leslie "Bull" Allen *

Royal B. Allison Royal Bertram Allison (April 22, 1919 – October 31, 1995) was a United States Air Force lieutenant general and a bomber pilot during World War II. He later served as the principal military adviser on U.S. government's Strategic Arms Limitation T ...

* Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. * Samuel E. Anderson * Bernard L. Austin * Lloyd Austin *

William Brantley Aycock William Brantley Aycock (October 24, 1915 – June 20, 2015) was an American educator who served as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1957 until 1964 and was the retired Kenan Professor of Law at the UNC School o ...

* Peter Badcoe (two awards) *

John Bahnsen John C. "Doc" Bahnsen, Jr. (born November 8, 1934) is a retired United States Army brigadier general and decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. Early years John Charles Bahnsen, Jr. was born to John C. Bahnsen and Evelyn Williams in Albany, Geo ...

(five awards) *

Vernon Baker Vernon may refer to: Places Australia *Vernon County, New South Wales Canada *Vernon, British Columbia, a city *Vernon, Ontario France * Vernon, Ardèche *Vernon, Eure United States * Vernon, Alabama * Vernon, Arizona * Vernon, California * ...

* Robert H. Barrow *

Olinto Barsanti Olinto Mark Barsanti (November 11, 1917 – May 2, 1973) was commander of the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, commanding during the Tet Offensive and during subsequent operations around Bien Hoa and Huế. He commanded ...

César Basa César Fernando María Tianko Basa (21 June 1915 – 12 December 1941) was a Filipino military pilot who fought in World War II. He was one of the pioneer fighter pilots of the Philippine Army Air Corps, the forerunner of the Philippine Air For ...

* Harry F. Bauer * Charles Alvin Beckwith * David Bellavia (Upgraded to 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 ...

in 2019) *

Rafael Celestino Benítez Rear Admiral Rafael Celestino Benítez (March 9, 1917 – March 6, 1999) was a highly decorated American submarine commander who led the rescue effort of the crew members of the during the Cold War. After retiring from the navy, he was Pan Ame ...

Everett Ernest Blakely Everett Ernest Blakely (July 1, 1919 – September 21, 2004) was a career officer of the United States Air Force. He was a highly decorated B-17 pilot with the “Bloody Hundredth” Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force in Europe du ...

Albert Blithe Albert Blithe (June 25, 1923 – December 17, 1967) was an American career United States Army, soldier who served as a private first class with E Company, 506th Infantry Regiment (United States), Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infan ...

* Larry "Scrappy" Blumer *

Royal L. Bolling Royal Lee Bolling (June 19, 1920 – July 16, 2002) was a Massachusetts politician and head of a prominent African-American political family. While serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1965, he sponsored the state's Racial Im ...

* Richard Bong * Paul Boesch * Bruce Godfrey Brackett * Omar Bradley *

Neville Brand Lawrence Neville Brand (August 13, 1920 – April 16, 1992) was an American soldier and actor. He was known for playing villainous or antagonistic character roles in Westerns, crime dramas, and ''films noir'', and was nominated for a BAFTA A ...

Maurice L. Britt Maurice Lee "Footsie" Britt (June 29, 1919 – November 26, 1995) was an American professional football player, Medal of Honor recipient of World War II, businessman, and Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas. He played for the Detroit Lions in 1941 a ...

* Hubert Buchanan * Phil H. Bucklew * Arleigh Burke * Jess Cain *

Modesto Cartagena Sergeant First Class Modesto Cartagena (July 21, 1921 – March 2, 2010) was a member of the United States Army who served in the 65th Infantry Regiment, a military regiment consisting of Puerto Rican enlisted soldiers and officers from the conti ...

Alwyn Cashe Alwyn Crendall Cashe (July 13, 1970 – November 8, 2005) was a United States Army senior non-commissioned officer who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in Iraq. On November 10, 2020, the United States Congress voted to upg ...

(Upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2021) * Johnny Checketts *

Llewellyn Chilson Llewellyn Morris Chilson (April 1, 1920 – October 2, 1981) was a United States Army master sergeant and one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War II. He received twelve individual decorations for combat from the U.S. Army includ ...

(three awards) * David Christian (two awards) * Nestor Chylak * Wesley Clark * Max Cleland * Lynn Compton * Garlin Murl Conner (four awards) *

John Thomas Corley Brigadier General John Thomas Corley (August 4, 1914 – April 16, 1977) was a career United States Army officer who served with distinction in World War II. He was also noted for his contributions to army training. Early life John Thomas Cole w ...

(eight awards) * Alan "Ace" Cozzalio (two awards) * Louis Cukela * William J. Cullerton *

Roy M. Davenport Rear Admiral Roy Milton Davenport (June 18, 1909 – December 24, 1987) was an officer in the United States Navy. He is the first sailor to be awarded five Navy Crosses, the United States military's second highest decoration for valor. Davenport wa ...

* Juan César Cordero Dávila * Benjamin O. Davis Jr. * Ray Davis *

Oliver W. Dillard Oliver Williams Dillard Sr. (September 28, 1926 - June 16, 2015) was a United States Army major general, the fifth black officer in the U.S. Army to attain flag rank. He was a member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame and Officer Candida ...

James H. Doolittle James Harold Doolittle (December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993) was an American military general and aviation pioneer who received the Medal of Honor for his daring raid on Japan during World War II. He also made early coast-to-coast flights ...

Wayne A. Downing Wayne Allan Downing (May 10, 1940 – July 18, 2007) was a four-star United States Army general born in Peoria, Illinois. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1962 and held a Master of Busine ...

(two awards) * Hugh A. Drum * Jesus S. Duran (upgraded to the

, 2014) * Charles Durning * Graves B. Erskine *

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) a ...

* Joseph A. Farinholt *

Geoffrey Cheney Ferris Geoffrey Cheney Ferris (April 8, 1918 – May 7, 1943) was a United States Army soldier during World War II who received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions as a Forward Observer during Operation Torch near Beja, Tunisia. Ferris ...

* Bernard Fisher *

Wayne Fisk Chief Master Sergeant Wayne Fisk (born April 6, 1945) was directly involved in the famed Operation Ivory Coast, Son Tay POW camp raid and the rescue of the crew of the Mayagüez incident, SS ''Mayagüez''. When the ''Mayagüez'' was hijacked by ...

* Martin H. Foery * Ronald Fogleman * John W. Foss (two awards) * Mayhew Foster *

Joseph C. Froshour Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...

(two awards) Vietnam * Guy Gabaldon (upgraded to the Navy Cross, 1960) * Francis Gambacorta *

James M. Gavin James Maurice Gavin (March 22, 1907 – February 23, 1990), sometimes called "Jumpin' Jim" and "the jumping general", was a senior United States Army officer, with the rank of lieutenant general, who was the third Commanding General (CG) of the 8 ...

* Hobart R. Gay * Jerauld R. Gentry * John J. Gilligan * Luigi Giorgi (Italian serviceman) * Mathew L. Golsteyn *

John W. Goode John William Goode Jr. (March 10, 1923 – February 5, 1994) was a lawyer in San Antonio who was a figure in the 1950s and 1960s rebirth of the Republican Party in Texas. Background Goode was a son of the physician John Goode Sr. (1886� ...

Robert J. Graham The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, ho ...

David E. Grange Jr. David E. Grange Jr. (April 9, 1925 – September 11, 2022) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. Early life Grange was born on April 9, 1925, in Richmond Hill, New York, New York City, and grew up in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York. He j ...

(three awards) *

David L. Grange David L. Grange (born December 29, 1947) is a retired United States Army major general. He served with the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. He was later assigned to Delta Force, commanding a squadron during the invasion of Grenada ...

(three awards) * Charles H. Green (Cdr, 3rd Bn, RAR) * John Campbell Greenway * William Guarnere *

Ed Guthman Edwin O. Guthman (August 11, 1919 – August 31, 2008) was an American journalist and university professor. While at the ''Seattle Times'', he won the paper's first Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1950. Guthman was third on Richard Nix ...

* Horatio B. Hackett * David Hackworth (ten awards) *

Hugh William Hadley USS ''Hugh W. Hadley'' (DD-774) was an which served in the United States Navy during World War II. Namesake Hugh William Hadley was born on 17 February 1901 at Moro, Oregon. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1918. Commis ...

* Alexander Haig * Andrew Haldane (two awards) * Robert Halperin * Iceal Hambleton * Edward Hardin *

James C. Harding James C. Harding (born June 27, 1934) is a retired United States Air Force Colonel (United States), colonel and pilot. He served two tours, during the Vietnam War and flew a total 596 missions, all in propeller aircraft. He served as squadron co ...

* John Harllee *

Tom Harmon Thomas Dudley Harmon (September 28, 1919 – March 15, 1990), known as Tom Harmon, as well as by the nickname "Old 98", was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster. Harmon grew up in Gary, Indiana, and playe ...

* Raymond Harvey * Carlos Hathcock *

Vern Haugland Vernon Arnold Haugland (May 27, 1908 – September 15, 1984) was a reporter and writer for the Associated Press. As a war correspondent, he experienced and documented World War II events in person. During an assignment to New Guinea, he was a ...

(first civilian award) * Sterling Hayden *

Leo D. Hermle Leo David "Dutch" Hermle (June 30, 1890 – January 21, 1976) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He was a recipient of Army and Navy second highest decorations, Navy Cross and D ...

(three awards) *

Diego E. Hernández Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernandez (March 25, 1934 – July 7, 2017) was a United States Navy officer who was the first Hispanic American to be named Vice Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Early years Hernandez (birth ...

* Leigh Ann Hester * Clifford B. Hicks * Thomas Taro Higa *

David Lee "Tex" Hill David Lee "Tex" Hill (July 13, 1915 – October 11, 2007) was an American fighter pilot and triple flying ace. He is credited with victories as a squadron leader with the Flying Tigers and another six as an officer in the United States Army A ...

* Tony Hillerman *

Lucius Roy Holbrook Lucius Roy Holbrook (April 30, 1875 – October 19, 1952) was a major general who commanded the United States Army's Philippine Department from 1936 to 1938. Early life and family history Holbrook was born in Arkansaw, Wisconsin. He was a son o ...

Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon Gordon Paiea Chung-Hoon (July 25, 1910 – July 24, 1979) was an admiral in the United States Navy, who served during World War II and was the first Asian American flag officer. He received the Navy Cross and Silver Star for conspicuous gallan ...

* Joe R. Hooper (two awards) * Robert L. Howard *

Clifton James George Clifton James (May 29, 1920 – April 15, 2017) was an American actor known for roles as a prison floorwalker in '' Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), Sheriff J.W. Pepper alongside Roger Moore in the James Bond films '' Live and Let Die'' ( ...

* Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg * Phil Johnon *

Sam Johnson Samuel Robert Johnson (October 11, 1930May 27, 2020) was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for in Congress from 1991 to 2019. He was a member of the Republican Party. In October and November 2015, he was the acting ...

(two awards) * James L. Jones * James Taggart Kerr (two awards) *

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

* Jonny Kim *

Robert Kingston Robert Charles Kingston (July 16, 1928February 28, 2007) was a United States Army general who served as the commander of U.S. Central Command. Early life and education Kingston was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on July 16, 1928, and graduated ...

(two awards) * Joseph Kittinger (two awards) * Charles C. Krulak * Chris Kyle * Henry Louis Larsen (three awards) * Ben Lear * John C. H. Lee *

Kurt Chew-Een Lee Kurt Chew-Een Lee ( (January 21, 1926 – March 3, 2014) was the first Asian American to be commissioned as a regular officer in the United States Marine Corps. Lee earned the Navy Cross under fire in Korea in September 1950, serving in the 1st B ...

* Homer Litzenberg * Elliott Loughlin (two awards) * Douglas MacArthur (seven awards) * Victor Maghakian (two awards) *

Fred K. Mahaffey Fred Keith Mahaffey (January 4, 1934 – October 13, 1986) was a United States Army four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Readiness Command (USCINCRED) from 1985 to 1986 before dying of cancer. Early life, education, ...

(three awards) * Peyton C. March * Richard Marcinko * George Marshall * Richard Marshall *

Barry McCaffrey Barry Richard McCaffrey (born November 17, 1942) is a retired United States Army general and current news commentator, professor and business consultant who served in President Bill Clinton's Cabinet as the Director of the Office of National D ...

(two awards) * John McCain * Rob Roy McGregor (three awards) * Herbert Raymond "H.R." McMaster * Sid McMath * John McNulty (two awards) * William A. McNulty *

William K. MacNulty William Kirk MacNulty (May 22, 1892 in Antrim, Pennsylvania – August 3, 1964) was a U. S. Marine. He was a U.S. Marine Corps second lieutenant during World War I and saw action at the Battle of the Argonne Forest. He served as a captain dur ...

Merrill A. McPeak Merrill Anthony "Tony" McPeak (born January 9, 1936) is a retired 4-star general in the United States Air Force whose final assignment before retirement was as the 14th Chief of Staff of the Air Force from 1990 to 1994. In 1993, McPeak served a ...

Charles B. McVay III Charles Butler McVay III (August 31, 1898 – November 6, 1968) was an American naval officer and the commanding officer of the cruiser which was lost in action in 1945, resulting in a significant loss of life. Of all captains in the history of ...

Richard J. Meadows Richard James Meadows (June 16, 1931 – July 29, 1995) was a U.S. Army Special Forces officer who saw combat in Korea and Vietnam. He was a key figure in the Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, the rescue operation for the hostages of the Iran hostage ...

(two awards) *

Ray Melikian Ray Melikian (June 7, 1918 – October 25, 2013) was a fighter pilot of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II where he achieved the rank of major. Melikian flew 228 missions during the war and was known for having "superkeen" eye ...

(three awards) *

Charles L. Melson Charles Leroy Melson (25 May 1904 – 14 September 1981) was a vice admiral of the United States Navy. His career included service in World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War, command of the United States First Fleet and of the United State ...

* Daniel J. Miller *

Michael A. Monsoor Michael Anthony Monsoor (April 5, 1981September 29, 2006) was a United States Navy SEAL who was killed during Invasion of Iraq and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 2001 and graduated from Basic Un ...

Cliff Montgomery Cliff Montgomery (September 17, 1910 – April 21, 2005) was an American football player who served as the captain of the Columbia Lions football team that won the 1934 Rose Bowl Game. Montgomery, the quarterback, called a hidden-ball trick play k ...

* Audie Murphy (two awards) * Michael P. Murphy (upgraded to MOH) * Raymond Murray (four awards) * Bismarck Myrick * Oliver North * Henry Ringling North * Levi Oakes * Mike O'Callaghan * Eric T. Olson * Jorge Otero Barreto (two awards) * Mohamed Oufkir * Moultrie Patten * George S. Patton * George Patton IV * Keith Payne * Endicott Peabody *

John J. Pershing General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was a senior United States Army officer. He served most famously as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Wes ...

Basil L. Plumley Basil Leonard Plumley (January 1, 1920 – October 10, 2012) was a career soldier and airborne combat infantryman in the United States Army who rose to the rank of command sergeant major. As a combat veteran of World War II and the Vietnam W ...

(two awards) * Samuel L. Pollock (two awards) *

Pascal Poolaw Pascal Cleatus Poolaw (January 29, 1922 – November 7, 1967) was a Kiowa who served with the United States Army in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He is the United States' most decorated Native American, with 42 me ...

(four awards) * Nick Popaditch *

Charles E. Potter Charles Edward Potter (October 30, 1916November 23, 1979) was a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. Early life Potter was born in Lapeer, Michigan and attended the public schools there. He received an AB degree f ...

* Geronimo Pratt * Tommy Prince * Francis Gary Powers * Ralph Puckett (two awards) * Chesty Puller *

Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. (August 18, 1945 – May 11, 1994) was an attorney and a United States Marine Corps officer who was severely wounded in the Vietnam War. He won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for his autobiograp ...

* Agustín Ramos Calero *

William Wilson Quinn Lieutenant General William Wilson "Buffalo Bill" Quinn (November 1, 1907 – September 11, 2000) was a United States Army officer, who served in intelligence during World War II. Born in Crisfield, Somerset, Maryland and a 1933 graduate of W ...

* Edward F. Rector *

Stephen C. Reich Major Stephen C. Reich (May 22, 1971 – June 28, 2005) was an American soldier and Minor League Baseball player who was killed in action while on a rescue mission in Afghanistan at age 34. Reich played for the "Team USA" baseball team in 1 ...

* Rick Rescorla * Robert B. Rheault * Karl W. Richter * Matthew Ridgway (two awards) * Antonio Rodríguez Balinas * Pedro Rodriguez (two awards) * Robert Rosenthal * Barney Ross * James N. Rowe * Dick Rutan * Alfredo M. Santos *

Paul Saunders Paul Golden (Swish) Saunders (January 12, 1918 – August 8, 2003) was a highly decorated United States Navy submarine sailor who was twice awarded the Silver Star medal during World War II. Naval career Saunders enlisted in the Navy in 1936 and s ...

Harold Schrier Harold George Schrier (October 17, 1916 – June 3, 1971) was a United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who served in World War II and the Korean War. In World War II, he was awarded the Navy Cross for leading the patrol that captured the t ...

* Leonard T. Schroeder Jr. * Robert L. Scott * Nate Self * Arthur D. Simons *

Rodger W. Simpson Rodger Whitten Simpson (June 4, 1898 – December 10, 1964) was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, who distinguished himself during World War II. The frigate was named in his honor. Biography Simpson attended the University of Oregon for a ...

* H. Norman Schwarzkopf * Ben Schwartzwalder * Sidney Shachnow * Charles Bradford Smith *

Frederick W. Smith Frederick Wallace Smith (born August 11, 1944) is an American business magnate and investor. He is the founder and chairman of FedEx Corporation, the world's largest transportation company. On June 1, 2022, Smith stepped down as CEO to become exe ...

* Oliver Prince Smith * Ronald Speirs *

Michael G. Stahl Michael Gerard Stahl is a medically retired United States Army Special Forces, US Army Special Forces soldier. A highly decorated combat veteran with 24 months in Vietnam War, Vietnam, Stahl was the Intel Sgt for A-102 at Tiên Phước Camp, ...

(two awards) * Brian Stann * James Stockdale (four awards) * George L. Street III *

Samuel D. Sturgis Jr. Lieutenant General Samuel Davis Sturgis III (July 16, 1897 – July 5, 1964), also known as Samuel D. Sturgis Jr., was a senior officer of the United States Army who served as Chief of Engineers during the Cold War. Early life Samuel Davis ...

Richard K. Sutherland Lieutenant General Richard Kerens Sutherland (27 November 1893 – 25 June 1966) was a United States Army officer during World War II. He served as General of the Army Douglas MacArthur's Chief of Staff in the South West Pacific Area during the ...

Thomas Tigue Thomas M. Tigue (August 24, 1945 – February 1, 2016) was a United States Marine Corps Officer and combat veteran, an American politician, a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Early life Thomas Michael Tigue wa ...

* Richard Tilghman *

Pat Tillman Patrick Daniel Tillman Jr. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) who left his sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002 in the afterm ...

* Michel Thomas * Floyd James Thompson * William F. Train II * Matt Urban (two awards) * James Van Fleet (three awards) * Paul K. Van Riper (two awards) * Humbert Roque Versace * Nicolas Walsh (two awards) *

John T. Walton John Thomas Walton (October 8, 1946 – June 27, 2005) was an American war veteran and a son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He was also the chairman of True North Venture Partners, a venture capital firm. Walton cofounded the Children's Scholars ...

* Rawleigh Warner Jr. *

Billy Waugh William D. Waugh (born December 1, 1929) is a former United States Army Special Forces soldier and Central Intelligence Agency paramilitary operations officer who served more than 50 years between the U.S. Army's Green Berets and the CIA's Speci ...

* Jim Webb * Haskell Wexler * Kevin Wheatley * Joshua Wheeler *

Charles Willeford Charles Ray Willeford III (January 2, 1919 – March 27, 1988) was an American writer. An author of fiction, poetry, autobiography, and literary criticism, Willeford is best known for his series of novels featuring hardboiled detective fiction, ...

James E. Williams James Elliott Williams (November 13, 1930 – October 13, 1999) was an American law enforcement officer and honorary United States Navy chief boatswain's mate who was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. Boatswain's Mate First Cla ...

(two awards) * Royce Williams * Jocko Willink *

Theodore H. Winters Jr. Theodore Hugh Winters Jr. (March 11, 1913 – April 25, 2008) was a highly decorated United States Navy Captain (United States O-6), captain. He was a flying ace credited with eight aerial victories and was awarded two Navy Cross, Navy Crosses dur ...

(three awards) * Jerauld Wright *

Tahsin Yazıcı Tahsin Yazıcı () (1892 in Monastir – February 11, 1971 in Ankara) was an Ottoman Army officer and later a Turkish Army general and politician. Biography He was born to his father Ali Bey and his mother Ganimet Hanım in Monastir, Ottoma ...

* Chuck Yeager (two awards) *

Elton Younger Major-General Allan Elton Younger DSO OBE (Tony Younger, 4 May 1919 – 5 July 2010) was a British soldier and author, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Engineers from 1974 to 1979. Background Younger's family has a long military tradition. His ...

Douglas A. Zembiec Douglas Alexander Zembiec (April 14, 1973 – May 11, 2007), nicknamed the "Lion of Fallujah" and also referred to as the "Unapologetic Warrior", was an officer in the United States Marine Corps and member of the CIA's Special Activities Division' ...

References

External links

Silver Star database at MilitaryTimes.com
(Archive.org, not searchable)
''Military Times'' Hall of Valor
(Searchable)
Awards and Decorations Air Force Personnel Center
{{Authority control Awards established in 1932 Courage awards Military awards and decorations of the United States 1932 establishments in the United States

History

Award criteria

Appearance

Recipients

Female recipients

Notable recipients

See also

References

External links