Marine Minute: National Medal of Honor Day (Audio Version)

Video by Lance Cpl. Hailey Music

Defense Media Activity - Marines

March 18, 2022 | 1:02

I’M LANCE CORPORAL HAILEY MUSIC WITH YOUR MARINE MINUTE. MARCH 25TH IS NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR DAY. SIGNED INTO LAW IN 1991, THIS DAY IS SET ASIDE TO HONOR ALL RECIPIENTS OF OUR NATION’S HIGHEST AWARD FOR VALOR IN COMBAT. SINCE 1862, 297 MARINES HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR. THE FIRST WAS CORPORAL JOHN F. MACKIE, WHO RECEVIED THE AWARD FOR HIS ACTIONS DURING THE CIVIL WAR. DURING A BATTLE BETWEEN THE USS GALENA AND CONFEDERATE FORTIFICATIONS, CORPORAL MACKIE FEARLESSLY MAINTAINED HIS MUSKET FIRE, AND STEPPED IN TO MAN A CANNON WHEN THE REST OF THE GUN CREW WAS KILLED OR WOUNDED. MOST RECENTLY, LANCE CORPORAL KYLE CARPENTER RECEIVED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR ACTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2014. WHEN A GRENADE LANDED IN HIS SECURITY POSITION, CARPENTER, WITHOUT HESITATION, AND WITH COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR HIS OWN SAFETY, MOVED TOWARD THE GRENADE IN AN ATTEMPT TO SHIELD HIS FELLOW MARINE FROM THE DEADLY BLAST. WHEN THE GRENADE DETONATED, HIS BODY ABSORBED THE BRUNT OF THE BLAST, SEVERELY WOUNDING HIM, BUT SAVING THE LIFE OF HIS FELLOW MARINE. THE MARINE CORPS, AND THE NATION, HONOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR THEIR HEROIC SERVICE.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE RECIPIENTS, VISIT THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY’S WEBSITE AT C-M-O-H-S.ORG. THAT'S ALL FOR YOUR MARINE MINUTE, FOR MORE NEWS AROUND THE CORPS GO TO MARINES.MIL.