Medal of Honor Recipients

The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest honor presented to military personnel for actions above and beyond the call of duty. The medal is awarded by the U.S. Congress and presented by the president of the United States; it is commonly known as the Congressional Medal of Honor, though this is not its proper name. Since the medal was first presented in 1863, more than 3,500 have been awarded. John Henry Pruitt, a World War I U.S. Marine from Newton County, is just one of handful of people to have been awarded the medal twice. Originally presented for both combat and non-combat heroism, it is today presented to a member of the military who “distinguishes himself or herself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States.”

The Arkansas General Assembly created a commission that began in 1996 to develop plans for construction of a memorial honoring these soldiers. Noted local artist John Deering designed the memorial, which consists of a bronze eagle surrounded by a circle of bronze plaques dedicated to each recipient. The memorial is located on the southeast lawn of the Arkansas State Capitol. The Medal of Honor Memorial, which honors men from the Civil War through the Vietnam War, was dedicated on November 18, 2000. The memorial was funded by private donations, and $125,000 was provided by the Arkansas General Assembly by Act 510 of 1999. 

The chart below lists those Arkansans awarded the Medal of Honor, as well as those non-Arkansans so recognized for their military service in the state or who were later buried in the state.

For additional information:
Congressional Medal of Honor Society. http://www.cmohs.org/ (accessed June 5, 2023).

“State Monument Honors Medal of Honor Recipients.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, November 19, 2000, pp. 1, 3.

Ware, David. Beyond the Call of Duty, Arkansas Honors Its Veterans. Little Rock: Arkansas Secretary of State, 2002.

Mike Polston
CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas