List of United States Military Academy alumni (Medal of Honor)
Encyclopedia
The United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
(USMA) is an undergraduate college in West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
with the mission of educating and commissionig
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
officers for the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. It is also called "The Academy", "The Point", and "West Point". Sports media refer to the Academy as "Army" and the students as "cadets"; this usage is officially endorsed. The football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team is also known as "The Black Knights of the Hudson". A small number of graduates each year choose the option of entering the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, or United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. Before the founding of the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
in 1955, the Academy was a major source of officers for the Air Force. Most cadets are admitted through the congressional appointment system. The curriculum emphasizes the sciences and engineering fields.
This list is drawn from alumni, including non-graduates, of the Military Academy who are recipients of the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
(MOH), the highest military decoration
Awards and decorations of the United States military
Awards and decorations of the United States Military are military decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces...
awarded by the United States government. The Academy was founded in March 1802 and graduated its first Cadet in October 1802. The oldest alumnus to receive the Medal of Honor was John Cleveland Robinson, a non-graduating member of the Class of 1839. The first alumnus to perform actions to be recognized with the Medal of Honor was Charles Henry Tompkins
Charles Henry Tompkins
Charles Henry Tompkins was a Union Army colonel, who received an appointment to the brevet grade of Brigadier General of volunteers during the American Civil War. He was a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for valor in action on June 1, 1861 in the Battle of Fairfax Court House...
, a non-graduating member of the Class of 1851. The last alumnus to perform actions to be recognized with the Medal of Honor was Andre Lucas
Andre Lucas
Lieutenant Colonel Andre Cavaro Lucas was killed in action on while serving as the commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, United States Army, at Fire Support Base Ripcord, Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam.He was born in Washington D.C...
(class of 1954). Two graduates, John Gregory Bourke
John Gregory Bourke
John Gregory Bourke was a captain in the United States Army and a prolific diarist and postbellum author; he wrote several books about the American Old West, including ethnologies of its indigenous peoples. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions while a cavalryman in the Union Army...
(class of 1869) and Calvin Pearl Titus
Calvin Pearl Titus
Calvin Pearl Titus , a soldier of the United States Army, was the last American standard-bearer. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Peking of the Boxer Rebellion.-Biography:...
(class of 1905), received the Medal of Honor before being appointed to the Academy.
In addition to the 83 Medal of Honor recipients who are alumni of the Academy, other notable alumni include 2 United States Presidents
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, 4 additional heads of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, 18 astronauts, 70 Rhodes Scholar
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
s, and 3 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winners. Among American universities as of 2010, the academy is fourth on the list of total winners for Rhodes Scholarships, seventh for Marshall Scholarships and fourth for Hertz Fellowships
Hertz Foundation
The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation is an American non-profit organization that awards fellowships to Ph.D. students in the applied physical, biological and engineering sciences. It is considered to be the most competitive and prestigious graduate fellowship in science and engineering. The...
.
Medal of Honor recipients
- Note: "Class year" refers to the alumnus's class year, which usually is the same year they graduated. However, in times of war, classes often graduate early.
- ex' after the class year indicates the alumni is a non-graduating member of that class.