Intel

Lawmakers Urge President To Revoke Wounded Knee Medals of Honor

November 4, 2021Hannah Ray Lambert
medals

B Troop, 7th Cavalry, pictured Jan. 18, 1891, at Pine Ridge, South Dakota, less than a month after the Wounded Knee Massacre. Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine.

Four days after Christmas of 1890, soldiers of the 7th Cavalry accepted the surrender of hundreds of Lakota people, including men, women, and children, on a barren prairie in South Dakota. But as the cavalry troops collected the Native peoples’ weapons, a shot went off, and the nervous soldiers opened fire, killing hundreds in what became known as the Wounded Knee Massacre.


Within a year, 20 of those soldiers had been awarded Medals of Honor with citations trumpeting “bravery in action” and “conspicuous gallantry.”


Now, 17 members of Congress are urging President Joe Biden to rescind Medals of Honor awarded to the soldiers who participated in the Battle of Wounded Knee.


Led by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 16 Democrats and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont signed a letter calling the awards “a persistent shame on the nation.”


“For the families and descendants of those massacred, the revocation of these 20 Medals of Honor would have a profound and lasting impact—as has the federal government’s ongoing choice to allow these wrongly bestowed honors to stand,” lawmakers wrote in the letter sent Tuesday, Nov. 2, urging Biden to use executive authority. “It is well past time to remove this stain from our nation’s history.”


wounded knee
The 7th Cavalry returns from the fighting at Wounded Knee in 1890. Photo courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.

On Dec. 29, 1890, the US Army’s 7th Cavalry surrounded members of the Miniconjou Lakota Sioux, led by Chief Big Foot, who was also known as Spotted Elk, near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the southwest corner of South Dakota. The soldiers demanded the Lakota surrender their weapons, but a fight broke out as the soldiers were disarming them. A shot was fired, although it’s not clear which side it came from.


The ensuing massacre killed between 150 and 300 Native Americans, nearly half of them women and children, some of whom were shot as they attempted to flee. The 7th Cavalry lost 25 men, most of whom, historians believe, were killed by the fire of other cavalry soldiers.


Capt. Edward S. Godfrey, who commanded Company D of the 7th Cavalry, would later write, “I know the men did not aim deliberately and they were greatly excited. I don’t believe they saw their sights. They fired rapidly but it seemed to me only a few seconds till there was not a living thing before us; warriors, squaws, children, ponies and dogs…went down before that unaimed fire.”


A year after the massacre, 20 Medals of Honor were awarded to soldiers who participated. Most of their citations make vague references to “gallantry in action” or “distinguished conduct in battle with hostile Indians.” Typically, Medal of Honor citations recount specific actions under fire, accounts of enemy strength, and other specific details of an engagement. Few of the Wounded Knee Creek citations directly mention any combat action against armed forces, and some contain as little as one word: “Bravery.”


wounded knee
Pictured on the left is George Hobday. His Medal of Honor citation reads only “Conspicuous and gallant conduct in battle” for his role in the fighting at Wounded Knee. Harry L. Hawthorne, right, received his medal for “Distinguished conduct in battle with hostile Indians.” Photos courtesy of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Since President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation creating the award in the early 1860s, 3,527 Medals of Honor have been bestowed. In early years, the medal was a general award for combat bravery, handed out relatively frequently. By the early 20th century, other medals, such as the service crosses and Silver and Bronze Stars, had been introduced, reserving the Medal of Honor for extraordinary acts. While 20 were awarded at Wounded Knee, just 25 have been approved across all of the US military since Vietnam.


There is precedent for revoking medals that are determined to have been erroneously awarded.


In 1916, a federal review resulted in more than 900 Medals of Honor being rescinded, mostly from the 27th Maine Infantry. All 864 soldiers in the regiment were awarded medals, even though fewer than half remained to defend the Union’s capital against Confederate forces in 1863.


Warren and several of the letter’s co-signers also pushed for legislation earlier this year that would revoke the medals awarded to the 20 soldiers for the Battle of Wounded Knee. The Remove the Stain Act was introduced and referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee in April but has not moved since then. Lawmakers wrote in Tuesday’s letter that Biden had “the authority to revoke these medals immediately.”


Read Next: Review Could Give Black and Native American Veterans Medal of Honor Upgrades



Hannah Ray Lambert
Hannah Ray Lambert

Hannah Ray Lambert is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die who previously covered everything from murder trials to high school trap shooting teams. She spent several months getting tear gassed during the 2020-2021 civil unrest in Portland, Oregon. When she’s not working, Hannah enjoys hiking, reading, and talking about authors and books on her podcast Between Lewis and Lovecraft.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Bazooka
How the Bazooka Gained Infamy as a Tank-Buster

Named after a musical instrument, the Bazooka proved to be a highly effective weapon for American troops, including one maverick pilot, throughout multiple wars.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall (center) delivers testimony during a House Appropriations Committee hearing in the Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.
Home to Glenn, Armstrong, Wrights Perfect Spot for Space Command HQ, Ohio Lawmakers Say

Ohio lawmakers pitch their state as the new location for Space Command headquarters.

soflete
Soflete: How This Veteran-Led Company is Changing Military Fitness Culture

In 2014, Soflete’s co-founders saw workout overkill hurting their peers as they prepared for selecti...

glock 19
Glock 19: Origin Story of a Legendary Pistol

Get to know the Glock 19 — how it works, who uses it, and why it’s one of the most popular handguns in the US.

afghan soldier asylum
Afghan Soldier Who Helped US Weathers Injuries, Uncertainty in Asylum Bid

Afghan soldier who assisted the U.S. now faces uncertainty in bid for asylum.

The Dirty Dozen
‘The Dirty Dozen’: Meet D-Day’s Real Rogue Commandos

The Dirty Dozen was based on a real team of rule-breaking elite paratroopers who jumped into France ahead of D-Day.

d-day 79th anniversary
Normandy Marks D-Day's 79th Anniversary, Honors World War II Veterans

This year's D-Day tribute to the young soldiers who died in Normandy is not only a chance to honor t...

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved