While wounded, defied orders to treat wounded soldiers.ī Co., 1st Bn., 69th Armor Regt., 4th Inf. Led assault in attempt to save other troops.Ī Co., 5th Special Forces Grp., 1st Special Forcesĭirected attacks against enemy, while wounded.ġst Bn., 503rd Inf. Div.ĭirected unit to fight while being wounded by several grenades. Saved soldiers who could not swim after transport ship was attacked by bombers.Ī Btry., 2nd Bn., 320th Arty Regt., 101st Abn. Div.ĭirected soldiers of C Company to fight enemy forces, while wounded. Volunteered to scout German positions and took the point in a counter attack.ĭirected tank fire at enemy positions, while wounded.Ĭ Co., 614th Tank Destroyer Bn., 411th Inf. Div.Ĭaused the deaths of about 100 German troops. While wounded, killed six and captured two Germans.ĥ98th FA Bn., 366th Inf. Killed nine enemy soldiers and eliminated three machine-gun positions. Here is a list of the 39 African-American men who have earned the Medal of Honor during VFW-qualifying actions. Visit vfw.org/magazine to read an article about Canley in the March 2019 issue of VFW magazine. Canley was presented the award by President Donald Trump during a ceremony on Oct. Canley for his actions during the Battle of Hue in January-February 1968 in the Vietnam War. Baker was the only living recipient at the time of the ceremony.Īs of November 2019, the most recent African-American service member to receive the Medal of Honor was Marine Sgt. 12, 1997, at the White House, all men were awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton. The investigation determined that seven African-American soldiers should have received the Medal of Honor during World War II. In the early 1990s, the Army worked with Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C., to determine if any racial disparity was present during the process of considering Medals of Honor for black troops. Carney was later presented with the Medal of Honor on May 23, 1900.ĭelays in presenting African-Americans their earned Medals of Honor have been common throughout American history. He is believed to have carried the flag throughout the battle without letting it touch the ground, even when he was wounded. A battle narrative recalls that his unit’s color guard was shot, and Carney took it upon himself to catch the flag and not let it touch the ground. Regt., Carney earned the MOH for his actions on July 18, 1864, during a battle at Fort Wagner on Morris Island, S.C. Carney, a man born a slave in 1840 in Norfolk, Va., according to the Department of Defense.Īttached to C Co., 54th Massachusetts Colored Inf. The first African-American service member who earned the prestigious award was Army Sgt. The Medal of Honor (MOH) is an award that dates back to the Civil War. But of those, only 92 have been black men, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. More than 3,500 service members have earned the nation’s highest military decoration.