United States Military Awards and Decorations

Online Resources
Information on the issuance or replacement of 20th Century military service medals, decorations and awards from the National Archives is available on their Military Awards and Decorations page.
 * Awards and Decorations of the United States Armed Forces
 * United States. Army. Adjutant General. American decorations : a list of awards of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Distinguished-Service Cross and the Distinguished-Service Medal awarded under authority of the Congress of the United States, 1862-1926.Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1927. FamilySearch Digital Book
 * Decorations United States Army, 1862-1926. Supplement II 1939
 * Decorations United States Army, 1862-1926. Supplement III 1940
 * U.S., Navy and Marines Awards and Decorations, 1942-1994 at Ancestry.com ($)

Sketches of soldiers who received the Medal of Honor are available in

 * The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs Report "Medal of Honor recipients, 1863-1978&nbsp:In the name of the Congress of the United States" (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1979) (Worldcat) contains historical background about the Medal of Honor and descriptions of soldiers receiving the medal. Entries can include name, rank, organization data and place, date entered service, birth date, date of issue, and citation.


 * Virgil D. White.  Index to Medal of Honor Recipients, 1863-1978. Waynesboro, Tennessee: National HIstorical Pub. Co., 1999. FHL 973 M22wih


 * Public Information Bureau. The Medal of Honor of the United States Army. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1948. FamilySearch Digital Book


 * United States. Bureau of Naval Personnel. Medal of Honor 1861-1949. The Navy. Washington, D.C.: s.n. 1950 FamilySearch Digital Book


 * Frank N. Schubert.  Black Valor: Buffalo Soldiers and the Medal of Honor 1870-1898. Wilmington, Delaware: Scholarly Resources, 1997. FHL 973 M2sf


 * Walter F. Beyer and Oscar F. Keydel, comps. Deeds of valor : how America's heroes won the Medal of Honor : personal reminiscences and records of officers and enlisted men who were awarded the Congressional medal of honor for most conspicuous acts of bravery in battle combined with an abridged history of our country's war.Detroit, Michigan: Perrien-Keydel, Co., 1901-1902. FamilySearch Digital Book volume 1


 * War Department Awards of Medal of Honor. General Order No. 59, May 3, 1919. FamilySearch Digital Book


 * Air Force Award Cards Medal of Honor:Baker, Addison - Zeamer, Jay. NAID 148219288
 * The U.S. Army Center of Military History lists Medal of Honor Recipients from the above publication online. The site also lists Medal of Honor recipients from 1979-2008.

Purple Heart

 * Fred L. Borch.A Heart of Purple. The Story of America's Oldest Military Decoration and Some of Its Recipients. Prologue (Winter 2012)
 * Jon E. Binnion, ed. The Legacy of the Purple Heart. Paduach, Kentucky: Turner Pub. Co., 1996. FHL 973 M2bLp

Societies

 * Congressional Medal of Honor Society
 * Military Order of the Purple Heart

Civil War, 1861 to 1865

 * 1861 - 1865 U.S., Civil War Roll of Honor, 1861-1865 ($), Index and images.
 * Frederick H. Stafford. comp. Medals of honor awarded for distinguished service during the war of the rebellion. Washington, 1886 FamilySearch Digital Book
 * Theophilus F. Rodenbough, ed. Uncle Sam's Medal of Honor : some of the noble deeds for which the medal has been awarded, described by those who have won it, 1861-1866.New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1886 FamilySearch Digital Book
 * Gregg S. Clemmer. Valor in Gray: the recipients of the Confederate Medal of Honor. Staunton,Virginia: Hearthside Publishing, 1996. FHL 973 M2cv

World War I, 1917 to 1918

 * Congressional Medal of honor, The Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal. Issued by the War Department Since April 6, 1917 ... November 11, 1919. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1920.
 * War Department. Awards of Medal of Honor. General Order No. 59, May 3, 1919. FamilySearch Digital Book
 * George B. Clark.  Decorated Marines of the Fourth Brigade in World War I. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company,2007.
 * James Howard Gore, American legionnaires of France, supplement : a directory of the citizens of the United States on whom France has conferred her national order, the Legion of Honor Washington, D.C. : W.F Roberts Co., 1922

World War II, 1941 to 1945

 * Benjamin L. DeWhitt, comp. Records relating to personal participation in World War II : military awards and decorations. Washington, D.C. : National Archives and Records Administration, 2007

Vietnam War, 1964 to 1972

 * United States. Congress. Senate. Committee of Veteran Affairs.  Vietnam era Medal of Honor recipients 1964-1972 : "In the name of the congress of the United States." Prepared for the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States Senate, Vance Hartke, Chairman. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1973 FamilySearch Digital Book

Awards by Service Branch
Air Force 
 * Award Cards, 1942-1963. NAID 4530002


 * Air Force Award Cards, medals, badges, decorations: Aldea, Robert - Zimmerman, Carroll. NAID 148248067
 * Air Force Awards Cards, 1942-1963 - Distinguished Flying Cross - National Archives Catalog
 * Air Force Award Cards, 1942-1963 - National Archives Catalog
 * Air Force Award Cards, 1942-1963 - Commendation Medal - National Archives Catalog