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Congressional Medal Of Honor - The History of the Wars. American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War and Desert Storm and the Iraq War and Iraqi Freedom. A:hover {color: red; font-weight: bold}
A Brief History - The Medal of Honor and The Wars America Fought
Merry Christmas, 1776
The Road to Fallen Timbers
DA Poster 21-38
The Battle of Chippewa
Remember Your Regiment
First at Vicksburg
Good Marksmanship and Guts
Gatlings to the Assault
I'll Try, Sir!
Knocking Out the Moros
Hell Fighters! Le's Go!
The Rock of the Marne
Remagen Bridgehead
Follow Me!
Go For Broke
Cuidado - Take Care Bushmasters!
Breakthrough at Chipyong-ni
Iraqi War 2003
The Gulf War
Jan.-Feb. 1991 - The US and its allies drove Iraq out of Kuwait in the war that was widely covered by the media and saw the introduction of "smart" bombs.
On 2 August 1990, Iraqi military forces invaded and occupied Kuwait. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein claimed the action was the culmination of an "economic war" Kuwait had been waging against Iraq. Additionally, the Iraqi leader accused Kuwait of stealing oil.
The United Nations immediately condemned Iraq's actions and passed resolutions calling for military action against the country if Hussein did not withdraw his forces by 15 January 1991.
Iraq ignored all demands, and in response, a coalition of UN forces began immediately to build in Saudi Arabia. On January 12, Congress granted President Bush the authority to wage war.
Hostilities commenced on January 17, as the 36 members of the coalition forces, under the direction of American General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, initiated an air campaign to disable Iraq's communications, air defenses, and early warning radar installations. On February 25, coalition ground forces invaded Kuwait and Iraq, forcing Iraq to concede a cease-fire after only 100 hours.
The Gulf reunited the American people and the military, helping to mend the wounds from the Vietnam War. Returning service members were welcomed back and faith in the military's effectiveness was restored. Still, the war was not without controversy--friendly fire accounted for almost a third of the Americans killed, raising doubts about the advances in military technology.
Vietnam War
1959-1975 - A controversial war for America where the US attempted to assist South Vietnam in defending itself from the Communist North.
Fearing the spread of communism, President Kennedy committed the people of the United States of America to defending the fledgling democratic government of South Vietnam. Despite its arguably noble intentions, the war in Vietnam would prove the greatest challenge to American democratic idealism since the Civil War.
During the ten years of America's commitment to the Vietnam war, 55,000 servicemen would be killed or listed as missing; the presidency would change hands three times; and the American people would wage their own war at home against the United States government.
Although American servicemen were fighting and dying in Vietnam, for American citizens the real war was back home, where the struggle was between the American people and their opposition to the fighting in Vietnam; and the American presidency's (beginning with J.F.K.) determination to halt the spread of communism. Ultimately, lacking a credible plan for winning the war, the American government was forced to give in to the demands of the American people and withdraw its troops from Vietnam.
So divisive was the conflict in Vietnam and America's involvement in it that relations between the government, the people, and the military would be strained until reunified by the Gulf War 25 years later.
Cold War
A period of tension after World War II between the US and the Soviet Union resulted in a massive buildup of nuclear weapons for over 40 years.
At the end of World War II, strained relations between the United States and the Soviet Union would create a state of undeclared war, lasting nearly half a century. It was during this "Cold War" that the threat of nuclear devastation loomed over the American people.
President Truman responded to the Soviet intention to spread the influence of communism throughout the post-war world with the Truman Doctrine, promising aid to any country threatened by Soviet expansionism. It is this policy that would eventually draw the U.S. into the Korean and Vietnam wars. Some of the major consequences of the "Cold War" were the creation of NATO by the U.S. and its allies, the sealing of the Warsaw Pact by the Soviet Union and its allies, and the division of Germany into two separate nations.
Although all-out war never broke out between the two superpowers, it threatened to during the Berlin Airlift in 1948, the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
By the late 1980s, relations between the two nations began to improve. This, along with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, eventually brought about an end to the hostile rhetoric between the two rival countries.
Korean War
1950-1953 - Fierce fighting marked this conflict against communism that ended in a stalemate and left Korea divided.
The Korean War has been called the "Forgotten War," historically overshadowed by World War II and Vietnam, though it figures prominently in the development of events. The Korean War was one of the first episodes of the Cold War and involved many of the great personalities of the era: Truman, MacArthur, Mao, and Stalin.
The Korean War began in the early hours of 25 June 1950, when North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. The war featured some of the most intense fighting ever experienced by American soldiers--and some of the worst conditions. 34,000 American servicemen lost their lives in three years--the majority of losses concentrated in the first year--a significantly higher figure per year than the 58,000 American casualties spread over ten years in Vietnam.
There were both great trials and epic accomplishments during the war: the humiliating retreat of inexperienced U.S. soldiers in the opening days of the war; the brilliant Inchon landings masterminded by MacArthur; and the grittiness revealed in Chosin by the 1st Marine Division surrounded by a massive Chinese force.
Although an armistice was signed in 1953 between the US, China and North Korea South Korea refused to sign it, leaving the two Koreas separate to this day.
World War II
1939-1945 - The Allied powers defeated the aggressive Axis powers: Germany, Italy and Japan in the most destructive conflict in the world's history.
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the United States of America was forced to emerge from years of isolationism and enter the worst conflict in the history of the world.
The seeds of the Second World War were sown when totalitarian regimes rose in Germany, Italy, and Japan (the countries responsible for forming the Axis Powers). Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader of Germany, in seeking to expand his country's territory, invaded Czechoslovakia, Poland, Belgium and France.
American, British, and Canadian troops invaded German-occupied France on 6 June 1944--known as D-Day--turning the tide of the war in favor of the Allies. Germany eventually surrendered on 8 May 1945. It was then that the world had to come to terms with the reality that millions of people, mostly Jewish, had been slaughtered under the Nazi regime.
After the United States dropped atom bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the end of the war came swiftly--Japan surrendered unconditionally on September 2, 1945.
As a result of the war, the United States emerged as the world's leading military and economic power, thus straining relations with the Soviet Union.
World War I
1914-1918 - American forces joined in the conflict against Germany in the war that's remembered for the trenches and gas attacks.
The Great War in Europe raged for nearly three years before the United States chose to become involved. Repeated attacks on American merchant ships by German submarines forced President Woodrow Wilson in 1917 to abandon his policies of neutrality and to declare war on Germany.
The war originally began as a local European conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist. It soon spread to become a war between the Central Powers (primarily Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire) and the Allied Powers (primarily the United Kingdom, France and Russia.)
Battles were fought on several fronts throughout Europe, resulting mainly in stalemates and the loss of countless lives. With America's involvement, the Allies gained new manpower and industrial resources, which helped to raise flagging morale, the result of Russias resignation from the conflict.
By the end of the war, the United States proved it could mobilize a large army and act as a major player in international affairs. Unfortunately, President Wilson's plan (the "Fourteen Points") for the armistice was never realized, and its absence would contribute to the conditions necessary for another great European conflict twenty years later.
Spanish American War
Apr.-Aug. 1898 - The US gained Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam, establishing itself as an imperial power with the defeat of Spain.
The United States made its first step toward imperialism with its role in the Spanish-American War, a conflict that lasted less than four months.
During the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain, the United States sent the U.S.S. Maine to Cuba to ensure protection for American citizens and property. On 15 February 1898, an underwater explosion destroyed the ship, outraging the American government and populace, despite a lack of proof regarding Spanish involvement.
With the support of the people, Congress declared war on Spain. Although the U.S. Army faced difficulty in raising an expeditionary force, the superior might of the Navy became a critical factor in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
After the peace treaty was signed on 10 December 1898, Spain withdrew from Cuba and ceded Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines to the United States. Spain's colonial empire was no more and the United States had become a major military power with a two-ocean navy.
The AmerIndian Wars
A series of conflicts were fought between European settlers and the Native Americans , which ended at the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890.
As white European settlers and their descendents continued to push westward into the North American frontier, conflicts with Native Americans became an inevitable consequence. While the wars occurred sporadically from the 17th century onward, some of the fiercest fighting took place in the latter half of the 19th century.
Following the War of 1812, the United States government began a policy of removing Native Americans from their homes and escorting them to lands west of the Mississippi--an area referred to as Indian Territory. As a majority of tribes objected to forced relocation, various wars ensued, including the Seminole Wars in Florida, from 1835 to 1842.
Although a reservation system was established by the government in an attempt to separate Native Americans from the white settlers, the Gold Rush in 1849 brought in additional floods of settlers, pushing the frontier still further west and leading to still more hostilities.
Some of the most famous events include the Battle of Little Bighorn, where Lieutenant Custer and his soldiers faced their last stand against a combined army of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. The Battle of Wounded Knee, where the US cavalry defeated the Sioux in 1890, is considered to be the last battle of the Indian Wars.
A century later, many Americans question the morality of the wars that nearly wiped out all of the country's native inhabitants.
Civil War
1861-1865 - Brother fought against brother in the war between the states, as the Confederacy sought to split from the Union.
America suffered its greatest losses in this conflict involving its own people. While the North and South were bound by a common goal during the American Revolution, the issue of slavery became increasingly divisive, culminating in fracturing relations between the two regions.
Signs of trouble emerged as early as 1820, when the Missouri Compromise attempted to solve permanently the issue of whether or not slavery would be allowed to expand into territories newly acquired by the United States.
The election of an anti-slavery president, Abraham Lincoln, in 1860, led South Carolina to set the precedent for secession from the Union. Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas quickly followed South Carolinas example, and the Confederate States of America was formed.
Warfare broke out between the Union and the Confederacy on 12 April 1961 when the Confederates fired upon Fort Sumter. Over the next five years, Americans would fight Americans in some of the most tragic battles of American history, including the Battle of Antietam, which would be remembered as the bloodiest day of the war.
Over 600,000 individuals lost their lives by the time the Confederates surrendered in 1865. Although slavery was abolished and the Union was restored, the Civil War's legacy continues to haunt the United States.
Mexican War
1846-1848 - The US achieved its "manifest destiny" as the war with Mexico resulted in a border that stretched to the Pacific.
As a result of the war with Mexico in the years 1846 though 1848, the United States gained territory that would eventually become the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The war was driven by the American notion of "Manifest Destiny"--a belief that the country's borders should stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Another contributing factor was the Texas War of Independence, which resulted in the annexation of Texas to the United States, the exacerbation of preexisting tensions and the continuation of border fights.
Open hostilities between the two nations began in May 1845 when General Zachary Taylor's troops clashed with Mexican forces near the Rio Grande. Not long afterwards, the United States declared war--it would last until American troops entered Mexico City in 1847.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo put an end to the fighting and required that Mexico cede two fifths of its territory to the United States.
Texas War for Independence
1835-1836 - American settlers revolted against the Mexican government, establishing the Independent Republic of Texas.
Texas is the only state in the Union that was once an independent republic, a status it gained as a result of the war between Mexico and American settlers.
After gaining independence from Spain, the newly formed government of Mexico encouraged Americans to settle the sparsely populated region of Texas. However, language and religious differences, along with a rebellious nature toward the Mexican government on the part of the settlers, created a hostile situation.
The Texas Revolution began in 1835 when the Americans thwarted the attempts of Mexican soldiers, under the command of dictator Santa Anna, to disarm them. On 2 March 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico.
Although the hastily gathered Texas army won several of the initial battles, they suffered a tragic defeat at the San Antonio mission known as the Alamo. It was there that 187 Texan rebels heroically held off over 2000 Mexican soldiers for 12 days.
"Remember the Alamo" became the rallying cry of the rebels and Santa Anna was finally defeated and captured at the Battle of San Jacinto, where he was forced to recognize the independence of Texas. Ten years later, Texas was annexed by the United States.
War of 1812
1812-1815 - A young nation rose against the British, establishing its right to trade at sea, although failing to expand into Canada.
While the United States failed to achieve a decisive victory over the British in the War of 1812, the conflict is considered the "Second War of Independence," as it restored confidence and nationalism to the burgeoning country.
Tensions mounted when the British naval blockades (which were established during Britain's war with France) began to interfere with American shipping. While this outraged Americans, it was the policy of impressment--forcing American seamen into service for the British Navy--that most effectively stirred anti-British sentiments.
The most vocal supporters of military intervention were the "War Hawks," who accused the British-Canadians of encouraging Native Americans to rebel against the United States and were interested in obtaining Canada and Florida as territory.
After the declaration of war on 8 June, the United States army attempted to besiege Canada while the navy moved to prevent British commerce from reaching the US. Although the invasion of Canada met with defeat, the American Navy proved itself a powerful opponent.
Following the American victories at Fort McHenry and Plattsburgh, the British were persuaded to negotiate for peace. Oddly enough, the American victory at the Battle of New Orleans took place two weeks after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on 24 December 1814.
American Revolution
1775-1783 - The colonies in North America rebelled against Britain, creating an independent nation that would change the course of world history.
The American Revolution ended two centuries of British rule over most of the North American Colonies, resulting in the formation of the United States of America.
The various causes of the American Revolution can be traced to the end of the French and Indian War, when Britain had succeeded in gaining territory from France at the expense of increasing its already enormous national debt. In an attempt to relieve Britain of its financial burden, Parliament decided that the American Colonists would have to help pay for their own defense, despite the fact that a French invasion was no longer a real threat.
Toward this end, Parliament passed the first of several tax laws, the Stamp Act, which taxed all paper products in the colonies. The Americans declared it was unfair to tax them when they had no representation in Parliament, and protests eventually escalated to open hostilities in 1775, when the British Regulars fired on the Minutemen of Lexington, Massachusetts.
This conflict contributed to the formation of the Continental Congress (which directed the American war effort) and to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Still, it wasn't until 1783--a full eight years after the initial outbreak of violence--that Great Britain signed the formal peace treaty recognizing the former colonies as an independent nation.
Colonial Wars
1689-1763 - A series of wars between France and Britain spread through their respective colonies in North America and established Britain's supremacy in the World.
As Britain and France fought for control of Europe, their antagonism eventually spilled over into their North American colonies, resulting in British domination of the continent.
The initial conflicts, including King William's War (1689-1697), Queen Anne's War (1702-1713), and King George's War (1744-1748), were fought by regular French and British units, reinforced with local militiamen. Although these battles were fought along the borders of the French and British colonies, the question of who would control the New World wasn't established until the French and Indian War (1748-1763).
Fighting broke out when a group of Virginians, led by George Washington, defeated a small French force in the Ohio Valley and established Fort Necessity. The French then sent in a larger army, forcing Washington to surrender. The war had begun and it inevitably spread into Europe as the Seven Years War.
Initially, British efforts to appropriate the West and Canada from France and its Native American allies met with failure. However, events began to turn around in 1757, when William Pitt took over the war effort in America.
A series of British successes, including those in Quebec and Montreal, led to the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which moved control of Canada from France to Britain. As a consequence of the war, Britain reevaluated its relationship with the colonies, creating a situation that would lead to the American Revolution .
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