About 50 percent larger than the other Medals, the Air Force created its Medal in 1965. The first Air Force Medal went to Maj. Bernard F. Fisher in 1967, for action in South Vietnam. The first airman to receive a Medal, however, was the famous fighter pilot Capt. Edward Rickenbacker, in 1918.
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All three versions of the Medal are worn suspended from a blue silk ribbon bearing 13 stars.
The Air Force Medal kept the bar of the Army Medal, bearing the word “Valor.” The Air Force Coat of Arms, made of wings and flashes of lightning, replaced the Army eagle.
The Medal retains the green enamel laurel wreath (victory) and the five points of oak leaves (strength) in the Army Medal, which airmen had previously received. Like the original Army Medal, a circle of 34 stars surrounds the centerpiece.
The head of the Statue of Liberty has replaced Minerva. Lady Liberty’s image is based on that of Semiramis, Queen of Babylon. Famed for beauty, strength, and wisdom, she is said to have built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The Air Force became a separate branch of service on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It had originally been part of the U.S. Army, called the Army Air Corps. Its members received the Army version of the Medal of Honor until 1965.
Meet the heroes of past and present who have demonstrated bravery, gallantry and sacrifice above and
beyond the call of duty.
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The Medal of Honor Character Development Program incorporates the ideals of courage and selfless
service
into the middle and high school curriculum to build character and promote responsible citizenship.
Just as the Medal of Honor itself has grown and developed since 1862, so to has the society that
represents the men who wear it. Learn about our Society, the Foundation and the Museum.
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