Featured recipient
Hershel “Woody” Williams
Four hours through the fire.
On Iwo Jima, Williams repeatedly crossed exposed ground to attack fortified positions, returning for fresh flamethrowers and demolition charges.
Iwo Jima February 23, 1945
The Trackpads Reference Collection
MEDAL OF HONOR ARCHIVE
Courage beyond measure.
The people, actions, and stories behind America's highest award for valor.
Search the archive by name, unit, place, or citation text, then move from the citation to the story, the battle, and the wider military history that gives it context.
3,478 recipient profiles3,497 citationsBattles, stories & audio
Discover the people
Start with a story
Story artwork
Featured recipient
John R. McKinney
A lone stand before daybreak.
Near Dingalan Bay, McKinney fought to recover a captured machine-gun position and defend his company’s outpost.
Luzon 1945-05-11
Featured recipient
Owen F. Hammerberg
Back into the darkness.
At Pearl Harbor, Hammerberg entered a collapsed wreck to rescue two trapped divers, sacrificing his life for his shipmates.
Pearl Harbor · Rescue operation 1945-02-17
Explore the collection
Explore by conflict
U.S. Civil War
1,518 profiles in this archive
Indian Campaigns
422 profiles in this archive
World War I
126 profiles in this archive
World War II
468 profiles in this archive
Korean War
145 profiles in this archive
Vietnam War
257 profiles in this archive
Major wars are only part of the story. Discover smaller expeditions, interim periods, and rescue actions →
The action in context
The battles behind the medals
Linked recipient records are reviewed selections, not complete historical award totals. Each relationship preserves its battle, campaign, or unit context.
Citations. Stories. Perspective.
Beyond the Call
The citation is the beginning. Go deeper with the written stories, companion audio, and military-history reading.
About the archive and sources
The people deserve more than a name. The history deserves a source.
Artwork and archive notes
The hero is an illustrative medal composition from the approved design. Story and battle images are cropped Trackpads editorial artwork, not verified portraits or archival photographs. The early Army medal is a representative design, not an individual recipient’s physical award. Source-specific notes remain on recipient pages. Original General Order comparisons are a separate, pending verification step.