Meet The Tiny Band Of Brave Americans Who Have Won More Than One Medal Of Honor
Say you’re pinned down by enemy fire, but the only way through is to soldier on. Or perhaps a fellow crewman has fallen overboard and is in real danger of drowning in the cold, hazardous waters of the ocean. What would you do in such circumstances? Would you risk your life for your country or comrades? These astonishing 19 men certainly did, and their heroic actions earned them each not one, but two Medals of Honor for their outstanding bravery.
19. Frank D. Baldwin
Frank D. Baldwin was a soldier of some repute. The Michigan-born man earned his first Medal of Honor on July 12, 1864, when he guided his men in a daring counterattack during the Battle of Peachtree Creek in the American Civil War. Despite incoming fire the Union Army Major surged forward ahead of his unit, and fought his way through to the Confederate line. Baldwin then apprehended two leading officers, taking them, their weapons and a guidon flag back to base.
Search And Rescue
Later on in his life, Baldwin got involved in the U.S. Army’s many battles with the Native Americans. And it was through a clash with them that he would ultimately earn his second Medal of Honor. When two white girls were kidnapped by Grey Beard’s men in November 1874, the future general launched a lightning raid to rescue them. Heavily outnumbered, his two companies somehow defeated the well-fortified forces to spare the girls from the same fate as their parents and brothers.
18. Smedley Butler
Pennsylvania-born Smedley Butler would become a legendary figure in the U.S. Marine Corps for his long service and heroic actions. His conduct in two particular conflicts would earn him the distinguished Medal of Honor twice. The first award was for the bravery and tactical nous he displayed on April 22, 1914, when the major expertly led his battalion through a heated battle for control of Veracruz. The fierce struggle for the city occurred during the nascent Mexican Revolution, and was ultimately a success for the American invaders.
Service In Haiti
Butler’s second Medal of Honor was earned during service in Haiti. Yes, on November 17, 1915, ‘Old Gimlet Eye’ orchestrated a cunning assault on Fort Riviere, a longstanding, French-built fortress. Under his command, several detachments of marines plus himself moved in to capture the stronghold and effectively cut off all escape routes for the Caco resistance. In his final years, Butler became an vehement critic of U.S. imperialism, and also uncovered an apparent plot to remove President Franklin D. Roosevelt from power via a military coup.
