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List of Chaplain Corps Medal of Honor recipients

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Military chaplaincy in the United States traces its origins back to the American Revolutionary War, being formally established on July 29, 1775, just two weeks after the formal establishment of the Continental Army.[1] Created during the American Civil War, the Medal of Honor is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American military servicemembers who have distinguished themselves in combat situations by acts of valor.[2][3] As of May 2025, there have been 3,536 Medals of Honor awarded;[4] among the recipients are nine chaplains of the Army and Navy Chaplain Corps.[5] One Army chaplain assistant has also received the award.[6] Francis B. Hall of the 16th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment was the first chaplain to be awarded the Medal of Honor, for actions at the Battle of Salem Church.[5][7]

Four of the chaplains served in the Union army during the American Civil War, one served in the US Navy during World War II, one served in the Army in the Korean War, and the remaining three served in the Vietnam War; two for the Army, and one for the Navy.[8] All five chaplains awarded the honor since the Civil War have been Catholic priests.[9][10] Two, Emil Kapaun and Vincent Capodanno, are in the process of canonization as saints.[11]

One chaplain, Charles Liteky, returned his Medal of Honor eighteen years after being awarded it, leaving it at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in an enveloped addressed to Ronald Reagan. Liteky is believed to be the only recipient of the award to renounce it for political reasons.[12][13]

The Four Chaplains' Medal, sometimes called the "Chaplain's Medal of Honor", was created for chaplains George L. Fox, Alexander D. Goode, John P. Washington, and Clark V. Poling, who were nominated for the Medal of Honor but ineligible as they had not made contact with the enemy.[14][15]

Recipients

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 † The Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously

Chaplains

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Chaplains
Image Name Service Unit Religion Place of action Date of action Notes/References
Portrait of Francis B. Hall, a male with dark hair, moustache, and beard. Francis B. Hall Union army 16th New York Infantry Regiment Presbyterian Battle of Salem Church May 3, 1863 Carried wounded men to the rear under heavy enemy fire during the Battle of Salem Church.[7][16] Refused pay during his time of service.[5]
Portait of Milton L. Haney, an elderly man with a long white beard. Milton L. Haney Union army 55th Illinois Infantry Regiment Methodist Battle of Atlanta July 22, 1864 Carried a musket during the Battle of Atlanta[a] and helped retake and hold a key position[5]
Portait of James Hill, a man with dark hair and a beard. James Hill Union army 21st Iowa Infantry Regiment Baptist Battle of Champion Hill May 16, 1863 Served as a first lieutenant in his unit. Captured three enemy pickets during the Battle of Champion Hill.[18][19][5] Only became the regimental chaplain after his award.[8]
Portait of john Whitehead, a male with dark hear and closely-trimmed moustache and beard John M. Whitehead Union army 15th Indiana Infantry Regiment Baptist Battle of Stones River December 31, 1862 Carried soldiers from the front lines to safety in the rear several times throughout the Battle of Stones River[20][5]
Portait of Joseph O'Callahan, a clean-shaven man with spectacles Joseph T. O'Callahan United States Navy USS Franklin (CV-13) Catholic Near Kobe, Japan March 19, 1945 Served aboard the USS Franklin (CV-13) when attacked by Japanese aircraft. Ministered to the wounded and dying amid smoke and explosions. Led damage control efforts, including jettisoning ammunition and flooding the magazine.[21]
Portait of Emil Kapaun, in military uniform, looking upwards. Emil Kapaun † United States Army 8th Cavalry Regiment Catholic Battle of Unsan November 1–2, 1950 Cared for the wounded during the Battle of Unsan, walking under enemy fire to minister to wounded men. Captured and placed in a POW camp; died of pneumonia in May 1951. Awarded the Medal of Honor by Barack Obama on April 11, 2013.[8] The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA opened a cause for his canonization in 1993, granting him the status "Servant of God".[22] Pope Francis declared him "Venerable" in 2025.[23]
Portait of Vincent Capodanno in suit. Vincent R. Capodanno † United States Navy 1st Marine Division Catholic Operation Swift September 4, 1967 Served with the Marine Corps. Ministered under heavy fire during Operation Swift, disregarding his own injuries. Killed while attempting to minister to a corpsman approximately 15 yards from an enemy machine gun.[24]
Portait of Charles Watters. He is in military uniform and wears spectacles. Charles J. Watters † United States Army 173rd Support Battalion Catholic Battle of Dak To November 19, 1967 Was on the front line under heavy fire during the Battle of Dak To, ministering to soldiers and rescuing soldiers with "complete disregard for his safety".[25] Killed by friendly fire from an American bomber.[26]
Portait of Angelo Liteky, a male in military uniform with slight widow's peaks. Charles Liteky United States Army 199th Infantry Brigade Catholic Near Phuoc-Lac, Biên Hòa province, Vietnam December 6, 1967 Awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing 23 wounded men without protective gear during an ambush in 1967. Left the Catholic priesthood in 1975. Renounced his Medal of Honor in 1986 as an act of protest against American foreign policy; believed to be the only recipient to renounce the medal for political reasons.[12]

Chaplain assistants

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Chaplain assistants
Image Name Service Unit Religion Place of action Date of action Notes/References
Portait of Calvin Titus, a young man with dark hair in military uniform Calvin Pearl Titus United States Army 14th Infantry Regiment Wesleyan Battle of Peking August 14, 1900 Bugler to E Company of the 14th Infantry Regiment. Provided music for religious services in the unit, and became the unofficial assistant to unit chaplain Leslie Groves Sr. Scaled a wall along the eastern side of Peking to lay down suppressing fire on the enemy above. Commissioned as an officer in 1905, and became an ordained minister in 1909. Was unable to become a chaplain himself due to his denomination not being recognized by the Army at the time. Became an official chaplain assistant in the year they were introduced.[27]

Notes

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  1. ^ American chaplains were not formally forbidden from carrying weapons until 1989.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Thompson, Parker C. (1977). From Its European Antecedents to 1791: The United States Army Chaplaincy. Washington, D.C.: Washington : Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Dept. of the Army. p. 106]. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  2. ^ "Description of Awards – U.S. Military Awards for Valor". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  3. ^ "Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 1" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. December 21, 2016. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  4. ^ Olay, Matthew (May 8, 2025). "Medal of Honor Recipients Offer Insights at Special Ops Convention". DoD News. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on September 6, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Higgins, Ammabel (December 25, 2023). "Medal of Honor Chaplains". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Archived from the original on December 13, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  6. ^ Stamps, Paul (July 12, 2022). "U.S. Army Chaplain Corps Medal of Honor recipients". U.S. Army. Archived from the original on October 14, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Francis Bloodgood Hall | U.S. Civil War | U.S. Army | Medal of Honor Recipient". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Archived from the original on June 22, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "Medal of Honor: Nine Chaplains". Military Review. 103 (5): 125–127. September 2023. ISSN 0026-4148. Archived from the original on October 11, 2025.
  9. ^ "Honoring our Military Chaplains". USCCB. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archived from the original on November 13, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  10. ^ Walsh, Mary Ann (November 8, 2013). "Of Medal of Honor winners and saints". The Boston Pilot. Archived from the original on January 1, 2026. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  11. ^ Pronechen, Joseph (May 28, 2018). "Faith Under Fire: Remembering Heroic Catholic Chaplains". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Roberts, Sam (January 24, 2017). "Charlie Liteky, 85, Dies; Returned Medal of Honor in Protest (Published 2017)". New York Times. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  13. ^ Cooper, Linda (January 23, 2017). "Charles Liteky, former Army chaplain who returned Medal of Honor in protest, dies". National Catholic Reporter. Archived from the original on September 6, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  14. ^ "Four Chaplains' Medal". OS56. Army Chaplain Corps. Archived from the original on September 10, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  15. ^ "The Saga of the Four Chaplains". The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2008.
  16. ^ "16th NY Infantry Regiment during the Civil War - NY Military Museum and Veterans Research Center" (PDF). dmna.ny.gov. NYS Military Museum and Veterans Research Center. 2020. p. 591. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 28, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  17. ^ Friedman, Joseph (September 2023). "Pistol-Packing Padres". Military Review. Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  18. ^ "James Hill". Hall of Valor. MilitaryTimes. Archived from the original on March 16, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  19. ^ "James Hill | U.S. Civil War | U.S. Army | Medal of Honor Recipient". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Archived from the original on May 14, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  20. ^ "John Milton Whitehead | U.S. Civil War | U.S. Army | Medal of Honor Recipient". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Archived from the original on May 14, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  21. ^ "Joseph Timothy O'Callahan | World War II | U.S. Naval Reserve | Medal of Honor Recipient". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Archived from the original on April 25, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  22. ^ Beattie, Stacey (July 31, 1993). "Kapaun 'Servant of God'; Sainthood status is nearer". The Wichita Eagle. pp. 8C. Archived from the original on January 1, 2026. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  23. ^ "Pope Francis paves the way for new saints - Vatican News". Vatican News. February 25, 2025. Archived from the original on November 12, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  24. ^ "Vincent Robert Capodanno | Vietnam War | U.S. Navy | Medal of Honor Recipient". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  25. ^ "Charles Joseph Watters | Vietnam War | U.S. Army | Medal of Honor Recipient". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Archived from the original on November 21, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  26. ^ Pronechen, Joseph (May 24, 2024). "Medal of Honor recipient Father Watters constantly risked his life to save others in Vietnam". Jersey Catholic. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  27. ^ Lewis, Michael L. (August 2013). "August 1900: Chaplain Assistant Leads Charge up Wall" (PDF). NCO Journal. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 20, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
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