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In honor of Veterans Day: The wildest stories behind Texas' Medal of Honor recipients
In honor of Veterans Day: The wildest stories behind Texas' Medal of Honor recipients
By Peter Dawson, Chron.com / Houston Chronicle
The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest award for valor in combat.
The actions and deeds of its recipients have been re-created in books, video games and movies like "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" (1944), "The Longest Day" (1962) and "Black Hawk Down" (2001). Fictional characters such as Forrest Gump and Rambo have been its standard bearers in film.
Over the course of the United States' history, a number of native Texans have earned the distinction.
The first medal was awarded back during the early days of the Civil War on March 25, 1863 to Private Jacob Parrott.
The last award of the Medal of Honor was made October 30, 2019 to Sergeant Mathew O. Williams.
Over time, the criteria for receiving the medal grew more rigorous.
