Real American Heroes
“If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.”
– Maj. Michael D. McDonnell
Killed in action on 24 March 1970
A nation that doesn’t honor its heroes doesn’t deserve them. In these pages we salute those decorated for valor, held as a prisoner of war, missing in action, or gave their life. Perhaps to a man, the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines found here would shrug off the title of hero and insist that the true heroes were the ones that didn’t come back, or the men to their left and right. But those warriors he mentions fighting beside would say the same thing about him. Here we salute their service so our grateful nation can remember and celebrate these great men.
Real American Heroes is a constantly expanding database. If you have someone in mind you would like us to recognize, please contact us.
The Wall
Featured Articles
- Never Forget: RT Fer-De-Lance
- Miracle at sea
- Never Forget: Capt. Joseph S. Smith
- Day of Infamy: What happened to the eight sets of brothers on USS OKLAHOMA
- Never forgotten: Remains of over 200 Pearl Harbor sailors, Marines identified
- The ‘Fightingest’ Skippers of the 7th Marines
- “Harvard Eddie” Grant and the fallen baseball players of World War I
- Real American Heroes: The fallen HELL’S ANGELS of the 303rd Bombardment Group
- Real American Heroes: the lost crew of CHIEF SEATTLE
- Real American Heroes: the ‘trash haulers’ of 374th Tactical Airlift Wing
Medal of Honor
By Conflict:
By Service:
Surviving Medal of Honor recipients
Foreign-born Medal of Honor recipients
Air Force Cross
By Conflict:
- Post-9/11
- Vietnam War
- Other Conflicts – Cuba, Somalia, Operation DESERT STORM
Distinguished Service Cross
By Conflict:
- War on Terror
- Vietnam War
- Korean War
- World War II
- World War I
- U.S. Marine Corps recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross
Navy Cross
By Conflict
Silver Star
By Conflict
- Operation INHERENT RESOLVE
- Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (Also includes Operation FREEDOM’S SENTINEL)
- Operation IRAQI FREEDOM
- 1975-2001
- Vietnam War
- Korean War
- World War II
By Service
Distinguished Flying Cross
By Service