Harvard's Medals of Honor

The Wall Street Journal ^ | NOVEMBER 2, 2009 | WILLIAM MCGURN

[1rudeboy]

The university celebrates its history of valor.

Most Americans would not be surprised to learn that Harvard is our nation's oldest institution of higher learning, that it boasts the largest endowment, and that it has produced more U.S. presidents than any other university.

Most Americans, however, might be hard-pressed to guess another Harvard distinction: the highest number of Medal of Honor recipients outside the service academies.

The bar for our highest military award is high: a recipient must distinguish himself by "gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty." Since the medal's establishment during the Civil War, 10 Harvard men have received it. And next Wednesday at 11 a.m., these 10 will be honored with a plaque to be placed in the sanctuary of the university's Memorial Church.

[lack-of-trust]

My money would have been on Texas A&M.

Any Aggies out there want to fact check this claim.

[jessduntno]

The last was 1951...before the Commies took over the Ivies...

[1rudeboy]

I was wondering whether this is a function of the fact that Harvard is the oldest university in the U.S.

[PzLdr]

Something like eight Harvard grads died during the Viet Nam War. While honoring THEIR service, that number tells you all you need to know about what Harvard had become. And still is.

[2banana]

Harvard was also founded as a Christian college to help promote the Christian faith by training young men in the Bible...

[CrazyIvan]

The highest number of medals for heroism are awarded to small town and rural boys. You don’t need a fancy overpriced degree to have the qualities of bravery and self
sacrifice. My dinky little hick area of Ill. has produced two M.O.H. recipients and you can’t drive across town without seeing a purple heart or P.O.W. license plate.

[razorback-bert]

In addition, seven Aggies earned the Medal of Honor in World War II.[191] This total matches Virginia Tech for the most total honorees of any school outside the service academies at West Point and Annapolis.[192] The recipients are:

Horace S. Carswell, Jr., class of 1938
Thomas W. Fowler, class of 1943
William G. Harrell, class of 1943
Lloyd H. Hughes, class of 1943
George D. Keathley, class of 1937
Turney W. Leonard, class of 1942
Eli L. Whiteley, class of 1941

This is only one war.

[Toddsterpatriot]

Monmouth?

[CrazyIvan]

Wow. Good detective work. They're also cousins and one was
a vice presidential candidate. I knew Bobby Dunlop well. I sat with him at Rotary regularly and he was a neighbor of my grandparents. There were a total of four MOH recipients at his funeral. I felt like I was on holy ground standing by them. If you know my town well, you may also know that my uncle was a posthumous recipient of the Navy Marine Core Medal for Heroism.