My first edition included a chapter on two soldiers who had been approved for the Medal of Honor in 1906, but my research found documents in the National Archives showing that these two soldiers, despite approvals, were never notified of their awards. No Medals therefore ever issued. Both died never knowing. Took me a couple years, but I was able to get the Medals of Honor issued to their respective granddaughters in January 2025. Took a fair amount of advocacy and butting heads with the bureaucracy.
“The Medal of Honor: Its Dark Sides.” 190 pages. It critically examines five issues that have adversely affected soldiers recommended for the Medal of Honor. It is a second edition.
The second edition profiles six more soldiers who were approved but no Medals issued. It also deals with the following issues:
- Deserters who are on the official Medal of Honor rolls
- 200 plus Medal of Honor recipients who have no grave markers since their grave locations are unknown
- Several soldiers whose Medals of Honor were revoked under highly questionable circumstances
- 210 soldiers who were recommended for Medals of Honor during the Civil War, but the War Dept misplaced the recommendations for 50 years.
Each of the foregoing had unfortunate consequences that could be rectified. Just like the rectifications that occurred for the two soldiers whose Medals were issued earlier this year—after 119 years. Uphill battle to get official attention, but I want to be persistent as an advocate. My interest is not in selling the book, but in placing it on a platform/website as an e-book where it can be easily accessed. Those who should see this material include Congressional members (I had two Senators help on the two earlier this year), Defense officials, media personal, some living Medal of Honor recipients who might be sympathetic, etc.