FIRST BLACK TO RECEIVE MEDAL OF HONOR

Sgt. William Carney: The First African American to Receive the Medal of Honor - Owlcation
William Harvey Carney (1840 – 1908)

Recognized for heroically protecting the American flag during
the
Civil War, Army Sgt. William Harvey Carney received the
Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, on
May 23, 1900.

The first Black American service member to earn the award,
Carney was born into slavery in Virginia in 1840. Although a
handful of other Black service members had already received
the medal, Carney’s award celebrated an earlier action. He
was one of many Civil War-era honorees to be granted the
medal decades later.

Random Thoughts on History: Sgt. William Carney, Medal of Honor, July 18, 1863

posted by Bob Karm in African American,ANNIVERSARY,Awards,Civil war,HISTORY,Medal of Honor,MILITARY and have Comment (1)

One Response to “FIRST BLACK TO RECEIVE MEDAL OF HONOR”

  1. Cedric Wilson says:

    It’s nice to read about African Americans history. Please share more.

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