famous irish regiments and irish military history
The Irish And The Medal of Honor
The correct title for the military award often called the " Congressional Medal of Honor " is simply
Medal of Honor, and those who receive it prefer to be called " recipients " rather than " winners ". It is the only U.S Military Award that is worn from a ribbon hung around the neck, and the only award presented by the President in the name of Congress.
The Medal of Honor, was instituted during the American Civil War, and is issued sparingly and only to someone who has distinguished himself " At the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty ".
It staggers the immagination to speculate on the number of Medals of Honors that would have been issued to those Irish who fought in the American Revolutionary War, had it been in existence then.
The first Medal of Honor was awarded to Colonel Bernard Irwin of the U.S Army. His bravery occurred in 1861, during the Indian Wars, before it was instituted. However he was awarded the nation's highest honor in 1894.
During the American Civil War, 1,532 Medals of Honor were issued. A large number to Irish troops from the Irish Brigade, which fought at Fredricksburg and Antieam.
To date, 3 459 Medals of Honor have been awarded, and nineteen individuals have received it twice. Thirty-three countries are listed as the birthplaces of the recipients, and it is not surprising that Ireland has the most by far, with 258. Of the 258 immigrants that listed Ireland as their place of birth, Cork has 19 Medal of Honor recipients, Dublin and Tipperary each have 11, Limerick has 10, Kerry 8, Galway 7, Antrim and Tyrone 6 each, while Kilkenny and Sligo each have 5. We Irish can proudly note that 5 of the 19 fighting men who received a second Medal of Honor were born in Ireland. They are: Henry Hogan from Clare, John Laverty from Tyrone, Dublin's John Cooper, whose name at birth was John Laver Mather, John King and Patrick Mullen. Three double recipients were Irish American: U.S Marines Daniel Daly and John Joseph Kelly, and the U.S Navy's John McCloy. First Lt. Arthur MacArthur ( Civil War ) and Gen. Douglas MacArthur ( WWII ) were the only " Father & Son " in history to each receive the Medal of Honor until the January 2000 presentation of the Medal of Honor to past President Theodore Roosevelt. His son Theodore Roosvelt Jr, was awarded the medal in WWII.
Over the years the Ancient Order of Hibernians has had strong associations with the medal. At least two AOH Divisions were named after recipients of the Medal of Honor. One being the Col. James Quinlan Division#3 of Warwick, in Orange County, N.Y. Quinlan was awarded his Medal of Honor for gallantry " against overwhelming numbers " while leading the Irish Brigade's 88th New York in the Battle of Savage Station, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Then there was the remarkable ' super survivor ' Michael Dougherty, from Falcarragh, County Donegal, a private in the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry. He received it for routing a Confederate detachment at Jefferson, Virginia, which prevented the Confederates from flanking the Union Forces and saved 2,500 lives. He and 126 members of his regiment were later captured and spent 23 months in various Southern Prisons, including Andersonville death-camp in Georgia. He was the only survivor from his regiment. He was homeward bound on the steamship " Sultana " on the Mississippi River, when the boilers exploded. Of the 2000 passengers, only 900 survived, Dougherty was one of them. Finally, after four years, the 21 year old Union Veteran reached his hometown of Bristol, Pa. This being the reason why AOH Division#1 of Bristol is known as the Michael Dougherty Division.
Some modern day recipients are: John King, U.S Navy, from Ballinrobe, County Mayo, double recipient in 1901 & 1909; Private John Joseph Kelly, Chicargo III, received both the Army & Navy Medal of Honor in WWI; Colonel William J. ( Wild Bill ) Donovan, a member of New York's Fighting 69th in WWI; Audie Murphy, who was turned down by the Marines and the Navy as he was only 5'5 and weighed 112Ibs. The army accepted him in June 1942, and he became WWII's most decorated hero; Fr Timothy O' Callahan, who was not only the first Catholic Chaplain to receive the Medal of Honor, but the first of any faith to be so recognised.
For his gallant leadership and fighting spirit, O'Hare Airport in Chicargo was named for Lt. Commander Edward H. " Butch " O'Hare, U.S Navy fighter pilot. Another well known facility, McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey is named after Medal of Honor recipient Thomas B. McGuire, a WWII ace pilot who shot down 38 enemy planes. One of Vitnam's first recipients was Captain Roger Hugh Donlon, U.S Special Forces, from Saugerties, N.Y. Another Vietnam recipient was New York Irish-American Robert Emmet O' Malley.
In all 245 men were awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War. Among them were: Major Patrick Brady, Major Kern Dunagan, Captain Robert F. Foley, Lt. Cmdr Thomas G. Kelly, Spc. Thomas McMahon, Lance-
Corporal Thomas Noonan, Private Daniel Shea and Petty Officer Michael Thornton.
There have been millions of Irish and Irish-Americans who have served through out the ages have served in the military with great distinction. Colonel James Hickey, son of Irish immigrants and a native of Chicago III commanded the American 1st Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq. It would be impossible to calculate an eaxact number of Irish-Americans on the Medal of Honor list. However, Irish surnames are plentiful. There are 21 Murphys, 20 Kellys ( or Kelley ) and 8 Sullivans. Names begining with the Irish prefix " Mc " spill onto multiple pages.
The Medal of Honor, was instituted during the American Civil War, and is issued sparingly and only to someone who has distinguished himself " At the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty ".
It staggers the immagination to speculate on the number of Medals of Honors that would have been issued to those Irish who fought in the American Revolutionary War, had it been in existence then.
The first Medal of Honor was awarded to Colonel Bernard Irwin of the U.S Army. His bravery occurred in 1861, during the Indian Wars, before it was instituted. However he was awarded the nation's highest honor in 1894.
During the American Civil War, 1,532 Medals of Honor were issued. A large number to Irish troops from the Irish Brigade, which fought at Fredricksburg and Antieam.
To date, 3 459 Medals of Honor have been awarded, and nineteen individuals have received it twice. Thirty-three countries are listed as the birthplaces of the recipients, and it is not surprising that Ireland has the most by far, with 258. Of the 258 immigrants that listed Ireland as their place of birth, Cork has 19 Medal of Honor recipients, Dublin and Tipperary each have 11, Limerick has 10, Kerry 8, Galway 7, Antrim and Tyrone 6 each, while Kilkenny and Sligo each have 5. We Irish can proudly note that 5 of the 19 fighting men who received a second Medal of Honor were born in Ireland. They are: Henry Hogan from Clare, John Laverty from Tyrone, Dublin's John Cooper, whose name at birth was John Laver Mather, John King and Patrick Mullen. Three double recipients were Irish American: U.S Marines Daniel Daly and John Joseph Kelly, and the U.S Navy's John McCloy. First Lt. Arthur MacArthur ( Civil War ) and Gen. Douglas MacArthur ( WWII ) were the only " Father & Son " in history to each receive the Medal of Honor until the January 2000 presentation of the Medal of Honor to past President Theodore Roosevelt. His son Theodore Roosvelt Jr, was awarded the medal in WWII.
Over the years the Ancient Order of Hibernians has had strong associations with the medal. At least two AOH Divisions were named after recipients of the Medal of Honor. One being the Col. James Quinlan Division#3 of Warwick, in Orange County, N.Y. Quinlan was awarded his Medal of Honor for gallantry " against overwhelming numbers " while leading the Irish Brigade's 88th New York in the Battle of Savage Station, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Then there was the remarkable ' super survivor ' Michael Dougherty, from Falcarragh, County Donegal, a private in the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry. He received it for routing a Confederate detachment at Jefferson, Virginia, which prevented the Confederates from flanking the Union Forces and saved 2,500 lives. He and 126 members of his regiment were later captured and spent 23 months in various Southern Prisons, including Andersonville death-camp in Georgia. He was the only survivor from his regiment. He was homeward bound on the steamship " Sultana " on the Mississippi River, when the boilers exploded. Of the 2000 passengers, only 900 survived, Dougherty was one of them. Finally, after four years, the 21 year old Union Veteran reached his hometown of Bristol, Pa. This being the reason why AOH Division#1 of Bristol is known as the Michael Dougherty Division.
Some modern day recipients are: John King, U.S Navy, from Ballinrobe, County Mayo, double recipient in 1901 & 1909; Private John Joseph Kelly, Chicargo III, received both the Army & Navy Medal of Honor in WWI; Colonel William J. ( Wild Bill ) Donovan, a member of New York's Fighting 69th in WWI; Audie Murphy, who was turned down by the Marines and the Navy as he was only 5'5 and weighed 112Ibs. The army accepted him in June 1942, and he became WWII's most decorated hero; Fr Timothy O' Callahan, who was not only the first Catholic Chaplain to receive the Medal of Honor, but the first of any faith to be so recognised.
For his gallant leadership and fighting spirit, O'Hare Airport in Chicargo was named for Lt. Commander Edward H. " Butch " O'Hare, U.S Navy fighter pilot. Another well known facility, McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey is named after Medal of Honor recipient Thomas B. McGuire, a WWII ace pilot who shot down 38 enemy planes. One of Vitnam's first recipients was Captain Roger Hugh Donlon, U.S Special Forces, from Saugerties, N.Y. Another Vietnam recipient was New York Irish-American Robert Emmet O' Malley.
In all 245 men were awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War. Among them were: Major Patrick Brady, Major Kern Dunagan, Captain Robert F. Foley, Lt. Cmdr Thomas G. Kelly, Spc. Thomas McMahon, Lance-
Corporal Thomas Noonan, Private Daniel Shea and Petty Officer Michael Thornton.
There have been millions of Irish and Irish-Americans who have served through out the ages have served in the military with great distinction. Colonel James Hickey, son of Irish immigrants and a native of Chicago III commanded the American 1st Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq. It would be impossible to calculate an eaxact number of Irish-Americans on the Medal of Honor list. However, Irish surnames are plentiful. There are 21 Murphys, 20 Kellys ( or Kelley ) and 8 Sullivans. Names begining with the Irish prefix " Mc " spill onto multiple pages.
double recipients of the medal of honor
Irish and Irish-American
Henry Hogan: ( March 8th 1840-April 20th 1916 ) was a First Sergeant in the United States Army during the Black Hills War. Henry was from County Clare, Ireland. He received his first citation for gallantry in action against Sitting Bull's Lakota warriors at the 1876 Battle of Cedar Creek and the second one for a dramtatic rescue of his Lieutenat in the 1877 fight at Bear Paw Mountain. Hogan carried him off the field in the midst of heavy fire from the Indian Warriors. He was a member of Company C of the 5th U.S Infantry under Colonel . Nelson A. Miles.
John King: ( 7th February 1865-20th May 1938 ) was a sailor in the United States Navy. Born in Ireland, John enlisted in the navy as a coal passer in Vermont on the 20th July 1893. He served on board Massachusetts in the Caribbean during the Spanish-American War and in 1900, was transferred to Vicksburg for service during the Philippine American War. John received his first Medal of Honor while in
Vicksburg " For extraordinary heoism in the line of his profession at the time of the accident to the boilers, 29th May 1901 " Eight years later, while a water tender on the U.S.SSalem, John King recieved a second Medal of Honour during another boiler explosion on 13th September 1909. Advanced to Chief Water Tender on 1st October 1909, he continued to serve at sea until discharged in 1916. The begining of World War 1, however, brought Chief King back on active duty; he served at New York until 20th August 1919. He lived in retirement until his death on the 20th May 1938. USS John King (DDG-3) was named for him.
Patrick Mullen: was born on the 6th May 1844 in Baltimore, Maryland and joined the United States Navy from the same location ( some records show his place of brith as Ireland ) While stationed aboard the USS Wyandank he received the Medal of Honour for his actions during a boat expedition up Mattox Creek, 17th March 1865. It was during this expedition that he rendered gallant assistance to his Commanding officer, Mullen, lying on his back, loaded the howitzer and then fired so carefully as to kill and wound many rebels, causing their retreat. He reveived his second Medal of Honour when serving as Boatswain's mate on boad the USS Don, 1st may 1865. Engaged in picking up the crew of picket launch No6 which had swamped. Mullen, seeing an officer who was at the time no longer able to keep up and was below the surface of the water, jumped overboard and brought the officer to the boat, thereby rescuing him from drowning.
