Medal of Honor display recognizes those overlooked due to racial, religious bias

Yahoo

24-05-2025

The National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington offers patriotic displays of soldiers who performed extraordinary acts of bravery in combat, meriting the highest United States military honor.
Supported primarily by private funds, such as Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones' $20 million donation, the museum has the freedom to include exhibits that highlight acts of courage by Black, Latino, Asian, and white soldiers. The 'Valor 24' display educates visitors about 24 recipients, mostly Latinos, who in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam were originally awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest military honor. Through Korean War veteran Mitchel Libman's advocacy, the military elevated the awards to the Medal of Honor.
On March 18, 2014, President Barack Obama awarded the medals at the White House to José Rodela, Santiago Erevia, and Melvin Morris, three living recipients at the time, and the families of the 21 deceased honorees. Obama said, 'We confront our imperfections and face a sometimes painful past — including the truth that some of these soldiers fought, and died, for a country that did not always see them as equals.'
Before handing out the medals, Obama pointed out Libman, 83, and his wife Marilyn who sat in the audience. Over 50 years, they pursued the Medal of Honor through letter writing, phone calls, and military and political representative visits for his childhood friend Leonard Kravitz (uncle to rock star Lenny Kravitz). The two men were raised in Brooklyn and, after high school graduation, joined the Army.
Pfc. Kravitz was an assistant machine gunner who on March 6-7, 1951, repulsed with his platoon in Yangpyong, Korea, two Chinese probing attacks. When it was apparent they were about to be overrun by a third assault, Kravitz shouted to his comrades to retreat as he stayed behind to cover them. The next day, his platoon retook the position and found Kravitz killed with enemy bodies strewed around his machine gun position.
Libman studied the account of his friend's final stand and reviewed the stories of Medal of Honor recipients. He was convinced his friend had earned the Medal of Honor and was offended the Army had awarded the Distinguished Service Cross to his fallen Jewish comrade. He surmised Kravitz and other Jewish soldiers were denied the Medal of Honor because of their religion. He described himself as normally not an action-oriented man, but this disservice roused a passion for military recognition for the Jewish soldiers' gallantry in U.S. wars.
After Libman and his wife moved to Florida, he convinced U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler to pursue legislative action. Wexler introduced the Leonard Kravitz Jewish War Veterans Act of 2001. The bill called for all military branches to review the records of all Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, and Air Force Cross Jewish recipients for Medal of Honor eligibility. Although the bill didn't pass, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2002 called for the review, including Latino soldiers. After 10 years of arduous review of thousands of records, the Army found 24 soldiers who deserved the Medal of Honor. Of the 24 honorees, 10 died in foreign lands. Joe Baldonado's body, 20, was never found in Vietnam, and one soldier was not a U.S. citizen.
At Aprilia, Italy, on May 27-28, 1944, Pfc. Salvador J. Lara led his rifle squad in multiple attacks against German positions, inflicting mortal wounds and routing the enemy. The next day, he advanced alone, despite suffering a leg wound, with a Browning automatic weapon and knocked out three machine gun nests.
Green Beret Staff Sgt. Melvin Morris, an African American soldier, retrieved under fire at Chi Lang, Vietnam, the body of another team commander on Sept. 17, 1969. Although shot three times, he tossed hand grenades into four enemy bunkers, mortally wounding the enemy, and successfully reached his lines.
During the Vietnam War, African American leaders like Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. denounced the war in 1967. Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali refused to serve in the military after he was drafted in 1966 because of racial discrimination African Americans suffered in the United States. African American soldiers were fighting on two fronts.
Pfc. William F. Leonard performed bravely near St. Die, France on Nov. 7, 1944, under fire when he led an assault against snipers and a machine gun nest. Stunned momentarily by an exploding bazooka shell, he recovered, advanced, and eliminated a second machine gun unit and captured a roadblock.
For a complete accounting of the heroic actions of the 24 recipients, please search for President Obama's Valor 24 Medal of Honor ceremony remarks on the Army website.
On March 19, 2014, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel inducted the 24 Medal of Honor awardees to the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes. He recognized Libman, who sat in the audience. Hagel said, 'He was the driving force behind this effort to award the Medal of Honor to Jewish and Hispanic service members who had earned it, but never received it because of racial or religious discrimination.'
After spending most of his life striving for Medal of Honor awards for Kravitz and other Jewish comrades, Libman would probably have been pleased with the 'Valor 24' display that includes a photo of Kravitz. Libman died in Hollywood, Florida, at age 86 on June 24, 2017. Mission accomplished.
Author Richard J. Gonzales writes and speaks about Fort Worth, national and international Latino history.