# Canadians that have earned the Medal of Honor (MoH)



## Bill Smy (17 Jan 2001)

29 Canadians supposedly won the Medal of Honor in the American Civil War. Anyone know their names?

Any other Canadian winners


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## reg1 (17 Jan 2001)

hi this is reg. about the medal of honor winners (canadians),try the address  :http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/moh1.htm.. hope it helps.


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## Bill Smy (18 Jan 2001)

Hi Reg1. I went over this page earlier. There are 1500 Civil War recipients, and I had hoped someone could provide the 29 names so that I did not have to laboriously go through all 1500. In any event, thanks for the suggestion.

Any thoughts on the material for Fisher and Lyall?

Bill


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## Ron B (18 Jan 2001)

You may want to have a look at this site:
members.tripod.com/PvtChurch/bios/mohbio.html It lists 24 of the Canadian M.O.H. winners and some of the citations aren‘t given but it may be useful.
Best regards
Ron B


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## 104thNBR (21 Aug 2004)

I'm new to this forum and came across this question about MoH recipients check out this site about Canadians who won the Medal of Honour.
http://www.geocities.com/cancivwar/CanMOH.html


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## jmacleod (4 Oct 2004)

There is a grave in the Roman Catholic Cemetary on Tower Road Halifax NS with a US Military
issue headstone to a Nova Scotian who won the Medal of Honor in Viet Nam while serving in
the United States Marine Corps. It is located on the left of the north west entrance of the
long established cemetary, the first grave, and is isolated - which means that the sites on either
side have been purchased by the US Government, in my opinion. For detailed information on all
winners of the MOH, go to Military.com, and log into the MOH section, or go to the site for 
the MOH Society of the United States. In the Arlington National Cemetary, next to the grave of
Major Audie Murphy, MOH, is a familier World War One Canadian memorial, (featuring the upright
crusader sword) given to the US by Prime Minister MacKenzie King to commemorate United States
citizens who served in the Canadian Forces in both World Wars and Korea. It is a truly striking
memorial. MacLeod 4 October 2004


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## Bill Smy (6 Oct 2004)

Can you provide the man's name?


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## Hasty P (6 Oct 2004)

This topic peaked my interest so I did a little research and found this info on a website...

http://www.vwam.com/vets/canadians.html

The only Canadian awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War was Spc. 4 Peter C. Lemon of Norwich, Ontario. Lemon volunteered for reconnaissance/commando training in Vietnam and joined the 1st Infantry Division as a ranger. When the 1st Infantry Division rotated home in March 1970, he was moved to the 1st Cavalry Division's Reconnaissance Company.

On the night of April 1, 1970, some 300 - 400 North Vietnamese unexpectedly attacked a fire support base near the Cambodian border. During the battle, Lemon and another soldier were ordered to man an abandoned .50-caliber machine gun. They were unable to get it to function. A mortar shell soon hit them, wounding Lemon and killing his friend. Lemon then returned to his original bunker, scooped up grenades, and began throwing them amidst the attackers. When another friend was hit, Lemon carried him under fire to the first aid station. Lemon was wounded again while returning to his bunker, but continued battling the NVA. An enemy soldier was causing havoc with well-placed rounds from a grenade launcher. A well-aimed burst from Lemon's machine gun knocked him out of action.

After about an hour of intense fighting, the enemy assault petered out. Lemon moved to a fortified bunker where he found a badly wounded South Vietnamese soldier. When the medics arrived, Lemon refused treatment for shrapnel wounds in his head, neck, leg and arm so that the medics could first take care of the badly bleeding ARVN soldier. Lemon was evacuated and spent a month recuperating in hospital and later was presented the Medal of Honor by President Nixon in a ceremony at the White House.


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## Hasty P (6 Oct 2004)

The only thing that doesn't add up is that Peter C. Lemon is neither from Nova Scotia nor deceased.  Peter C. Lemon is one of the youngest surviving recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, and also the coveted Certificate of Outstanding Achievement presented by President Carter.  He became a successful entrepreneur, wrote a book titled "Beyond the Medal" and even became an acclaimed sculptor.  He's now a motivational speaker and has his own website.

http://www.peterlemon.com/


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## jmacleod (6 Oct 2004)

According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society there were 17 MOH awarded to members
of the US Marine Corps in the Viet Nam War - all are listed of course, but there is no indication
if one of them was a Canadian, although there were more than 10,000 Canadians in the US military
during the Viet Nam War. I suspect that like a lot of Nova Scotians, there was a family connection
from a east coast state like Maine,New York or Massachusetts etc., - the grave yard is owned by
the Roman Catholic Burial Society of Halifax NS, or at least used to be. An interesting point
is that it borders on a military cemetary on the corner of South Street, which contains many Canadian
military deceased, but also World War II German sailors, for the most part recovered in the North
Atlantic from sunken U-Boats. For military types, old Halifax (1749) is an interesting city. MacLeod
6 October 2004


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## Bill Smy (7 Oct 2004)

To date I have identified the following Medal of Honor recipients born in Nova Scotia:-

Charles Asten. Born Halifax, 1834. Buried Pawtuket, Rhode Island.
Robert Coffey. Born Nova Scotia, 1842. Buried Montpelier.
Thomas Cooney. Born Westport, Nova Scotia,1853.
George Houghton, born Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Buried Orting, Washington state.
Harry Miller, born North Shore, Nova Scotia, 1879. Buried Tres de Rios, Costa Rica.
Willard Miller, born North Shore, Nova Scotia,1877. Buried Arlington National Cemetery.
Joseph Noil, born Nova Scotia, 1841.
William Pelham, born Halifax. Buried Brooklyn, NY.

Any additional info welcome.


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## Bill Smy (7 Oct 2004)

Here is what I have on Peter Lemon:-

LEMON, Peter Charles. Sergeant, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th United States Cavalry Regiment, United States Army. Born Toronto, Ontario, 5 January 1950. Some sources state his home town was Norwich (just west of Toronto). Joined the US Army at Tawas City, Michigan. A Vietnam War award won in Tay Ninh province, Republic of Vietnam, 1 April 1970. 

Citation: â Å“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt Lemon (then Sp4c), Company E, distinguished himself while serving as an assistant machine gunner during the defense of Fire Support Base Illingworth. When the base came under heavy attack, Sgt Lemon engaged a numerically superior enemy with machine gun and rifle fire from his defensive position until both weapons malfunctioned. He hen used hand grenades to fend off the intensified enemy attack launched in his direction. After eliminating all but 1 of the enemy soldiers in the immediate vicinity, he pursued and disposed of the remaining soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Despite fragment wounds from an exploding grenade, Sgt Lemon regained his position, carried a more seriously wounded comrade to an aid station, and, as he returned, was wounded a second time by enemy fire. Disregarding his personal injuries, he moved to his position through a hail of small arms and grenade fire. Sgt Lemon immediately realized that the defensive sector was in danger of being overrun by the enemy and unhesitatingly assaulted the enemy soldiers by throwing hand grenades and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. He was wounded yet a third time, but his determined efforts successfully drove the enemy from the position. Securing an operable machine gun, Sgt Lemon stood atop an embankment fully exposed to enemy fire, and placed effective fire upon the enemy until he collapsed from his multiple wounds and exhaustion. After regaining consciousness at the aid station, he refused medical evacuation until his more seriously wounded comrades had been evacuated. Sgt Lemon's gallantry and extraordinary heroism are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the US Army.â ? 

He was presented with the Medal by President Richard M Nixon at the White House. His award is accredited to Tawas City, Michigan.


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## jmacleod (9 Oct 2004)

Many Maritimers (NS, NB, PEI) served in the American Civil War, referred to in my grandfather's house
as the "war between the states". Nova Scotians in particular enlisted, for the most part in the Union
Army, but many, shown as born in Yarmouth NS for instance, migrated to "the Boston States" before
the Civil War, and either enlisted or were drafted to serve in the Union Army. It is interesting that in
Nova Scotia at that time, support for the Confederacy and pro-slavery was very high - Nova Scotians
of course with their close ties to Great Britain, whose cotton mills were fueled by southern cotton
who chartered Nova Scotian sailing vessels to transmit cargo, were for the most part, pro slavery.
But there was an significant abolitionist movement, particularly in the Protestant fundementalist
churches, which was reflect in young Maritimers enlisting in the U.S. Army, a tradition that endured
right up to the Viet Nam War. The other fact to observe is that the Medal of Honor was awarded
en masse in the Civil War. Go to the MOH Society's excellent site for additional, highly detailed 
information. The United States holds their military and military history in high regard. MacLeod


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## Bill Smy (9 Oct 2004)

That site is exellent. I obtained quite a bit of info from it.

I have read estimates that as many as 50,000 Canadians served in the Union forces (army and navy) and 10,000 served in the Confederate forces. I don't know how accurate the estimates are.

I do know that there was a general  depression in what was to be Canada. That might have been an incentive.


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## Chimo (1 Jul 2005)

Please follow the link to see a complete list of the Canadians that have distinguished themselves in combat while serving in the Forces of the United States. Ambassador McKenna will be laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery in their honour.

http://www.canadianally.com/ca/news/050630mediaadvisory-en.asp


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## FormerHorseGuard (14 Jul 2005)

i found a site but lost the bookmark that  listed every Canadian who was awarded the Medal of Honor, at least one Canadian was listed there as being awarded it twice, a black sailor from Montreal , 

Interim Awards Double Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Seaman Robert Augustus Sweeney, US Navy

b. February 20, 1853  d. December 19, 1890

One of only 19 United States servicemen to be awarded the Medal of Honor twice, and one of only 14 to be awarded the United States' highest military honor for two separate actions. He was serving as an ordinary Seaman while earning both his Medals of Honor. His first citation reads: Serving on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge, at Hampton Roads, Va., 26 October 1881, Sweeney jumped overboard and assisted in saving from drowning a shipmate who had fallen overboard into a strongly running tide. His second citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Jamestown, at the Navy Yard New York, 20 December 1883, Sweeney rescued from drowning A. A. George, who had fallen overboard from that vessel.

CITATIONS:

FIRST AWARD:

Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born. 1853 Montreal, Canada. Accredited to: New Jersey. G.O. No.: 326, 18 October 1884. Second award. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge, at Hampton Roads, Va., 26 October 1881, Sweeney jumped overboard and assisted in saving from drowning a shipmate who had fallen overboard into a strongly running tide.

SECOND AWARD

Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Jamestown, at the Navy Yard New York, 20 December 1883, Sweeney rescued from drowning A. A. George, who had fallen overboard from that vessel.


a lot of Canadians  have been awarded the medal.  one site lists 24 Canadians, no working links to the citations 

http://www.medalofhonor.com/CanadienRecipients.htm#cmh8


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