Prior to 1963, the Medal of Honor could be awarded for actions not involving direct combat with "an enemy of the United States" or "opposing foreign force [s]" (actions against a party in which the U.S. is not directly engaged in war with).[1] [2] 204 men earned the medal in this way. The vast majority of the non-combat medals were awarded to members of the United States Navy for their actions during boiler explosions, man-overboard incidents, and other hazards of naval service. The list includes 10 Navy officers and men who earned the Medal of Honor for non-combat actions during the First World War and one who received it during World War II.
The last award of the Medal of Honor for valor not in combat was Francis P. Hammerberg, a United States Navy diver who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for rescuing two fellow divers at Pearl Harbor in the then Territory of Hawaii. He lost his life during rescue operations on February 17, 1945.
Given in the list below are the place and date of each recipient's Medal of Honor action, as well as their rank at the time of the action. A posthumous award is denoted by an asterisk after the recipient's name.
See main article: Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States to a member of its armed forces. Currently, the recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against "an enemy of the United States" or "an opposing foreign force." Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously.[3] A Medal of Honor in non-combat has not been presented since 1945.
Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied from the official Medal of Honor citation
| Image | Name | Service | Rank | Place of action | Date of action | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navy | For lifesaving heroism during boiler malfunction | ||||||
| Navy | For rescuing from drowning W. H. Moffatt, First Class Boy | ||||||
| Navy | For attempting to save from drowning, Ensign Joseph C. Breckenridge | ||||||
| Navy | , Marseille, France | For rescuing a drowning French boy, who had fallen from a pier | |||||
| Navy | wreck site of | For his actions as a diver in rescuing the crew of the sunken USS Squalus | |||||
| Navy | , Callao Bay, Peru | Saved USS Alaska from catastrophe by preventing boiler explosion | |||||
| Navy | off Eastport, Maine | For rescuing from drowning, James Rose and John Russell, seamen of | |||||
| Navy | Extraordinary heroism saving ship after boiler explosion | ||||||
| Navy | Extraordinary heroism saving ship after boiler explosion | ||||||
| Navy | , Fuzhou, China | For rescuing from drowning a Chinese man, whose canoe had capsized | |||||
| Navy | over the Arctic | For his part in what was thought to be the first successful heavier-than-air flight to the North Pole and back | |||||
| Navy | For attempting to save from drowning, Landsman John K. Smith | ||||||
| Navy | For heroism during the sinking of his ship | ||||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | Extraordinary heroism, while minimizing loss of life, and material damage while saving his ship, after a boiler explosion | |||||
| Navy | For heroism during an accident to a ship's boiler | ||||||
| Navy | , off Cowes, England | For attempting to save from drowning Landsman Philip Cassidy of | |||||
| Navy | Lieutenant | en route to Buenos Aires, Argentina | Entered a room containing explosives and extinguished a fire after an accidental detonation | ||||
| Navy | For rescuing another sailor when submarine O-5 sank | ||||||
| Navy | For actions after the accidental ignition of gunpowder | ||||||
| Navy | Extraordinary heroism saving ship after boiler explosion | ||||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | For extraordinary heroism when boiler exploded on ship | |||||
| Navy | For rescuing from drowning James Rose and John Russell, seamen of | ||||||
| Navy | , off Battery, New York Harbor | Saved Apprentice Robert Lee Robey from drowning at risk of his own life | |||||
| Navy | off Eastport, Maine | For rescuing from drowning James Rose and John Russell, seamen of | |||||
| Navy | over the Arctic | For leading what was thought to be the first successful heavier-than-air flight to the North Pole and back | |||||
| Navy | Risked his life to save others from an on-board fire | ||||||
| Navy | Seaman | Dove into a flooded compartment to find and plug a leak which threatened his ship | |||||
| Navy | For saving 3 shipmates from drowning | ||||||
| Navy | Saved 3 men's lives after boiler explosion, then led effort to prevent further boiler explosion | ||||||
| Navy | , Alexandria, Egypt | For rescuing from drowning Ordinary Seaman William Evans | |||||
| Navy | Died of burns suffered while attempting to stifle a fatal munitions fire in forward gun mount | ||||||
| Navy | Extraordinary heroism in line of duty during accident to ship's boiler | ||||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | For extraordinary heroism when boiler exploded on ship | |||||
| Navy | , Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia | For rescuing a citizen from drowning | |||||
| Navy | Extraordinary heroism saving ship after boiler explosion | ||||||
| Navy | , Navy Yard, New York | Heroic attempt to save life of shipmate fallen overboard from aloft | |||||
| Navy | For attempting to rescue a fellow officer from a burning plane; died from burns four days later | ||||||
| Navy | , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | For rescuing from drowning a landsman of USS Hartford | |||||
| Navy | , Washington Navy Yard | For rescuing from drowning Charles Taliaferro, Jack-of-the-Dust | |||||
| Navy | Ship's Cook Third class | Dove overboard and rescued a man who was surrounded by boxes of explosives | |||||
| Navy | , off Pensacola, Florida | For extinguishing munitions fire aboard ship, preventing its loss | |||||
| Navy | , Washington Navy Yard | For rescuing from drowning Charles Taliaferro, Jack-of-the-Dust | |||||
| Navy | wreck site of | For his actions as a diver in rescuing the crew of the sunken USS Squalus | |||||
| Navy | Heroic attempt to save life at sea | ||||||
| Navy | , off Honolulu, Hawaii | For rescuing a fellow diver who had become tangled in the wreckage and trapped underwater | |||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | Bravery shown during ship's boiler explosion | |||||
| Navy | , Norfolk, Virginia | For assisting in rescuing a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Toulon, France | For rescuing from drowning Coxswain Augustus Ohlensen | |||||
| Navy | , off wharf at Norfolk, Virginia | For rescuing from drowning Ordinary Seaman John Norman | |||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | For extraordinary heroism when boiler exploded aboard ship | |||||
| Navy | , Shanghai, China | Gallantly rescued shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Para, Brazil | Leaped overboard and saved shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , near Greytown, Nicaragua | Preventing further loss of life during mass drowning | |||||
| Navy | Died of burns while attempting to stifle a fatal munitions fire in forward gun mount | ||||||
| Navy | , New London Harbor | For jumping overboard and saving Apprentice D'Orsay from drowning | |||||
| Navy | wreck site, off Provincetown, Massachusetts | For rescuing a fellow diver who had become trapped underwater | |||||
| Navy | , Sea of Marmora, Turkey | For leading the rescue of passengers on the French military transport Vinh-Long | |||||
| Navy | , Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland | Stamping out burning particles of prematurely exploded cartridge in powder magazine | |||||
| Navy | For saving from drowning Landsman Wallace Febrey | ||||||
| Navy | , off Ensenada, Mexico | Jumping overboard, Davis rescued Seamen John Bell and George Svensson from drowning | |||||
| Navy | For attempting to save from drowning Ensign Joseph C. Breckenridge | ||||||
| Navy | For rescuing O.C. Hawthorne, Landsman for training, from drowning | ||||||
| Navy | , Callao, Peru | For rescuing from drowning William Cruise | |||||
| Navy | For rescuing from drowning Seaman David Walsh | ||||||
| Navy | Extraordinary heroism saving ship after boiler explosion | ||||||
| Navy | , Point Zapotitlan, Mexico | Displayed valorous conduct when ship's boat capsized, drowning part of crew | |||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | For extraordinary heroism when boiler exploded on ship | |||||
| Navy | , Navy Yard, New York | For trying to rescue a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Marseille, France | For rescuing from drowning a French boy who had fallen from a pier | |||||
| Navy | For courage in firefighting efforts | ||||||
| Navy | Coquimbo, Chile | Bravery displayed by him during a fire | |||||
| Navy | Seaman | en route to Buenos Aires, Argentina | Extinguished a fire after an accidental explosion | ||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | For extraordinary heroism when boiler exploded aboard ship | |||||
| Army | various | – | For his lifetime of service | ||||
| Navy | Pacific Ocean | Sailed 31 days in small boat to Hawaii to fetch rescuers to his marooned shipmates of stranded near Midway Island. | |||||
| Navy | For attempting to rescue a shipmate from drowning | ||||||
| Navy | Pearl Harbor Navy Yard | Died while rescuing two other divers from the wreckage of a sunken LST at Pearl Harbor. Hammerberg was the last person to receive the Medal of Honor for a non-combat action. | |||||
| Navy | , Lisbon, Portugal | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | Remained in engine room of his sinking ship until waist deep water extinguished boiler fires, then opened safety valves | ||||||
| Navy | , off the Battery, New York Harbor | For assisting in the rescue from drowning of R. L. Robey | |||||
| Marine Corps | , Montevideo, Uruguay | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | For extraordinary heroism when boiler exploded on ship | |||||
| Navy | , near Greytown, Nicaragua | Preventing further loss of life during mass drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Newport, Rhode Island | For rescuing from drowning William Mulcahy, Third Class Boy | |||||
| Navy | , Hamburg Harbor | For rescuing from drowning one of a party who was thrown from a shore boat | |||||
| Navy | For heroism in fighting fire on USS North Dakota | ||||||
| Navy | For going over the stern during a heavy gale and cutting the fastenings of the ship's rudder chains | ||||||
| Navy | , Naval Shipyard, Norfolk, Virginia | Risked his life and suffered severe burns rescuing Charles Bryan from steam-filled boiler room after accident | |||||
| Navy | Remained at controls of damaged seaplane, thereby saving lives of aircrew members | ||||||
| Navy | Extraordinary heroism saving ship after boiler explosion | ||||||
| Navy | , near Greytown, Nicaragua | Preventing further loss of life during mass drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Navy Yard, Mare Island, California | For rescuing from drowning Daniel W. Kloppen, a workman | |||||
| Navy | , off Santo Domingo City, Santo Domingo | Saved lives of crew of USS Memphis from destruction by a tsunami | |||||
| Navy | , Navy Yard, New York | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Delaware River | For rescuing one of the crew of USS Iroquois from drowning | |||||
| Navy | For heroism during a boiler accident | ||||||
| Navy | For heroism during a boiler accident; one of only 19 two-time Medal of Honor recipients | ||||||
| Navy | For saving shipmates succumbing to poisonous fumes | ||||||
| Navy | , Port Mahon, Minorca | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Callao Bay, Peru | Second award; previously received a Medal of Honor for actions during the Civil War | |||||
| Navy | , Navy Yard, Mare Island, California | For rescuing two shipmates from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Port Royal, South Carolina | For rescuing a citizen from drowning | |||||
| Air Corps | from New York City to Paris, France | – | For flying the first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean | ||||
| Navy | For heroism in fighting fire aboard his ship | ||||||
| Navy | , New Orleans, Louisiana | For rescuing from drowning N. P. Petersen, Gunner's Mate | |||||
| Navy | , Castle Garden, New York | For heroic conduct aboard USS Minnesota during Castle Garden immigration center fire | |||||
| Navy | Chief Boatswain's Mate | in the Bay of Biscay | Secured a live depth charge | ||||
| Navy | , Lisbon, Portugal | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | Remained on duty in fireroom until rising waters extinguished boilers | ||||||
| Navy | , off Coasters Harbor Island, near Newport, Rhode Island | For attempting to rescue from drowning Jabez Smith, Second Class Musician | |||||
| Navy | For going over the stern during a heavy gale and cutting the fastenings of the ship's rudder chains | ||||||
| Navy | , off Coasters Harbor Island, near Newport, Rhode Island | For attempting to rescue from drowning Jabez Smith, Second Class Musician | |||||
| Navy | wreck site of | For his actions as a diver in rescuing the crew of the sunken USS Squalus | |||||
| Navy | Shipfitter First class | Rescued the pilot of a crashed observation balloon | |||||
| Navy | wreck site of | For his actions as a diver in rescuing the crew of the sunken USS Squalus | |||||
| Navy | , Alexandria, Egypt | For assisting in rescuing a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Monrovia, Liberia | For rescuing from drowning Ordinary Seaman John W. Powers | |||||
| Navy | , Shanghai, China | For rescuing from drowning First Class Boy M. F. Caulan | |||||
| Navy | Entered munitions magazine to extinguish fire with hand thrown water, then by hose | ||||||
| Navy | , Washington Navy Yard | For attempting to rescue from drowning Thomas Duncan, carpenter and calker | |||||
| Navy | , Genoa, Italy | For rescuing from drowning Ordinary Seaman Hans Paulsen | |||||
| Marine Corps | , Villefranche, France | For rescuing from drowning Ordinary Seaman Robert Blizzard | |||||
| Navy | , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | For rescuing from drowning First Class Fireman James Grady | |||||
| Navy | , off Hampton Roads, Virginia | For rescuing from drowning Apprentice Second Class Alfred Kosminski | |||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | For extraordinary heroism when boiler exploded aboard ship | |||||
| Navy | , Norfolk, Virginia | For saving Boatswain J. C. Walton from drowning | |||||
| Navy | For rescuing injured after munitions fire in forward turret | ||||||
| Navy | , New York Navy Yard | For rescuing A. A. George from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , opposite the Norfolk Navy Yard | For rescuing from drowning a young girl who had fallen overboard | |||||
| Navy | , near Greytown, Nicaragua | Preventing further loss of life during mass drowning | |||||
| Navy | For lifesaving efforts during sinking of USS Tallapoosa | ||||||
| Navy | Chief Machinist's Mate | Rescued the gunner of a downed plane, tried unsuccessfully to rescue the pilot | |||||
| Navy | , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | For rescuing from drowning an enlisted boy of USS Juniata | |||||
| Navy | , Hampton Roads, Virginia | For rescuing from drowning Gunner's Mate James Walters | |||||
| Navy | Mare Island Naval Shipyard | For attempting to save a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | For attempting to rescue a shipmate from drowning | ||||||
| Marine Corps | "...for heroism and gallantry, fearlessly exposing his own life to danger for the saving of the others on the occasion of the fire on board that vessel." Served as Louis F. Theis during first enlistment. | ||||||
| Navy | , near Greytown, Nicaragua | Preventing further loss of life during mass drowning | |||||
| Navy | Yokohama, Japan | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , harbor of Coquimbo, Chile | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | For heroism in fighting fire on his ship | ||||||
| Navy | For heroism in fighting fire on his ship | ||||||
| Navy | Pensacola Bay, Florida | Swam ashore through heavy gale trailing rescue line needed to resupply ship so it could raise steam and avoid stranding | |||||
| Navy | off New Orleans, Louisiana | For efforts to save from drowning Wellington Brocar, Landsman, of | |||||
| Navy | , Hampton Roads, Virginia | For rescuing from drowning Gunner's Mate James Walters | |||||
| Navy | , off Santo Domingo City, Santo Domingo | Scalded to death at his engine room duty while a tsunami was destroying his ship | |||||
| Navy | , Genoa, Italy | For rescuing from drowning Ordinary Seaman Hans Paulsen | |||||
| Navy | , Norfolk, Virginia | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | Yokohama, Japan | For rescuing a woman from the burning Grand Hotel, following an earthquake | |||||
| Navy | , off Coasters Harbor Island, Rhode Island | For rescuing from drowning Second Class Boy Frank Gallagher | |||||
| Navy | , Villefranche, France | For assisting in saving from drowning Seaman Charles Prince | |||||
| Navy | For extinguishing munitions fire aboard ship, preventing its loss | ||||||
| Navy | Chief Gunner's Mate | Rescued a wounded man from the water and attempted to rescue another | |||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | For extraordinary heroism when boiler exploded aboard ship | |||||
| Navy | , San Diego, California | Bravery shown during ship's boiler explosion | |||||
| Navy | For rescuing from drowning Quartermaster First Class William Steven | ||||||
| Navy | Boatswain's Mate Second Class | Rescued two men from a burning vessel before being trapped and collapsing from the smoke | |||||
| Navy | , Monrovia, Liberia | For rescuing from drowning Ordinary Seaman John W. Powers | |||||
| Marine Corps | , Pensacola, Florida | For pulling a man from the wreckage of a crashed and burning seaplane | |||||
| Navy | For entering compartments immediately following an explosion and rescuing injured shipmates | ||||||
| Navy | , near Greytown, Nicaragua | Preventing further loss of life during mass drowning | |||||
| Navy | , off Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | For rescuing from drowning First Class Fireman James Grady | |||||
| Navy | , off Para, Brazil | For rescuing from drowning Coxswain William Kent | |||||
| Navy | For entering a compartment filled with gases and rescuing a shipmate | ||||||
| Navy | , Hampton Roads, Virginia | For rescuing from drowning Seaman G.H. Kephart | |||||
| Navy | harbor of Cape Haiten | For rescuing from drowning one of the crew of | |||||
| Navy | For heroism in fighting fire on USS North Dakota | ||||||
| Marine Corps | , harbor of Villefranche, France | For rescuing from drowning Midshipman Osterhaus | |||||
| Navy | , off Jamaica | For helping rescue from drowning Watertender Peter Mahoney | |||||
| Navy | For heroism during sinking of his ship | ||||||
| Navy | , Newport, Rhode Island | For rescuing from drowning Third Class Boy Francis T. Price | |||||
| Navy | , at Hampton Roads, Virginia | For assisting in saving a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | at New York Navy Yard | For rescuing from drowning A. A. George | |||||
| Navy | , opposite the Norfolk Navy Yard | For rescuing from drowning a young girl who had fallen overboard | |||||
| Navy | Brooklyn Navy Yard | For rescuing his commander from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Apia, Samoa | Displayed gallantry during hurricane | |||||
| Navy | Heroism during sinking of his ship | ||||||
| Navy | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | ||||||
| Navy | Mare Island, California | For rescuing a man from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , near Boston, Massachusetts | For rescuing from drowning Landsman Michael Drennan | |||||
| Navy | , Hamburg Harbor | For rescuing from drowning one of a party who was thrown from a shore boat | |||||
| Navy | Rescued R. E. Daly and another injured fireman from boiler explosion despite his own facial burns | ||||||
| Navy | , Montevideo | For attempting to save a shipmate from drowning | |||||
| Navy | , Newport, Rhode Island | For rescuing from drowning Third Class Boy Francis T. Price | |||||
| Navy | , Toulon, France | For rescuing from drowning Coxswain Augustus Ohlensen | |||||
| Navy | Ensign | Dove overboard and rescued a man who was surrounded by boxes of explosives | |||||
| Navy | For heroism during sinking of his ship | ||||||
| Navy | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | ||||||
| Navy | For rescuing a shipmate from drowning | ||||||
| Navy | , Newport, Rhode Island | For rescuing from drowning Captain of the Forecastle C. Lorenze | |||||
| Navy | For heroism in fighting fire on his ship | ||||||
| Navy | Coquimbo, Chile | Extraordinary heroism during a fire | |||||
| Navy | , off Santo Domingo City, Santo Domingo | Lifesaving actions during loss of his ship to a tsunami | |||||
| Navy | For courage and fidelity during loss of his ship | ||||||
| Navy | For going over the stern during a heavy gale and performing important carpenter's work upon the rudder | ||||||
| Navy | , Honolulu, Hawaii | For rescuing from drowning Landsman Thomas Moran | |||||
| Navy | , Callao, Peru | For rescuing from drowning William Cruise | |||||
| Navy | , off the coast of Greenland | Singlehanded furled loose fore topgallant sail, preventing damage to ship | |||||
| Navy | For lifesaving heroism during boiler malfunction |