Defense Department Reevaluates Medals of Honor from Wounded Knee Massacre

The Defense Department will review the Medals of Honor awarded to 20 U.S. soldiers involved in the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre. Ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the review aims to determine if the soldiers' conduct deserved such awards. Native American groups and lawmakers have called for the revocation of these medals.

The Defense Department will review the Medals of Honor that were awarded to 20 U.S. soldiers for their actions in the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre to ensure their conduct merits such an honorable award.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mandated the review by a special panel of experts after consultation with the White House and the Department of the Interior. This review follows a recommendation from Congress in the 2022 defense bill, driven by lawmakers advocating for the rescission of these awards due to their ties to the massacre at South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation near Wounded Knee Creek.

An estimated 250 Native Americans, including women and children, were killed and at least 100 were wounded in the conflict. Medals of Honor were given to 20 soldiers from the 7th Cavalry Regiment for various actions, including bravery and efforts to rescue fellow troops.

Native American groups, advocates, and numerous lawmakers have called for the revocation of these awards. Although Congress apologized in 1990 to descendants of those killed, the medals were not revoked.

In a memo last week, Austin stated that the panel would review each award to ensure no soldier was recognized for conduct unworthy of the honor, including disqualifying actions like rape or murder of a prisoner.

Austin has instructed Army Secretary Christine Wormuth to provide historical records and documentation for each soldier to the panel by Friday, with a written report due by Oct. 15, recommending whether to revoke or retain each award.

The standards for awarding the Medal of Honor have evolved, but the review will consider the rules in place at the time, alongside the overall context of the incident.

This dispute highlights the long-standing contentious relations between South Dakota tribes and the government, dating back to the 1800s. The Wounded Knee massacre remains the deadliest conflict in that history.

(With inputs from agencies.)