by Bill Mattoon

All Vermont veterans and Vermonters honoring their service are invited to attend a ceremony honoring winners of the Medal of Honor at 10 AM Tuesday, March 25 in the Vermont State House.

As a veteran when I hear the words “Medal of Honor” I think of those military men and women who have gone far beyond their expectations of duty, many giving their lives to save their fellow comrades or shipmates. Vermont has had a number of Medal of Honor recipients, 66 to be exact, that were born or enlisted in Vermont, with the honor being credited to Vermont. 

Dating from the civil war when the Medal of Honor was established, Vermont holds some of the unique recipients, the youngest recipient Willie Johnston, only 13 years of age from Salem, now part of Derby, VT, and remains the youngest individual to receive the Medal of Honor. 

The first submariner and only enlisted submariner was Henry Breault of Grand Isle, whose Medal of Honor was presented by President Calvin Coolidge of course from Vermont!  Of only eight submariners to receive the Medal of Honor, two of those were credited to Vermont.

Breault was awarded the medal for saving lives in a submerged submarine in the Panama Canal Zone in 1923, as reported by VDC in 2020.

Of the remaining Vermont recipients, time slowly washes away their heroic feats from memory from the public consciousness.  In 1991 President George Bush signed into public law to establish 25 March as Medal of Honor Day.  On 25 March 1863 when the first Medal of Honor was awarded, the date of 25 March is to remind us of the importance of the valor, bravery, and unshakable courage displayed while in harm’s way at the risk of the recipient’s life.

Over 40 million men and women have served in the US military, just over 3500 have been awarded the Medal of Honor. 

The Vermont Historical Society, according to its website, has four of these medals in our collection:

Sergeant Robert J. Coffey of Montpelier, a member of the 4th Vermont Volunteers. He was awarded the medal on May 13th, 1892 for his actions at Bank’s Ford in Virginia on May 4th, 1863. There, he “singlehandedly captured two officers and five privates of the 8th Louisiana Regiment.” View the collection record for this item here.

Colonel Wheelock G. Veazey from Springfield, of the 16th Vermont Infantry. He was awarded the medal on September 8th, 1891, for his actions during the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania on July 3rd, 1863. During the infamous Pickett’s Charge, he “rapidly assembled his regiment and charged the enemy’s flank; charged front under heavy fire, and charged and destroyed a Confederate brigade, all this with new troops in their first battle.” View the collection record for this item here.

1st Lt. George E. Davis of Burlington. A member of the 10th Vermont Infantry, he was awarded the medal in 1892 for his actions at Battle of Monocacy in Frederick County, Maryland on July 9, 1864, in which he commanded a small force of soldiers protecting a pair of bridges while they withstood a number of Confederate attacks, delaying General Jubal Early’s advance on Washington. Here’s his full citation on the Medal of Honor website. View the collection record for this item here.

Colonel Stephen Thomas of the 8th Vermont Regiment from West Fairlee. He was awarded the medal on July 25th, 1892 for his actions at the Battle of Cedar Creek, in Virginia on October 19th, 1864, where he fought in a hand-to-hand encounter “in which the advance of the enemy was checked.” Read more about Thomas here.

I encourage you to visit the website to learn more about those fellow veterans and Vermonters and give a moment of pause to honor their service to our State and country.

Information on the Medal of Honor and its history and recipients visit the following websites:

https://www.cmohs.org; and at https://vermonthistory.org/medal-of-honor-civil-war-military-vermont-history

Every day, America’s service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice. 

On the 25^th of March at about 10 AM there will be a Legislature resolution to honor the Vermont Medal of Honor recipients.  All veterans able to attend this reading are encouraged to attend at the State House in Montpelier.