Wounded Knee Soldiers to Retain Medals of Honor After Review
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed 20 soldiers awarded Medals of Honor for their 1890 Wounded Knee actions will retain them, following a review ordered by his predecessor.
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Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that 20 soldiers awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions at Wounded Knee in 1890 will retain their prestigious awards.
- This decision follows a review initiated by Hegseth's predecessor, Lloyd Austin, in 2024, prompted by a Congressional recommendation in the 2022 defense bill.
- Twenty soldiers from the 7th Cavalry Regiment received Medals of Honor for their actions during the 1890 Wounded Knee event and will now officially retain them.
- Historical records show the U.S. Army killed an estimated 250 Lakota Sioux, including women and children, at Wounded Knee, sparking debate over the awards' legitimacy.
- Congress apologized to descendants of those killed at Wounded Knee in 1990, but notably, did not revoke the soldiers' Medals of Honor at that time.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by emphasizing the historical context of Wounded Knee as a "bloody massacre" of Native Americans, including women and children. They connect Defense Secretary Hegseth's decision to a broader pattern of actions that "subverted" recommendations and restored elements like a monument with "sanitized depictions of slavery," portraying his move as part of a controversial historical revisionism agenda.
"Hegseth’s predecessor, Lloyd Austin, ordered the review of the awards in 2024 after a Congressional recommendation in the 2022 defense bill — itself a reflection of efforts by some lawmakers to rescind the awards for those who participated in the bloody massacre on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation near Wounded Knee Creek."
Associated PressArticles (3)
FAQ
The Wounded Knee Massacre occurred on December 29, 1890, when the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry surrounded a band of Lakota Sioux led by Chief Big Foot near Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. An attempt to disarm the Lakota led to gunfire, resulting in the deaths of approximately 150 to 300 Lakota men, women, and children, as well as 25 soldiers, marking a tragic end to Native American armed resistance on the northern Plains.
The Medals of Honor awarded to 20 soldiers from the 7th Cavalry for their actions at Wounded Knee have been controversial because the U.S. Army killed a large number of Lakota Sioux civilians, including women and children, during what is widely regarded as a massacre rather than a battle. This has sparked ongoing debate over the legitimacy and appropriateness of these awards.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the 20 soldiers awarded Medals of Honor for their actions at Wounded Knee in 1890 will retain their medals, following a review that was initiated by his predecessor, Lloyd Austin, in response to a Congressional recommendation.
Yes, in 1990, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution expressing "deep regret" for the massacre, officially apologizing to the descendants of those killed at Wounded Knee; however, this apology did not include revoking the Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers involved in the event.
Wounded Knee has become a powerful symbol of Native American suffering and resistance. It served as a rallying cry during the 1973 occupation of the site by the American Indian Movement, which sought to bring national attention to Native American rights and historical injustices, reinforcing Wounded Knee's role in ongoing struggles for recognition and justice.
History
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