On March 25th, we commemorate National Medal of Honor Day, providing an opportunity to explore the stories of the fifteen Virginians who were honored with the Medal of Honor during World War II. The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest and most prestigious military decoration for valor in action, bestowed upon service members who demonstrate “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”
In the Revolutionary War, General George Washington recognized three officers with the Badge of Military Merit for their bravery in battle. Though it largely faded from memory, this badge is acknowledged as America’s first military decoration, later evolving into the Purple Heart and helping inspire the creation of the Medal of Honor.
The Medal of Honor originated as a Civil War Navy Decoration in 1861, officially established during the American Civil War. Congress elevated it to a permanent military decoration in 1863. While the criteria for the award have evolved since its inception, its fundamental purpose remains recognizing extraordinary military actions that surpass the normal scope of duty. Since the Civil War, more than 40 million individuals have served in the United States armed forces, yet only 3,530 have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
5 Medal of Honor Facts
- Nineteen people have received the Medal of Honor twice.
- A Coast Guard Medal of Honor was established in 1963 but has never been designed or awarded.
- There have been 87 African-American recipients, 41 Hispanic-American recipients, 22 Native-American recipients, 22 Asian-American recipients, and one female recipient.
- The Medal of Honor is the only US military award worn around the neck rather than pinned on the uniform.
- As of January 2024, there are 63 living recipients of the Medal of Honor
Currently, there are three types of Medals of Honor a service member can receive: Army, Navy, and Air Force. Individuals in the Marines and Coast Guard receive a Navy Medal of Honor as they are under the Department of the Navy. Air Force Medals of Honor were not given out until 1956, so individuals who fought in branches like the US Army Air Force prior to the creation of the Air Force received the Army Medal of Honor. This includes the WWII Virginia veterans Demas Thurlow Craw, Joseph Raymond Sarnoski, and Raymond Harrell Wilkins.
Below is the list of all fifteen of the WWII Medal of Honor recipients, including the official citation of the action in combat that led to the prestigious decoration. Eight of these fifteen Medal of Honor recipients from Virginia received the medal posthumously: after they died or were killed in action, usually during the act of valor in combat that led to the Medal of Honor being awarded. These medals were received by a family member, most often by a mother or wife. Seven of the Virginia WWII Medal of Honor recipients were able to accept their medals in person, some even awarded by President Roosevelt and President Truman.
Survived: Ernest Herbert Dervishian, Desmond Thomas Doss, Robert B. Nett, John Lucian Smith, Junior James Spurrier, George Levick Street III, Alexander Archer Vandegrift Sr.
Posthumously awarded: Lewis Kenneth Bausell, Demas Tharlow Craw, Archer T. Gammon, Jimmie Watters Monteith Jr., Frank D. Peregory, Milton Ernest Ricketts, Joseph Raymond Sarnoski, Raymond Harrell Wilkins
Explore the stories of these courageous Virginians by clicking on their pictures.

Dervishian, a graduate of John Marshall High School, the University of Richmond, and TC Williams School of Law, enlisted in the Army in 1941. He earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for his courageous actions in Anzio, Italy, where he neutralized three machine-gun nests and captured forty Germans single-handedly.
On February 1, 1945, the City of Richmond celebrated “Dervishian Day” in his honor, with the city government, schools, and many businesses closing early. The event included a ceremony attended by the governor and other dignitaries, as well as a parade that drew a reported 30,000 spectators. Governor Colgate W. Darden Jr. remarked, “Honor has come to a humble citizen and that citizen is still humble.”
As the son of Armenian immigrants, Richmond’s Armenian population presented Dervishian with a plaque of David of Sassoun – a symbol of heroic tradition. Additionally, he served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Richmond from July 1947 to December 1959.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Doss, employed at Newport News Naval shipyard during the Pearl Harbor attack, opted not to seek military deferment. He enlisted in the Army on April 1, 1942, driven by a sense of duty to his country. “I felt like it was an honor to serve my country according to the dictates of my conscience,” he affirmed.
Assigned as a combat medic, Doss adhered to his religious convictions by refusing to carry a weapon. Initially met with skepticism and ridicule from fellow soldiers, his bravery and numerous lives saved in hostile war zones earned him respect and admiration. Doss, the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor, was personally awarded the medal by President Harry S. Truman at the White House while he held the rank of Private First Class. During the ceremony, President Truman remarked, “I’m proud of you, you really deserve this. I consider this a greater honor than being president.” Several films have been made about Doss’s war experience, including the 2016 Oscar-winning film Hacksaw Ridge, starring Andrew Garfield, and The Conscientious Objector, directed by Terry Benedict.
For more information, see our previous blog post: “The Conscientious Objector: Desmond T. Doss.”
Medal of Honor Citation
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During the Battle of Leyte, Nett displayed remarkable bravery by single-handedly eliminating seven enemy soldiers who posed a threat to his company. Despite enduring mortar fire for two days, he steadfastly held his position. His wife, Frances Kabler Nett of Lynchburg, also served in World War II in the Army Nurse Corps. They met while both being stationed in the Philippines. Nett continued his military service after World War II, also serving in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Smith’s squadron, Marine Fighting Squadron 223, was credited with destroying eighty-three enemy planes in just three weeks. Smith himself is recognized for downing nineteen enemy aircraft near Guadalcanal, earning him the title of “ace” within his unit. Despite his accolades, Smith remained humble, stating, “I haven’t done anything more than others have done and are doing every day.” Smith’s remarkable achievements landed him on the cover of Life magazine on December 7, 1942. The 1951 film Flying Leathernecks, featuring John Wayne, is loosely inspired by Smith’s experiences.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented Smith with the Congressional Medal of Honor at the White House. Among his other military honors are the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medals, and the Distinguished Service Order from King George VI. Continuing his military service, Smith also served in the Korean War and was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Spurrier is credited with single-handedly killing twenty-five Germans and capturing twenty others in the town of Achain, France. Spurrier also received the following medals: Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star Medal, and Purple Heart, and several foreign medals including the French and Belgian Croix de Guerre.
Following his discharge after the war, Spurrier reenlisted in the Army in 1947 as a recruiter. He then transitioned to assisting veterans’ rehabilitation through his work with the Veterans of Foreign Affairs. Spurrier stated, “Most GI’s returning from the army—particularly those who entered the service fresh from school—don’t have any idea about how to look for a job, have no established credit and are bewildered by many aspects of the civilian life they left years ago.”
Medal of Honor Citation
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Street attended St. Christopher’s School in Richmond and graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1937. During the USS Tirante’s first war patrol, Lieutenant Commander Street made a bold decision to maneuver the submarine into enemy territory, where he successfully torpedoed a Japanese ammunition ship before slipping away undetected.
President Harry S. Truman presented the Congressional Medal of Honor to Street at the White House.
Street emphasized that the Medal of Honor belonged not just to him but to all the men and officers aboard the ship who were involved in the action. He also acknowledged the sacrifices made by other submarines in Squadron 6, where half of the original squadron members did not return.
A parade held on October 22, 1945, in Richmond honored Street and celebrated his Medal of Honor, drawing an estimated 50,000 attendees. Street became the third serviceman from Richmond to receive the Medal of Honor, following Ernest Herbert Dervishian and posthumously Jimmie Watters Monteith Jr. Dervishian and Monteith’s family members attended the luncheon held for Street.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Vandegrift, a graduate of Charlottesville High School, attended the University of Virginia from 1906 to 1908. He commanded the first major US offensive in the Pacific during the Solomon Islands campaign, which lasted four months and earned him the Medal of Honor citation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented Vandegrift with the Medal of Honor at the White House.
Continuing his military career after World War II, Vandegrift rose to become the first four-star general in the US Marine Corps. He served as Commandant of the Marine Corps, the highest-ranking officer, from 1944 to 1947. Vandegrift’s military service spanned four decades, including involvement in World War I, the Banana Wars, and the Chinese Civil War. He is interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
Act of Valor/Medal of Honor Citation
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Bausell enlisted in the US Marine Corp following the attack on Pearl Harbor. When a grenade was thrown into the middle of his squad, he threw himself on the missile, sacrificing his own life to protect his men.
His parents were notified of the award from another World War II Virginia Medal of Honor recipient, Marine Corp Commandant Alexander Vandegrift, writing, “I take pride in informing you that the President of the United States has posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to your son, the late Corpl. Lewis K. Bausell, USMC for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty during action against Japanese forces on Peleliu Island, Palau Group September 15, 1944. I tender again my sympathy and condolence in your bereavement and also assure you that the entire service shares your pride in the heroic conduct of your son.”
Bausell posthumously received the Medal of Honor; it was presented to his mother, Margaret Lewis Baugh Bausell. A US Navy destroyer was named USS Bausell and christened by his mother in 1945, and the Pulaski County Middle School entrance was renamed Medal of Honor Way in honor of Bausell in 2022.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Craw volunteered for a Peace Mission to negotiate with the French Commander in Morocco, aiming to prevent further bloodshed. Tragically, during his second attempt to secure a ceasefire, he was killed by hidden machine gun fire. General George Smith Patton Jr. lauded his death as an act of “superlative heroism.” Craw was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, which was presented to his wife, Mary V. Craw, and their 6-year-old son, Nicholas Wesson Craw, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Peregory was a member of the Monticello Guard, which was called into Federal service as part of the 116th Infantry Regiment, Virginia National Guard. Peregory had previously been honored with the Soldier’s Medal for saving a fellow solider from drowning under a frozen surface of a deep canal. Just two days after participating in D-Day, Peregory single-handedly captured an enemy position that had stalled his battalion’s advance. The Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously and presented to his wife, Bessie Kirby Peregory, at the Charlottesville armory.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Gammon grew up in a large family of fifteen children, with his brothers Robert serving in the Army, James in the Coast Guard, and Walter in the Navy, alongside his sister Mildred Rogers, who also served in the Navy during World War II. During the Battle for Bastogne, Belgium, Gammon displayed remarkable courage by single-handedly eliminating nine German soldiers and forcing Tiger Royal tanks to retreat, for which he was honored.
Gammon was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, which was presented to his parents, Walter and Cordie S. Gammon. In 1947, an Army transportation ship was named USAT Sgt. Archer T. Gammon in his honor.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Monteith graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond in 1937 and attended Virginia Tech from 1937 to 1939 before enlisting in the Army. During the Normandy Beach landings on D-Day, Monteith displayed extraordinary bravery, repeatedly risking his life to lead his men through minefields and enemy fire, fortifying their defenses. Tragically, he made the ultimate sacrifice on that fateful day. He is interred at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. Posthumously, Monteith was awarded the Medal of Honor, which was presented to his mother, Caroline Lewis Weaver Monteith.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Ricketts graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1935.
During the Battle of the Coral Sea, Ricketts, serving as lieutenant aboard the USS Yorktown, led an engineering repair party. When a bomb exploded, causing casualties among his men, Ricketts was severely wounded. Despite his injuries, he bravely managed to open a water valve, halting the spread of fire and saving numerous lives.
In honor of his bravery, a US Naval Destroyer ship was named after Ricketts and was christened by his widow, Betty Jane Ricketts, in 1943. She was also presented with Ricketts’ posthumously-awarded Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor Citation
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After graduating from high school in 1936, Sarnoski enlisted in the Army and served for six years at Langley Field, Virginia.
Sarnoski volunteered as a bombardier for a crucial photogenic mapping mission of the Solomon Islands. When enemy planes attacked near the mission’s completion, Sarnoski valiantly defended his aircraft. Despite being mortally wounded, he managed to shoot down two enemy planes, enabling the pilot to complete the mission.
Prior to receiving the posthumous Medal of Honor, Sarnoski was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, Silver Star, and Air Medal.
The Medal of Honor was posthumously presented to his wife, Marie Maddox Sarnoski, at the Richmond Army Air Base.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Wilkins began his aviation career at Langley Field, Virginia. During 22 months of overseas service, he logged 284 hours of combat flying across 87 missions. Prior to receiving the Medal of Honor, Wilkins had been awarded an Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Silver Star.
The War Department said Wilkins deliberately took position over enemy vessels exposing his plane to violent anti-aircraft fire. His self-sacrifice allowed other American planes to safely withdraw. The Medal of Honor was posthumously presented to his mother, Florida Vallier.
Medal of Honor Citation
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Information on all of the World War II Virginia Medal of Honor Winners can be found in The Virginia World War II History Commission Records, 1941-1950, Accession 27544 and are open to researchers.
If you are interested in World War II history, LVA has received a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant to digitize our 250,000 separation notices of WWII veterans. The Marines and Army Qualification forms are available for transcription at the links below. The information gathered from the transcriptions will provide insight to the military and civilian lives of veterans.