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Medal Of Honor Flag (U.S.)

image by Miles Li, 27 February 2005		image located by Esteban Rivera, 27 December 2007 source: wikimedia.org

Description
Variant with text

See also:

U.S. Military Flags
United States of America

External sites:
The Institute of Heraldry
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor

Flag Description

On Wikipedia's page on the Medal of Honor en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor is a mention of a Medal of Honor Flag: "Those awarded the Medal after October 23, 2002 also receive a Medal of Honor Flag (14 USC 505)."

After doing some research, I can tell you that the Medal of Honor Flag was conceived by Bill Kendall of Jefferson, Iowa, in honor of fellow Jeffersonian and Medal of Honor recipient Darrell Lindsey, who made the supreme sacrifice in 1944. The Medal of Honor Flag, and the awarding of it to future Medal of Honor recipients, has been approved by both houses of the Congress, and then by President George W. Bush on October 23, 2002.

It seems that this Medal of Honor Flag is beginning to gain popularity throughout the USA as a way to commemorate the valor of its service personnel. The flag is in sky blue, with 13 white five-pointed stars, arranged as on the current ribbon of the Medal of Honor. There is no set proportions for this flag.
Miles Li, 27 February 2005

From Army News Service:
"The flag consists of a field of blue, with 13 stars arranged in the same formation that the stars appear on the Medal of Honor ribbon. It is fringed with gold.

The design was the brainchild of Sarah LeClerc of the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry. A panel of eight members made of representatives from each Service (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard), one Office of Secretary Defense staff, one historian and one representative from the Medal of Honor Society was formed to review and evaluate all designs submitted and make a final recommendation to the Principal Deputy to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

LeClerc said her initial design also contained a canton, similar to the canton containing the stars on the U.S. national flag. On her original design, the canton of red and white stripes, contained the word "valor" as it appears on the Medal of Honor. The committee asked if the canton could be removed."
Valentin Poposki, 31 March 2008

'On October 23, 2003, Pub.L.107-248 was enacted, modifying 36 USC Para 903 authorizing a Medal of Honor flag to be presented to recipients of the decoration. The flag was based on a concept by retired Army Special Forces 1SG Bill Kendall of Jefferson, Iowa, who designed a flag to honor Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Darrell Lindsey, a B-26 pilot killed in World War II who was also from Jefferson. Kendall's design of a light blue field emblazoned with thirteen white five-pointed stars was nearly identical to that of Sarah LeClerc of the Institute of Heraldry. LeClerc's design, ultimately accepted as the official flag, does not include the words "Medal of Honor" and is fringed in gold. The color of the field and the 13 white stars, arranged in the form of a three-bar chevron, consisting of two chevrons of five stars and one chevron of three stsrs, replicate the Medal of Honor ribbon. The flag has no set dimensions.

The first medal of Honor recipient to receive the official flag was Paul R. Smith. The flag was cased and presented to his family along with his medal.

A special Medal of Honor Flag presentation ceremony was held for over 60 living Medal of Honor recipients on board the USS Constitution on September 30, 2006.

source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor
Ron Lahav, 5 January 2009

The official flag has no inscription. It is detailed on page 39 of this document: https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN37954-AR_840-10-000-WEB-1.pdf
Dave Fowler, 9 July 2024

Variant with text

image located by Esteban Rivera, 9 July 2024
Source: https://www.carrot-top.com, also seen on photo from https://www.linkedin.com

There is a variant (probably unsanctioned/unofficial) that includes text inscriptions on it, with the wording "MEDAL OF HONOR" on top and "RECIPIENT" on bottom, both in white capitals.

At least two known manufacturers have been identified but no official regulation has been located yet which indicates it is not an official version and it is used for gravemarkers basically.

image located by Esteban Rivera, 9 July 2024

Additionally, there's another flag in existence this time in bigger format but fielding a different design, with an octagon in white outline containing the stars and the inscription "MEDAL OF HONOR" above in a white borderline rectangle.
Source: https://www.worthpoint.com
Esteban Rivera, 9 July 2024