3 Dentists Who Received the Medal of Honor
By Kayla Lass, Intern – Archives & Historical Collections, Congressional Medal of Honor Society Each Medal of Honor recipient comes with a unique background and story; some situations among these […]
January 2025 saw the addition of 9 Medal of Honor awards to the official Medal of Honor Roll. On January 3, President Joseph R. Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to seven veterans from the Korean and Vietnam Wars: Richard E. Cavazos, Charles R. Johnson, Fred B. McGee, Wataru Nakamura, Bruno R. Orig, Kenneth J. David, and Hugh R. Nelson, Jr.
Now the U.S. Army has added two more: Privates William Simon Harris and James W. McIntyre for actions during the Philippine Insurrection in 1899.
In 1906, Privates Harris and McIntyre were authorized the Medal of Honor by President Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., for actions San Miguel de Mayumo, Luzon, Philippines. The U.S. Army presented their Medals to their descendants on January 16, 2025, nearly 120 years after their approval.
Harris and McIntyre were part of a 150-yard charge on May 13, 1899, that resulted in the routing of 300 of the enemy. Ten other Cavalry Soldiers who participated in the charge received the Medal of Honor in 1906. Harris and McIntyre were approved alongside them, but somehow, due to clerical error, the Medals were not presented to the two soldiers. The Army has now corrected that error.
William Simon Harris was born in Casey County, Illinois, in 1873, and served several enlistments in the U.S. Army under the name “Simon Harris.” He served in both the Philippine Insurrection and the Spanish-American War. At the time of the 1899 Cavalry charge, he was a member of Troop G, 4th U.S. Cavalry. He later settled in Indiana and died in Kokomo on January 22, 1963. He is buried there in Memorial Park Cemetery. His Medal of Honor was transferred from U.S. Army custody in a ceremony by Indiana Governor Mike Braun on January 28, 2025.
James W. McIntyre was born in Dassel, Minnesota, in 1875. He was a member of Company B, 1st North Dakota Infantry Volunteers during the charge at San Miguel de Mayumo. Following the war, he lived in Columbus, New Mexico. He met an untimely fate when he was murdered while driving through Chihuahua, Mexico, on May 26, 1930. His remains were found several days later separated from his vehicle, which had been stripped of the battery and headlights 16 miles from the main road. He was buried where he was found. He left behind a daughter in Wyoming.
As of January 29, 2025, these awards bring the number of Medal of Honor Recipients to 3,528. There are 61 Medal of Honor Recipients alive today.
About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor, inspiring America to live the values the Medal represents, and supporting Recipients of the Medal as they connect with communities across America.
Chartered by Congress in 1958, its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. There are fewer than 70 living Recipients.
The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education and preservation programs, including the Medal of Honor Museum, Medal of Honor Outreach Programs, the Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and the Medal of Honor Citizen Honors Awards for Valor and Service. The Society’s programs and operations are funded by donations.
As part of Public Law 106-83, the Medal of the Honor Memorial Act, the Medal of Honor Museum, which is co-located with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s headquarters on board the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was designated as one of three national Medal of Honor sites.
Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s initiatives at cmohs.org