Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has directed the Defense Department to review the Medals of Honor awarded to approximately 20 soldiers for their actions during the December 1890 engagement at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. The purpose of this review is to ensure that no awardees were recognized for conduct inconsistent with the nation’s highest military honor. The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness will convene a special review panel to conduct individualized assessments based on the standards in effect during that time period.
The scope of the panel’s review is limited to examining the individual actions of each Medal of Honor awardee during the engagement at Wounded Knee Creek. However, the panel may also consider the context of the overall engagement as necessary to understand each recipient’s individual actions. The review was initiated following department consultation with the White House and the Department of the Interior. The goal of the review is to ensure that each medal is rigorously examined to understand the actions of the individual in the context of the overall engagement.
The panel will provide Secretary Austin with a recommendation to either retain or rescind each Medal of Honor awarded for actions related to the Wounded Knee engagement. This engagement resulted in the death and injury of approximately 350 to 375 Native American men, women, and children. A 1990 Senate resolution referred to the engagement as a massacre and expressed deep regret on behalf of the United States to the descendants of the victims and survivors. The panel will include at least five experts, including two from the Department of the Interior, and will provide a written report of findings and recommendations by mid-October.
The review of the Medals of Honor awarded for actions at Wounded Knee Creek will be conducted in accordance with the standards in place at the time of the engagement. The panel will also consider relevant laws and regulations, such as those relating to fundamental protections for noncombatants. This review is not retrospective but rather an effort to ensure that the appropriate standards are applied in evaluating the actions of the awardees. The secretary of the Army will provide historical records for the review, including award recommendations, personnel files, Army reports, and other historical documents related to the engagement. Defense officials noted that the department regularly reviews awards for upgrades and that previous reviews have led to the rescission of Medals of Honor.
