Congress Moves to Rescind 20 Medals of Honor Linked to 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre

This bill, officially titled the “Remove the Stain Act,” is straightforward: it revokes the 20 Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers of the 7th Cavalry for their actions during the Wounded Knee Massacre on December 29, 1890. The legislation clearly states that allowing these medals to stand damages the integrity of the nation’s highest military award, especially given that the event resulted in the deaths of hundreds of mostly unarmed Lakota men, women, and children. Crucially, the bill requires the relevant military secretaries to erase these names from the official Medal of Honor Roll (kept under section 1134a of title 10, U.S. Code).

Correcting the Historical Record

Congress is pretty blunt about the historical context here. The findings section of the bill details how the U.S. troops, armed with Hotchkiss cannons, engaged a largely unarmed tribal community, resulting in an estimated 350 to 375 Lakota casualties. It even notes that nearly two-thirds of those killed were unarmed women and children. The bill explicitly acknowledges that this event was an atrocity, not an act of valor worthy of the Medal of Honor. This is a direct response to long-standing requests from tribal nations, including a 2001 resolution from the Cheyenne River Sioux, asking the federal government to revoke the awards.

What Happens to the Medals and Benefits?

So, what does this mean for the people who received the medals? The bill makes two important distinctions. First, while the official recognition is rescinded, the physical medals themselves do not have to be returned to the government (SEC. 3). Second, and perhaps more practical, this action will not cause anyone to lose any other federal benefits they might be receiving. If any recipient or their estate was receiving special benefits tied to the Medal of Honor, those benefits are protected and continue. This means the bill focuses purely on symbolic and historical correction without imposing financial penalties on the recipients’ descendants.

The Impact on Everyday Life

While this bill doesn't directly affect your paycheck or your commute, it matters because it’s about the integrity of the symbols we hold up. The Medal of Honor is supposed to represent the absolute peak of American military heroism. When that honor is tied to a historical massacre—one where even the official reports noted soldiers were firing on each other due to poor positioning—it cheapens the award for everyone who earned it through genuine valor. For the Native American community, especially the Lakota, this bill represents a significant, long-overdue step toward historical reconciliation, validating their decades-long fight to correct the historical record. It’s Congress saying, “We read the fine print of history, and this doesn’t meet the standard.”