The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas Athletics holds special tribute to Longhorn Medal of Honor recipients
11.06.2019 | Football
Three United States Army veterans were recognized on Thursday.
AUSTIN, Texas – As part of its Veterans Recognition/Salute to the Military game week, The University of Texas recognized three United States Army soldiers who were awarded the Medal of Honor with a special ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 3 p.m. CT. The event was held at the Frank Denius Veterans Memorial Plaza and also featured the annual laying of the wreath ceremony to honor all veterans. UT President Greg Fenves and Vice President & Director of Athletics Chris Del Conte performed the honors
This Saturday is Texas' annual Veterans Recognition Game. On game day, there will be a full slate of events, including the Golden Knights Parachute Team dropping into the stadium, a Navy F-18 flyover, recognitions during the game and General John Murray (commander of the newly created Futures Command) serving as Texas' honorary captain.
Vice Admiral Raquel Bono, a UT Letterwinner in swimming, will also be recognized as the Texas Lottery Honorary Veteran of the game.
The three Medal of Honor recipients who were honored on Thursday are Colonel Neel Kearby, Colonel John Morgan and First Lieutenant Russell Steindam.
Colonel Kearby was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, and completed his studies at The University of Texas in the early 1930's before joining the United States Army Air Corps as a flying cadet. He built a legacy as a skillful and courageous flying ace. During World War II, he pioneered air combat tactics for the P-47 Thunderbolt. In a ceremony at his headquarters, General Douglas MacArthur presented Col. Kearby with the Medal of Honor on Oct. 11, 1943. In addition to the Medal of Honor, Col. Kearby received two Silver Stars, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, five Air Medals and a Purple Heart. After the war, the Air Force remembered Col. Kearby by naming a missile facility at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls and the Officers Club at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio in his honor.
Colonel Morgan was born in Vernon, Texas, and learned to fly airfcraft while attending The University of Texas before dropping out of school in 1934 and later joining the U.S. Army Air Corps. Col. Morgan, on just his fifth U.S. mission, was co-pilot of a crew flying a B-17F to a target in Hanover, German, on July 28, 1943. It was for his participation in this mission that he received the Medal of Honor, which was awarded on Dec. 18, 1943. Morgan was promoted to second lieutenant in Nov. 1943. He remained on combat duty, flying in more than 25 missions. On March 6, 1944, Morgan was the pilot of a B-17 leading the first major USAAF attack against Berlin when he was shot down and captured, held in Stalag Luft I, Barth, German, for the remainder of the way. He is the only person to become a POW after being awarded the Medal of Honor. Morgan returned home after the war, and reapplied for combat duty at the outbreak of the Korean War. His request was denied by the Air Force, was allowed to fly cargo planes in the U.S. for two years.
First Lieutenant Steindam was born in Austin, Texas, and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer from The University of Texas in 1968. Steindam received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Tay Ninh Province of the Republic of Vietnam, where he covered an enemy-thrown grenade with his body, protecting his fellow soldiers at the expense of his own life. A part of 1st Lt. Steindam's official Medal of Honor citation states that "By his gallant action and self-sacrifice, he was able to save the lives of the nearby members of his command group. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by 1st Lt. Steindam were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army." He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on Dec. 16, 1971.
The Medal of Honor is the United States' highest and most prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognized U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. The medal is normally awarded by the President of the United States in the name of the U.S. Congress.
There are three versions of the medal, one each for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard receive the Navy version. The Medal of Honor was introduced for the Navy in 1861, soon followed by an Army version in 1862. The Medal of Honor is the oldest continuously issued combat decoration of the United States armed forces.
The President typically presents the Medal at a formal ceremony intended to represent the gratitude of the U.S. people, with posthumous presentations made to the primary next of kin. According to the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States, there have been 3,524 Medals of Honor awarded to 3,505 individuals since the decoration's creation, with over 40 percent awarded for actions during the American Civil War.
