Can a soldier refuse a decoration for valour? Has it ever occurred? A slightly odd question, but I was thinking of Corporal Willie Apiata, who won the Victoria Cross in Afghanistan: since then the poor bugger, who seems to be a genuinely modest and humble as well as an exceedingly brave man*, has been dragged the length and breadth of the country, photographed with every politician within cooee, and interviewed ad nauseam. I figure the poor sod wishes he’d never been given the damn VC in the first place, particularly given that he’s with the SAS, and then wondered if any soldier had ever refused a decoration.
*Unless he’s the reincarnation of Flashman, of course.
I specifically remember an encyclopedia yearbook from the early 50’s that referenced a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor award that was turned down by the recipient’s family for religious reasons. I couldn’t find any internet confirmation of that. Can anyone help me out?
One thing I did find out was that Smedley Butler, a famed Marine of the early 20th century, tried to return his Medal of Honor on the grounds his actions weren’t worthy enough. His offer was refused and the medal returned.
Though not an answer some soldiers value them very little after. You could look at Siegfried Sassoon who threw the ribbon from his Military Cross into the Mersey River as a protest against the carnage of the Great War.
Also George Throssell, a VC winner who was an active member of opposition to war. He committed suicide so his family could get a proper pension. I believe his VC was donated to a society against nuclear weapons.
No answer to your question, but I wonder if refusing the VC under those circumstances would make the unwanted publicity greater? He would then be an “exceedingly brave man who was so genuinely modest and humble that he refused the Victoria Cross”.
Found it! The case I mentioned above was Robert McGovern who was killed in Korea in 1951. When he was about to be given a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor in January 1952, his father Halsey said he would refuse to accept it. Halsey claimed it was mainly because he though out singling out individual soldiers was wrong because it ignored the heroism of those not given awards. He also claimed he didn’t like Pres. Truman’s “record” but wouldn’t explain why. Robert McGovern is still on the honor roll. His medal was placed in safekeeping in case his family reconsidered, but I don’t know if they ever did.
John Kerry threw away some of his decorations as a protest against the Viet Nam war (cite), although he later denied it and claimed them again during later political campaigns.
John Kerry and quite a few other Vietnam vets threw their medals on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in protest of the war, but that was well after being presented with them.
Just remembered that Theodore Roosevelt was offered a medal for heroism in Cuba during the Spanish-American War but turned it down. In 2001, after years of lobbying by T.R.'s descendants and then-Congressman Rick Lazio, President Clinton awarded him the Medal of Honor in his last days in office.
My uncle did that in Korea. He later regretted it.
The most decorated Marine in WWII, John Basilone, did not refuse his Medal of Honor. He was dragged across the country on War Bond tours and hated it. He tried to get sent back into the war for a while until the Marines gave in. He was killed at Iwo Jima.