Strange question I know, but I recently finished reading a book on the Falklands War where the admiration of British soldiers for an unidentified Argentinian combatant is expressed. Said soldier was killed during the battle. I was wondering if it was ever the case where a combatant went unrecognised by their own side but was honoured by their opponents? For example their own side didn’t give them a medal but the other side did?
Sure:
Other than the awards to unknown soldiers of World War I, the Medal of Honor, the highest United States valor decoration, has not been awarded to a non-U.S. recipient. The highest valor decoration which non-U.S. individuals may receive is the service crosses of the services – the Army Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, and the Air Force Cross. To date, only one award of the Air Force Cross have been made to a non-U.S. individual, Garry Gordon Cooper. The Army has awarded 440 Distinguished Service Crosses to non-U.S. individuals, with most of these having come in World War I (154) and World War II (258). The Navy and Marine Corps have awarded 124 Navy Crosses to non-U.S. individuals, again with most of these having come in World War I (100) and World War II (19). SOURCE
Another example (France awarding medals):
Doubtless there are other examples.
Thank you, I meant awarded to those who were active enemy combatants though, for example if the UK gave an award to the Argentine soldier who held up their troops single-handedly for so long.
Kind of, “Well if you won’t recognise him then we will!”, sort of thing.
Surely an American wouldn’t qualify as an ENEMY combatant?
I misunderstood what was being asked.
I can’t imagine that ever happening and cannot find any examples but who knows? It’s a big world.
I think that would be “political suicide” sort of thing.
Maybe it could happen if the “enemy combatant” was a traitor to his people, and switched sides, and his now country thanked him?
I think it would more likely be recognised by the “honours of war” - allowing enemy combatants to surrender, keep their sidearms and uniforms, and be saluted. Happened with some of the Confederate surrenders at the end of the US Civil War, for example.
IIRC Genghis Khan would sometimes recruit enemy soldiers into his army. He recognized talent when he saw it and was known for promoting based on ability and not social standing. I believe he did this with a few enemies he defeated. Basically said you rock, how about joining the winning team? And some did.
Not a medal as such but still…
Probably better than the alternative …
Eddie Chapman, a British spy who tricked the Nazis. They thought he was working for them, but he was giving them false information. They gave him an Iron Cross.
Maybe not exactly a ‘combatant’ but I think it counts.
Not quite what you were asking for, but how about a town honoring a Japanese pilot for bombing them?
Though technically they would though wouldn’t they? During WW2 the officially recognized French government was was the Vichy regime, whose forces fought alongside the Nazis (in many places in Africa they fought the US and the western allies)
So when US troops received medals for their service from the French after the war, they were technically enemy combatants (I don’t know if any of the actual troops who fought the Vichy French later received medals from the French)
There are at least 3 Australian memorials for Japanese deaths in WWII. They are in Darwin, Cowra and on Christmas Island.
I mean, many of us live in a country still riddled with statues and schools named after Confederates. Perhaps not a medal per se, but the US has a long history of honoring traitors to the US.
Not quite the same as a medal, but there’s one German and two Italian POWs from WW2 buried at Arlington National Cemetery (they died while in custody).
Oskar Schindler is buried on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The only member of the Nazi party to be buried there.
Not a medal but certainly an honor bestowed by Israel.
This comes pretty close. The US Army erected a memorial to German Lt Freidrich Lengfeld who died attempting to rescue an American trapped in a mine field.
Related: During World War II, 3 British Commonwealth personnel received (posthumous, post-war) Victoria crosses based on recommendations from the Germans who fought them:
- Sergeant Thomas Frank Durrant
- Flying Officer Lloyd Allan Trigg
- Lieutenant-Commander Gerard Broadmead Roope
The enemy deserves an award – from their own side!