83 A Reward for Heroism

When soldiers distinguish themselves for bravery in a combat situation, they may be awarded the Medal of Honor. Bestowed by the President and Congress, the Medal of Honor is the highest military award the country can give. Only about 3,400 soldiers have received it.

The Medal of Honor was first presented by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. At that time it was given to a whole regiment of soldiers—over eight hundred in all. The purpose was not really to honor the soldiers, however; it was more a way to keep them on duty! In 1916, Congress changed the function of the medal to be a reward for heroism. The earlier medals were taken back. Since then medals have been awarded in every war except the Persian Gulf War. The most recent recipients were two army sergeants who fought and were killed in Somalia. They received their medals posthumously.

Here are some of the deeds for which the medal has been awarded. A soldier in World War II killed eleven Germans and captured over thirty others—all in a single battle. One who was captured during the Vietnam War wounded and almost killed himself rather than betray information about his troops. A soldier in Korea led a charge up an enemy hill while being shot at. Some soldiers have thrown themselves on hand grenades in order to protect their fellow soldiers. Others have performed daring feats of rescue.

Once a year, the living medal winners meet at a formal reunion. They feel that the medal binds them together like members of a (very heroic) family.

83 英雄主义的奖赏

当士兵在战斗中因英勇表现而脱颖而出时，他们可能会被授予荣誉勋章。荣誉勋章由总统和国会颁发，是这个国家能授予的最高军事奖项。只有约3400名士兵获得过它。

荣誉勋章最初是由亚伯拉罕·林肯总统在南北战争期间颁发的。当时它被授予了整整一个团的士兵——总共超过八百人。不过，其目的并不是真的为了表彰这些士兵，更多是为了让他们继续执勤！1916年，国会将这枚勋章的功能改为表彰英雄主义的奖赏。早期颁发的勋章被收回了。从那以后，除了海湾战争外，每一场战争中都有人被授予这枚勋章。最近的获奖者是两名在索马里作战并牺牲的陆军中士，他们是在死后被授予勋章的。

以下是一些获得这枚勋章的事迹：一名二战士兵在一场战斗中杀死了11名德国人，俘虏了30多名敌人；一名在越南战争中被俘的士兵宁愿弄伤甚至差点杀死自己，也不愿泄露部队的信息；一名朝鲜战争中的士兵在遭到射击时，带领部队冲锋攻占了敌人的山头；有些士兵为了保护战友而扑到手榴弹上；还有些士兵完成了大胆的救援壮举。

每年一次，在世的勋章获得者会参加一场正式的团聚活动。他们觉得这枚勋章把他们像（非常英勇的）家庭成员一样联系在一起。