Medal of honour vs Victoria Cross?

Question

The two highest awards for bravery in the US and UK armed forces. But which would you regard as being the harder to obtain.

Answer 1

The Victoria Cross

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cross

Answer 2

The VC is less awarded, however, it is due to the fact the the UK has other high awards such as the George Cross and such as the MC and MM, DSC, etc.

The MOH was mostly a posthumous award, while the VC is not that in all eras.

The US Navy embraces the second highest award the "Navy Cross" while the Army never really honored the Distinguished Service Cross award as it should have.


174 Victoria Crosses awarded in all of World War II
464 Medals of Honor were awarded in all of World War II

407,300 US KIA WWII
382,600 UK KIA but add in the commonwealth
580,000 British Commonwealth (see below)

11,900 New Zealand
45,300 Canada
40,400 Australia
87,000 India

The American DSC was also often an "officers medal", but so is the UK's MC but the MC is specific for that.

So, all considered: the VC is slightly more "esteemed" or is it?

If it is the difference is almost subtle, neither is given out without a very rigid criteria applied.

The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghan show very few VC's and MOH's: most say it is just unfair to the soldiers.

Answer 3

If I was an American, of course I would rather have a Medal of Honour, because that is the highest honour that could be bestowed on me. However I am English, and the highest honour that can be bestowed on a British soldier is the Victoria Cross.Neither is easier to obtain than the other, the usual result of obtaining such an honour is death.Only a very very brave and honourable soldier will ever receive one of these awards. No matter which one a soldier receives, he will be the owner of the highest award in the world that a soldier can receive.

Answer 4

Probably 70% of the recipients of both of them got the award posthumously. I doubt that one would be any easier to win than the other. People don't try to win such an award, it happens when someone shows extreme bravery with the probability that they will die.

3462 Medals of Honour have been awarded since their inauguration in 1862 while 1356 VCs have been awarded since the first in 1857.

The Medal of Honour is open to soldiers etc of the USA while the VC was awarded to soldiers etc throughout the British Empire, now the Commonwealth.

Answer 5

That question will be a hard question to answer, considering the size of the two countries military's and the frequency of combat actions.

1,356 Victoria Cross's have been awarded.
3,462 Medal of Honor's have been awarded.

In campaigns where both Britain and the United States were involved:

WWI:
626 Victoria Cross's were awarded.
124 Medal of Honor's were awarded.

WW ll:
181 Victoria Cross's were awarded.
464 Medal of Honor's were awarded.

Korean War:
4 Victoria Cross's were awarded.
131 Medal of Honor's were awarded.

Vietnam:
4 Victoria Cross's were awarded.
245 Medal of Honor's were awarded.

Afghanistan:
1 Victoria Cross's were awarded.
No Medal of Honor's were awarded.

Iraq:
1 Victoria Cross's were awarded.
2 Medal of Honor's were awarded.

Falklands War : 2 Victoria Cross's were awarded.

Somalia: 2 Medal of Honor's were awarded.

Given that the majority of Medal of Honor's were awarded in two campaigns Britain was not involved in, the American Civil War( 1,522) and the American Indian Campaigns(426).

I'd say they are both equally hard to earn.

Answer 6

Both medals, the Victoria Cross and the Medal of Honor, are awarded for feats of extreme bravery in the face of the enemy on the field of battle. Both medals are of equal status.

Please note, you cannot 'win' the Victoria Cross or the Medal of Honor - both are 'awards' for bravery.

I think the applicable phrase is 'above and beyond the call of duty'.

Answer 7

this type of question can only be asked by a moron. A medal is awarded for Bravery, Valour and for selfless acts under fire. If someone is awarded either they have earned it and the deed worthy of that award. I don't care which one has in your eyes more value or appears to be "Harder" to obtain. Lets face it both involve the potential for massive Bodily harm. So well done to those who have been awarded either you have earned my utmost respect.

Answer 8

I believe the Highest medal for bravery in the American forces is the Purple Heart. I would also say they are both hard to obtain.

Answer 9

The highest is the highest regardless.
Kinda a moot question IMHO

All a person has to do is read the medal citations and it will become obvious that any of the recipients would have received the highest honor of what ever country they fought for.

Answer 10

The story of Desmond Thomas Doss---Doss enlisted in 1942 , a conscientious objector due to religious beliefs, he was a corpsman 307Th Infantry Regiment during the battle of Okinawa when Doss's unit was pinned down, Doss, unarmed, saved 75 of his wounded comrades by pulling them one by one to the edge of a cliff, he exposed himself to enemy fire 75 times. it took six years to heal from his wounds. This is what it takes to earn the Medal of Honor......I mention this to show people like "world's biggest st. helen's fan " that the Medal of Honor is earned. BTW, 6 Americans have been awarded the Victoria Cross( one refused it), no Englishman has been awarded the Medal of Honor......to all of you that answered in good faith, I apologize for the tone of my answer, no disrespect to the Victoria Cross or it's recipients, both medals are damn hard to get but it burns my *** when people disrespect the Medal of Honor as if it were given out just for being there.