- The Medal of Honor is rarely awarded — even rarer still is it awarded to a father and his son.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
At only two times in American history have father-son pairs both earned Medals of Honor.
One pair was based in the Civil War and then World War II combat, and the other pair in the Spanish-American War and World War I combat.
All four would make their last names famous for generations to come.
Arthur MacArthur receives the medal for actions in 1863.
First Lt. Arthur MacArthur was only 18 and an adjutant in the 24th Wisconsin Infantry when the regiment was arrayed against stiff defenses on Missionary Ridge in Tennessee near the border with Georgia. The Confederates had used this position to harass and attack Union forces for some time, and it was the last great barrier to the invasion of Georgia.
But the Confederate forces had a line of rifle pits at the base of ridge and trenches and other defenses at the top. The Union attack was ordered against the ridge, and confused orders led to a successful melee in the pits, but then a sporadic and faltering attack up toward the trenches.
He was wounded twice while rushing the colors up the hill, but he still planted the flag and then fought to defend it, effectively leading an attack that took the ridge as well as the land 2.5 miles past it in a single day. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, promoted to major, and later took command of the regiment.
Douglas MacArthur defends the Philippines until all is lost.
Arthur would retire as a lieutenant general, but one of his sons would eclipse him in valor awards and rank. Douglas MacArthur was already a full general, and the recipient of seven Silver Stars and three Distinguished Service Crosses when Japan invaded the Philippines in December 1941.
It was quickly apparent that Japan would have the upper hand, but Douglas was at least as tenacious as his father. He had his men establish defensive line after defensive line, conducting a controlled withdrawal that soaked the ground in blood for every inch they gave up.
Eventually, he was forced to withdraw to the Bataan Peninsula, allowing his men to defend themselves in more mountainous terrain, but also cutting off further escape and giving up the cities.
This whole time, Gen. MacArthur was often at the front, often under enemy fire. But his calmness under fierce attacks helped his men keep their cool in their desperate defense.
It was only after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was forced to order the general off of the islands on February 22, 1942, to prevent his capture that Douglas withdraw. And he did so with a promise to return. He would receive the Medal of Honor in April for his tenacity, but his men would suffer a death march.
Teddy Roosevelt leads the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt campaigned hard for war with Spain, and when the US declared that war in April 1898, he wasn't about to leave the fighting to everyone else.
But, he knew the war might be short and that he was not yet ready to command a regiment. So he agitated for the creation of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, but he used his connections to be the second-ranking officer, not the commander.
He got his wish and was brought into the Volunteer Army as a lieutenant colonel and sent to Cuba, but only 8 of the 12 companies were able to get space on the ships, and none of their horses were brought over.
Still, they performed well and, on July 1, 1898, were sent against the defenses on San Juan Hill at Santiago de Cuba. By this point, Roosevelt had been promoted to commander.
The attack plan said they must move slow, but the unit was coming under heavy fire, and Roosevelt felt the battle would be lost to attrition before it could take the heights. So he rushed his men forward in a series of bursts despite the fierce defense, and they succeeded. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for these actions in 2001.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider