17 Most Decorated Soldiers In History
Throughout military history, certain individuals have distinguished themselves through acts of exceptional courage and heroism, earning them recognition through numerous medals and decorations. These warriors come from different eras, countries, and conflicts, but they share a common thread of extraordinary valor under the most challenging circumstances.
From the trenches of World War I to the jungles of Vietnam, these soldiers pushed beyond the call of duty when their comrades and countries needed them most. Here is a list of 17 of the most decorated soldiers in military history.
Audie Murphy
Audie Murphy stands as the most decorated soldier in U.S. history, receiving 24 medals from the Congressional Medal of Honor down. This Texas farm boy who was initially rejected by both the Army and Marine Corps for being too small went on to become a living legend.
Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated at age 19 for single-handedly holding off a company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, before leading a successful counterattack while wounded. He earned every available U.S. military combat award for valor, plus French and Belgian honors, and was officially credited with killing 241 enemy soldiers during his service.
Ernst Jünger
Ernst Jünger was a German author and highly decorated soldier who was awarded the Pour le Mérite, a rare decoration for one of his ranks during World War I. Born in 1895, Jünger served on the Western Front throughout the conflict as a company commander.
He was wounded 14 times during the war, including five bullet wounds, and earned the Golden Wound Badge. He was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, House Order of Hohenzollern and was the youngest ever recipient of the Pour le Mérite.
His memoir ‘Storm of Steel’ became one of the most famous accounts of trench warfare ever written.
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Daniel Daly
Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly was called the ‘fightenest Marine I ever knew’ by the famed Major General Smedley Butler. This New York-born Marine earned the Medal of Honor twice during his career, an extraordinarily rare achievement.
In addition to his Medals of Honor, Daly was also awarded the Navy Cross and Silver Star, as well as numerous foreign decorations. His most famous moment came at Belleau Wood in 1918 when he encouraged the Marine advance by yelling to his men, ‘Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?’
Adrian Carton de Wiart
Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart was a British Army officer who was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valour ‘in the face of the enemy’. This Belgian-Irish officer served in three major conflicts: the Boer War, World War I, and World War II. He was shot in the face, head, stomach, groin, ankle, leg, hip, and ear.
He was also blinded in his left eye, survived two plane crashes, tunneled out of a prisoner-of-war camp, and tore off his own severely injured fingers when a doctor declined to amputate them. Remarkably, he wrote about his World War I experiences: ‘Frankly, I had enjoyed the war.’
James Williams
Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class James Williams holds every level of valor award with a Medal of Honor, a Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, a Legion of Merit with Combat V, two Navy and Marine Corps Medals, three Bronze Stars with Combat V, and two Navy Commendation Medals with Combat V. During the Vietnam War, Williams commanded a river patrol boat when he took fire from enemy forces and was lured into an ambush.
He fought against overwhelming odds for three hours, leading a battle that saw 65 enemy ships destroyed by his crew and reinforcing helicopters.
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William Coltman
William Harold Coltman was the most decorated other rank of the First World War, but as a stretcher bearer won all his medals without firing a shot. Coltman heard from his retreating comrades that wounded men had been left behind, so he set out, alone, back along the valley in front of Mannequin Hill in search of those unfortunate soldiers.
His extraordinary courage in repeatedly venturing into no man’s land to rescue wounded soldiers earned him the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal with Bar, and Military Medal with Bar.
Tommy Macpherson
— Photo by Gilles_Paire
Colonel Tommy Macpherson was a highly decorated British Army officer who fought with the No. 11 Commando unit and French Resistance forces, becoming infamous among Axis forces as the ‘Kilted Killer’. Operating behind enemy lines in occupied France during World War II, he caused so much damage to enemy infrastructure that the Nazis placed a 300,000 franc bounty on his head.
Three times he received the Croix de Guerre, the Military Cross, and the Légion d’Honneur. His bold operations included negotiating the surrender of 23,000 Axis troops near the war’s end.
Edward Rickenbacker
When America entered World War I in 1917, race car driver Edward Rickenbacker volunteered for service and became an ‘Ace of Aces’ with 26 kills in only nine months. Starting as a staff driver, a chance meeting with aviation pioneer Colonel Billy Mitchell saw him reassigned to the new Army Air Corps.
He received the Medal of Honor and the French Croix de Guerre for single-handedly engaging a flight of seven German planes and downing two. His racing background gave him exceptional reflexes and fearlessness that served him well in aerial combat.
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George Mabry Jr.
Major General George L. Mabry Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor for his immense courage when he captured nine German soldiers and led his battalion to higher ground, where they were able to set up a defensive position and pin down the enemy. By the war’s end, Mabry had risen to lieutenant colonel and earned several more awards for combat valor, including a Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Order from the British government.
He continued his army career after World War II, eventually retiring as a major general in 1975.
Thomas Tackaberry
— Photo by Mehaniq
Thomas Tackaberry was awarded three Distinguished Service Crosses, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Soldier’s Medal, the Purple Heart, three Bronze Stars, three Legion of Merits, five Silver Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross and 52 Air Medals. His son, Brigadier General Burt Tackaberry, described him as humble about his achievements: ‘He never talked about his awards.
He was very humble. He knew what he achieved, but was very quiet about it. He was a soldier’s soldier.’
John Corley
— Photo by Mehaniq
Brigadier General John Corley was one of the most highly decorated officers to ever serve in the U.S. Army, personally chosen to command by General Douglas MacArthur. Serving in both World War II and the Korean War, Corley was known for continuously leading from the front lines, putting his life at risk to save those under his command.
He received two Distinguished Service Crosses, the Soldier’s Medal, the Purple Heart, two Combat Infantry Badges, two Legion of Merits, the Ranger tab, four Bronze Stars and eight Silver Stars.
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Jorge Otero-Barreto
Jorge A Otero Barreto was the most decorated soldier in Vietnam, and during his service earned the nickname ‘Puerto Rican Rambo’. This Puerto Rican soldier volunteered for five tours in Vietnam, during which he successfully completed 350 combat and aerial missions.
He was wounded five times during the war, and came home with more than 40 military honors, including three Silver Stars, five Purple Hearts, five Bronze Stars, five Air Medals and four Army Commendation Medals. His service was marked by both tremendous ferocity against the enemy and measured compassion for his platoon.
John Bulkeley
Vice Admiral John Bulkeley was one of the most highly decorated naval officers in U.S. history and one of the true heroes of World War II. Graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933, Bulkeley was already a seasoned sailor when World War II broke out.
His repeated acts of courage and leadership in some of the worst moments of the war, along with his service in the Korean War, earned him multiple distinctions, including the Medal of Honor for his actions commanding PT boats in the Philippines.
Bud Day
Brigadier General George Everette ‘Bud’ Day is considered to be the most decorated United States military officer since General Douglas MacArthur, born in humble beginnings in Sioux City, Iowa in 1925, Day would earn over 70 awards, decorations, and medals. Day served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, but he’s perhaps best known for his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for over five years.
During his captivity, he was tortured repeatedly but never broke, inspiring fellow prisoners and earning the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary resistance and leadership.
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Robert Howard
Colonel Robert Howard is often cited as America’s most decorated soldier of the Vietnam War, serving with the elite Studies and Observations Group. During his extensive service in Southeast Asia, Howard earned the Medal of Honor, eight Purple Hearts, four Bronze Stars, a Distinguished Service Cross, and numerous other decorations.
His missions behind enemy lines in Laos and Cambodia were among the most dangerous of the war, and his survival through multiple severe wounds earned him legendary status among Special Forces operators.
Frank Luke Jr.
Second Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr. was America’s second-highest scoring fighter ace in World War I, but his brief 18-day combat career was marked by extraordinary courage and skill. Flying over the Western Front, Luke specialized in attacking heavily defended German observation balloons, one of the most dangerous missions in aviation.
Before his death in September 1918, he was credited with 18 aerial victories and received the Medal of Honor posthumously. His aggressive tactics and lone-wolf fighting style made him a legend among Allied pilots.
Charles Upham
Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham was one of only three people to receive the Victoria Cross twice, the only actual fighting soldier to do so – the others were medics – and the only one in World War II. This New Zealand officer earned his first Victoria Cross during the Battle of Crete in 1941, where despite being wounded multiple times, he continued fighting and destroying enemy positions.
His second Victoria Cross came during the First Battle of El Alamein in 1942, where his leadership and courage under fire saved his company from annihilation.
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Their Enduring Legacy
These warriors represent the pinnacle of military courage across different eras and conflicts, yet their true measure extends far beyond the medals pinned to their chests. Their willingness to risk everything for their comrades and country created ripple effects that shaped the outcome of wars and inspired generations of soldiers who followed.
Whether charging machine gun nests, rescuing wounded comrades, or leading desperate counterattacks, these individuals demonstrated that human courage knows no bounds when faced with the ultimate test.
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