Pentagon considers stripping 20 Medal of Honor recipients amid probe into Wounded Knee Massacre in which soldiers slaughtered Native American women and children

The Pentagon has launched a reappraisal that could spot 20 Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers successful nan Wounded Knee Massacre rescinded. 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered nan reappraisal into nan awards handed to those who participated successful nan 1890 conflict successful South Dakota.

Around 250 Native Americans, including women and children, were killed successful nan conflict and astatine slightest different 100 were wounded.

Medals of Honor were fixed to 20 soldiers from nan 7th Cavalry regiment for their actions on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation adjacent Wounded Knee Creek.

Their awards cited a scope of actions including bravery, efforts to rescue chap troops and actions to 'dislodge Sioux Indians' who were concealed successful a ravine.

Native American groups, advocates, authorities lawmakers from South Dakota and a number of Congress members person called for officials to revoke nan awards. 

Congress apologized successful 1990 to nan descendants of those killed astatine Wounded Knee but did not revoke nan medals contempt past deeming it a massacre. 

In a memo signed past week, Austin said nan sheet will reappraisal each grant 'to guarantee nary worker was recognized for behaviour that did not merit recognition'.

Those could see rape aliases execution of a captive aliases attacking a non-combatant aliases personification who had surrendered.

In a 2024 University of Oklahoma insubstantial by Dwight Mears, an Army seasoned and erstwhile professor astatine West Point, Mears said astir recipients grounded to meet nan requirements. 

Mears wrote successful his findings that 2 soldiers mightiness person their medals revoked because of their actions. 

While another, Private Matthew Hamilton was awarded nan badge for 'rounding up and bringing to nan skirmish statement a stampeded battalion mule'. 

Austin has directed nan sheet to coming him pinch recommendations by October 15 connected each badge that was awarded, according to USA Today. 

His bid is important successful portion owed to nan Medal of Honor becoming imbued complete nan years which borders connected a ineffable reverence. 

One charismatic told nan outlet: 'The Medal of grant is overmuch much than being successful combat and doing well.

'The Medal of Honor goes to those who determine to do much, much, much than fight. They show honor, gallantry - a connection we don't usage each day.

'There's a lawsuit to beryllium made that location was nary grant coming astatine Wounded Knee that day. That's why we request this review.'

President Benjamin Harrison had ordered nan service to forestall an uprising successful South Dakota and sought to disarm nan Lakota tribe. 

According to nan U.S. type of nan story, a deaf tribesman named Black Coyote resisted attempts to disarm him that greeting and successful nan struggle a changeable was fired.

U.S. troops past opened occurrence successful consequence and a mini number of Lakota fighters who still had guns fired back.

The 7th Cavalry overwhelmed nan Lakota warriors and began shooting haphazardly sidesplitting men, women and children of nan Lakota Sioux.

Maj. Gen. Nelson Miles ordered an investigation into nan massacre astatine nan time, expressing to his superiors his 'strongest disapproval'. 

In a backstage letter, he wrote: 'I person ne'er heard of a much brutal, cold-blooded massacre than that astatine Wounded Knee.'

The Wounded Knee tract has since go a spot of remembrance for Native Americans. 

According to USA Today, nan Medal of Honor was nan only grant disposable to soldiers astatine nan time.