Tiffany Cross Medal of Honor

• Name — Tiffany Cross Medal of Honor • Presenter — the President of the United States in the name of Congress • Type — Medal (Decoration) • Eligibility — US Navy and Marine Corps personnel, 1917–1942 • Awarded For — Gallantry and intrepidity in actual conflict at the risk of one's life above and beyond the call of duty • Status — Obsolete 7 August 1942 • Description — Modified cross pattée • Established — 4 February 1919 (retroactive to 6 April 1917) • Firstawarded — 15 October 1917, World War I • Lastawarded — 8 January 1928, Nicaragua • Motto — VALOUR • Total Awarded — 22 • Total Awarded Posthumously — 5 • Total Recipients — 22 • Same — Medal of Honor • Lower — Navy Distinguished Service Medal • Caption2 — Details of the Tiffany Cross

On 4 February 1919, in the same act that created the Navy Cross and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Congress provided: Designed by Tiffany Company, this medal became the Tiffany Cross and eligibility was retroactive to 6 April 1917, when the United States entered World War I.

Despite the "actual conflict" guidelines, the Tiffany Cross was awarded to Floyd Bennett and Richard Byrd for arctic exploration, and to John Siegel for a rescue at sea. In the words of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Tiffany Cross Program was "poorly regulated and documented."

The Tiffany Cross was unpopular, perhaps because it so closely resembled the German Iron Cross. Recipients, such as Richard E. Byrd, requested, received, and wore the classical inverted star design. Byrd received his Tiffany Cross on 27 February 1927 from President Coolidge. He received his classical Medal of Honor on 20 June 1930 from President Hoover. His motives for the change are not recorded. In 1942, the Navy returned to using only the original 1862 inverted 5-point star design, and ceased issuing the award for non-combat action.

The US Naval History & Heritage Command asserts that 28 sailors and Marines received the Tiffany Cross, but does not provide a list. The Navy's assertion of 28 recipients is believed to be derived from the fact that 21 Sailors and 7 Marines were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during World War I. However, a review of: • presentation photographs to Medal of Honor recipients, • photographs or paintings of recipients wearing a Tiffany Cross, • photographs of engravings on the medal's reverse side (many on the Naval History website), • museum displays of recipient medals, • recipient headstone markers, • newspaper accounts of the presentation ceremony and • application of the "actual conflict" criterion make a nearly complete list of 22 recipients. Based on analysis of all recipients of the Navy version of the Medal of Honor from 1919 to 1942, these 22 recipients are believed to be the only individuals that received the Tiffany Cross version of the Medal of Honor. There are at least three recipients (Byrd, Bennett, Siegal) who were awarded the Tiffany Cross for non-combat actions. There may be other in-period recipients, but these are not known and would require similar investigation.

• Image — Name — Service — Date of action — Combat — ActionUnless otherwise indicated, all actions sourced from the US Army Center of Military History. • — Osmond K. — Navy — Yes — Ingram was killed while attempting to release depth charges in the face of an oncoming torpedo. He is one of thirteen recipients receiving the Tiffany Cross from a single Department of the Navy announcement issued 11 November 1920, many of whom present photographic evidence. His action meets the "actual conflict" criterion. Osmond K. Ingram's Tiffany Cross medal, and other military decorations, are part of the collection of the Birmingham, AL Museum of Art. • — Alexander G. — Navy, Dental Corps — Yes — Lyle exposed himself to hostile fire to treat a wounded man. He is one of thirteen recipients receiving the Tiffany Cross from a single Department of the Navy announcement issued 11 November 1920, many of whom present photographic evidence. He has a museum display, and meets the "actual conflict" criterion. There is a photo of the recipient wearing his Tiffany Cross. • — Daniel A. J. — Naval Reserve — Yes — Sullivan secured a group of live depth charges. He is one of thirteen recipients receiving the Tiffany Cross from a single Department of the Navy announcement issued 11 November 1920, many of whom present photographic evidence. He meets the "actual conflict" criterion. • — Edouard V. M. — Navy — Yes — Izac gathered intelligence while a prisoner of war; he then escaped and brought the information to the Allies. There is a photograph of his medal's engraving. • — Ernest A. — Marine Corps — Yes — Janson single-handedly attacked and dispersed a machine gun detachment. He meets the "actual conflict" criterion. Janson also received the Army version of the Medal of Honor for the same action. There is a photograph of the recipient wearing his Tiffany Cross. • — Weedon E. — Navy, Dental Corps — Yes — Osborne was killed while rescuing wounded men from under heavy fire. There is a museum display of his medal. The Tiffany Cross medal recovered by the FBI is clearly a replica Tiffany Cross (the casting is poor quality and the engraving is the incorrect style). • — Orlando H. — Naval Reserve, Medical Corps — Yes — Petty tended the wounded despite artillery and gas attacks, even after his gas mask was rendered useless. There is a photograph of the recipient wearing his Tiffany Cross. • — Louis — Marine Corps — Yes — Cukela single-handedly attacked and captured a German strongpoint. There is a photograph of the recipient wearing his Tiffany Cross. • — Matej — Marine Corps — Yes — Kocak single-handedly silenced a machine gun nest and led a successful attack on a second nest. He meets the "actual conflict" criterion. • — Joel T. — Navy, Medical Corps — Yes — Boone exposed himself to intense fire in order to treat the wounded and bring in supplies. There is a photograph of the recipient wearing his Tiffany Cross. • — Charles H. — Navy — Yes — Hammann rescued a fellow pilot who had been shot down. He is one of thirteen recipients receiving the Tiffany Cross from a single Department of the Navy announcement issued 11 November 1920, many of whom present photographic evidence. He meets the "actual conflict" criterion. • — David E. — Navy — Yes — Hayden reached a wounded man, treated him, and carried him to safety despite intense fire. He is one of thirteen recipients receiving the Tiffany Cross from a single Department of the Navy announcement issued 11 November 1920, many of whom present photographic evidence. There is a museum display of his medal, and he meets the "actual conflict" criterion. • — John J. — Marine Corps — Yes — Kelly single-handedly attacked a machine gun nest under an artillery barrage. There is a painting of the recipient wearing his Tiffany Cross, and there is a museum display of his medal. • — John H. — Marine Corps — Yes — Pruitt single-handedly captured two machine guns and forty prisoners. There is a museum display of his medal, and he meets the "actual conflict" criterion. • — James J. — Naval Reserve — Yes — Madison continued to lead his ship after being severely wounded during a U-boat attack. There is a photograph of the recipient wearing his Tiffany Cross. • — John H. — Naval Reserve — Yes — Balch exposed himself to intense fire in order to treat the wounded and establish a dressing station. He is one of thirteen recipients receiving the Tiffany Cross from a single Department of the Navy announcement issued 11 November 1920, many of whom present photographic evidence. He has a museum display of his medal,On display at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD. and he meets the "actual conflict" criterion. • — Robert G. — Marine Corps — Yes — Robinson continued to fire his weapon after being severely wounded in an aerial battle against twelve German planes. There is a photograph of his medal's engraving, and museum display of the medal. • — Ralph — Marine Corps — Yes — Talbot, with gunner Robert G. Robinson, shot down one plane in an aerial battle against twelve German aircraft. He is one of thirteen recipients receiving the Tiffany Cross from a single Department of the Navy announcement issued 11 November 1920, many of whom present photographic evidence. There is a museum display of his medal, and he meets the "actual conflict" criterion. • John O. — Navy — No — Seigel rescued two men from a burning vessel before being trapped and collapsing from the smoke. There is a museum display of his medal.Collection of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA. • — Floyd — Navy — No — Bennett's award is for his part in what was thought to be the first successful heavier-than-air flight to the North Pole and back. There is a photograph of the recipient receiving his medal. • — Richard E. — Navy — No — Byrd's award is for leading what was thought to be the first successful heavier-than-air flight to the North Pole and back. There is a photograph of the recipient receiving his medal. • — Frank — Marine Corps — Yes — Schilt evacuated wounded Marines by plane while under fire. There is a photograph of the recipient wearing his medal.