A token of the highest gallantry.
Since the Medal of Honour was created in 1861, 3,536 medals have been given to American service members for an act of extraordinary selflessness and courage. Only 61 of them remain alive today, attesting to just how rare and valuable this award truly is.
The Medal of Honour is the nation’s highest military honour, awarded to those who risked their lives while on duty. For others, the medal symbolises not just individual bravery but also the sacrifice and service of comrades in arms who have sacrificed their lives.
Honoring heroes at SOF week 2025
As part of SOF Week 2025 in Tampa, Florida, this year, three of the very few living Medal of Honour recipients from the U.S. special operations community came together to share their experience.
The board of honour comprised retired Army Sgt Maj. Thomas P. Payne, retired Army Master Sgt Earl D. Plumlee, and Army Master Sgt Matthew O. Williams. Speaking together about leadership, trust, mentorship, and grit — the values they abided by in their lowest points and continue to abide by today.
What the medal means to the recipients
All three of the men pondered hard and deeply about what it feels like to wear the Medal of Honor. For Master Sgt. Matthew Williams, who received the medal for his act of valour during Operation Commando Wrath in Afghanistan in 2008, it is not glory.
“Each time we place the medal, it’s a humble honour to be able to sit here and discuss it,” Williams said. “What makes it unique has absolutely nothing to do with who’s wearing it but with the fact that you’re willing to sacrifice your life for the people to your left.”
Master Sgt. Earl D. Plumlee, who received his medal after fighting off Taliban rebels in Afghanistan in 2013, reported his ceremony was particularly poignant because two other medal recipients that day received their awards posthumously.
“That definitely put some meat to it,” Plumlee said. He added that a lot of deserving soldiers would never receive the medal because their acts of valour are not recorded. “I know a lot of guys who’ve done some very heroic things, but it’s not documented and provable, so there’s no medal for it,” he said.
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Living up to the medal’s standard
For Sgt. Maj. Thomas P. Payne, who risked his life to rescue 70 hostages in a 2015 raid in Iraq, the medal is something he takes great pride in and something that keeps him up at night.
“Merely having the ability to wear the medal daily as a part of my life has caused me to have to grow up,” he said. “It’s a process to live up to the standard of wearing the Medal of Honor daily — it’s a beautiful burden.”
Payne quoted fellow recipient retired Marine Cpl Kyle Carpenter as having stated that the medal is both an honor and a challenge — a calling to continue living with courage and humility.
Expanding their service beyond the uniform
Even though their own service is finished, all three men expressed that they still feel a sense of duty to serve their country, but in different ways. Plumlee referenced his enthusiasm for encouraging young people to serve. “I love mentoring someone, considering serving and igniting that flame,” he said.
Williams appealed to that, telling him he likes visiting schools and discussing with kids the value of service — in uniform or in their communities. “I hope to give a little spark of hope for our country,” he said.
Payne, who was medically retired, said he continues to serve in different capacities and lives each day in honour of his fallen teammates. “We’re on ‘plus time’ now,” he said, referring to the many friends he has buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
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The legacy lives on
While only 61 Medal of Honour recipients remain alive today, their stories continue to inspire Americans to live with courage, honour, and selflessness.
They have only this to say: the Medal of Honour is not an award — it’s a summons to live up to the standards it represents and carry on the tradition of those who gave all for their country.
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