Medal of Honor recipients

A guest post from my dad, John White:

Cheshire is probably unique among small towns of America in this respect: We have had two residents who received the nation's highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor. They are ERI DAVIDSON WOODBURY and HARVEY CURTISS BARNUM, Jr.

The medal is awarded for military heroism. It is the highest symbol of the courage and sacrifice by those who have served and still serve in America's armed forces. It was authorized by Congress in 1862 and, as stated in the citation to the left, is conferred by the President/Commander-in-Chief for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. It has been awarded to only 3,419 people of the millions who have served in the military since the medal was instituted. Nearly 70 percent of those awards were conferred posthumously. Currently, there are fewer than 170 living Medal of Honor recipients.

The first Cheshire resident to receive the medal was ERI DAVIDSON WOODBURY (1837-1928), a Vermont native and a sergeant in the Vermont Cavalry during the Civil War. After the war he settled in Cheshire as a teacher at Cheshire Academy, where he later became headmaster. He is buried in the cemetery behind St. Peter's Episcopal Church.

The second Cheshire resident to receive the medal was HARVEY CURTISS BARNUM, Jr. Barney was born on July 21, 1940 and grew up in Cheshire. He attended Humiston School, Park Street School and Cheshire High School (Class of 1958). He then went to St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, where he received a B.A. degree in Economics and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation in 1962.

On December 18, 1965, at Ky Phu in Quang Tin Province, Vietnam, he fought in a battle which led to his award. Details of the battle are provided in his presidential citation.

The Medal of Honor is worn around the neck on formal occasions, whether the recipient is in uniform or civilian clothes. The service ribbon is worn above the left breast pocket when otherwise in uniform. The rosette is worn in the lapel of a civilian jacket.