WWII, Korea, Vietnam Vets to Receive Medal of Honor Today

24 veterans from World War II, Vietnam and Korea will be presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor today at the White House. According to Army Times, three out of the 24 are still alive and will receive the honor in person, while the medal will be presented posthumously to the families of the 21 deceased soldiers.

All soldiers have previously been awarded with the Distinguished Service Cross, which is the nation’s second highest military honor, Army Times said. Now, the award has been upgraded to the Medal of Honor to commemorate their bravery and heroism above and beyond the call of duty.

As Army Times reports, awarding the Medal of Honor comes as a result of a 2002 Congress-commissioned review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veteran war records from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The review was conducted to ensure that those deserving of the Medal of Honor were not denied due to prejudice.