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3h ago

Hegseth Declares Wounded Knee Medals Will Stand

The decision follows a Pentagon panel’s 2024 recommendation, with the report still undisclosed.

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - SEPTEMBER 19: U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during the Department of War 2025 National Prisoner of POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon on September 19, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. The POW/MIA Recognition Day honors service members who were prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a video Thursday that the 20 Medals of Honor linked to Wounded Knee will not be revoked and called the move final.
  • He said a five-person panel formed in 2024 reviewed each case and recommended keeping the awards after completing its work last October.
  • The Pentagon has not made the panel’s findings public, and officials provided no details beyond Hegseth’s statement.
  • Democrats reintroduced the Remove the Stain Act in May to strip the medals, with Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley and Rep. Jill Tokuda leading the effort.
  • Historical accounts describe Wounded Knee as a massacre with roughly 250–375 Lakota killed, including many women and children, and about 25 U.S. soldiers dead, many likely from friendly fire.