Observance guideSource-backed

National Medal of Honor Day2026 · Date · History · Messages

Congressional Medal of Honor Society; congressional designation described by the Society

Annual dateReviewed 2026-10-08Sensitive topic

About National Medal of Honor Day

National Medal of Honor Day is observed in the United States on March 25 to honor Medal of Honor recipients. It is a congressionally designated commemoration, not automatically a day of paid leave.

The focus is on documented acts of extraordinary military valor and the people who received the nation's highest military decoration. The commemorative date is separate from the dates on which individual awards were earned.

Why National Medal of Honor Day matters

The observance offers an opportunity to learn about the recipients' acts of courage and the human cost of armed conflict.

Acknowledgment should treat recipients and military families as people with individual stories; it should not pressure veterans to disclose experiences or private information.

History of National Medal of Honor Day

Congress established the first nationwide National Medal of Honor Day for March 25, 1991, as the Congressional Medal of Honor Society records.

March 25 was chosen because in 1863 the first six Medals of Honor were presented to members of Andrews’ Raiders in the Civil War. Earlier local commemorations should not be conflated with the 1991 national designation.

Institutional timeline

How the observance developed

This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.

EstablishmentDecision date not established
United States Congress
Congress established National Medal of Honor Day for March 25, 1991, as the Society and GovInfo explain.
First observance25 March 1991
First documented observance
The Society identifies this as the first nationally designated observance.

Origins & establishment

What the evidence establishes

Evidence & sources ↓

Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.

Proclaiming / establishing bodyUnited States CongressCongress established National Medal of Honor Day for March 25, 1991, as the Society and GovInfo explain.

First observance25 March 1991The Society identifies this as the first nationally designated observance.

Why this exact date?First Medal of Honor presentations on 25 March 1863Six Andrews’ Raiders received the first Medals of Honor on March 25, 1863.

6 fields not established in reviewed sources

Originator / proposerThis detail is not established by the reviewed first-party sources; no related campaign, secondary calendar, or predecessor event is substituted.

Original establishing instrument / decisionThis detail is not established by the reviewed first-party sources; no related campaign, secondary calendar, or predecessor event is substituted.

Original instrument adoption / decision dateThis detail is not established by the reviewed first-party sources; no related campaign, secondary calendar, or predecessor event is substituted.

Current facilitator / coordinatorThis detail is not established by the reviewed first-party sources; no related campaign, secondary calendar, or predecessor event is substituted.

Former nameThis detail is not established by the reviewed first-party sources; no related campaign, secondary calendar, or predecessor event is substituted.

Former dateThis detail is not established by the reviewed first-party sources; no related campaign, secondary calendar, or predecessor event is substituted.

Source qualityHigh confidence

2 Primary institutional / legal

View all sources ↓

How to Observe National Medal of Honor Day

Explore recipient biographies through the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s educational resources.

Attend a public educational ceremony or museum event where available.

Discuss courage, integrity and service in ways that respect historical context and avoid glorifying violence.

Support veterans' services through reputable organizations without publishing private stories without consent.

National Medal of Honor Day Facts

Fact 01

Observed in the United States on March 25.

Fact 02

The first congressionally designated national observance was March 25, 1991.

Fact 03

The date recalls the first presentations to six Civil War Andrews’ Raiders in 1863.

Fact 04

The designation honors recipients; it does not establish a blanket paid federal holiday.

National Medal of Honor Day Messages

On National Medal of Honor Day, we remember courage, service and the sacrifices behind each story.

Honoring recipients while respecting the dignity of all who have served.

May March 25 encourage thoughtful learning about duty and individual acts of bravery.

Today we recognize the legacy of Medal of Honor recipients and the communities that remember them.

Classification

Topic and context

Civic, Remembrance & History →

Civic, Remembrance & History Remembrance

Accuracy notes

What this page does not assume

Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Remembrance Civic Context Care.

Evidence

Evidence & sources

Source policy →

Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.

Source 01www.cmohs.org

Congressional Medal of Honor Society — National Medal of Honor Day (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordPrimary institutional / legalGuide sources

Congressionally Chartered Authority

Source 02www.govinfo.gov

GovInfo — Medal of Honor Day 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordPrimary institutional / legalGuide sources

Wave 373 Primary Or Authoritative

Questions & connections

Understand it, compare it, then explore further

Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.

Reader questions

Frequently asked questions

When is National Medal of Honor Day?

25 March The documented recurrence rule is: 25 March.

Does National Medal of Honor Day fall on the same date every year?

Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.

Is National Medal of Honor Day an official public holiday?

The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United States national commemoration. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.

Who established or recognizes National Medal of Honor Day?

The reviewed sources identify United States Congress as the proclaiming or establishing body.

Is National Medal of Honor Day international or country-specific?

No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: United States national commemoration. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.

How is this page verified?

The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-08.

What date is National Medal of Honor Day?

March 25 in the United States.

Why was March 25 selected?

The first six Medals of Honor were presented on that date in 1863.

When did the national observance begin?

The first congressional national observance was March 25, 1991.

Is it Veterans Day?

No. This observance specifically honors Medal of Honor recipients, while Veterans Day has a different scope and date.

Same date