WASHINGTON (Realist English). U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that 19 soldiers awarded the Medal of Honor for their role in the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre will retain their medals, ending a years-long debate over whether the honors should be revoked.
In a video posted to social media, Hegseth said the medals “will stand” and that the soldiers’ “place in our nation’s history is no longer up for debate.”
The review was launched in 2024 by Hegseth’s predecessor, Lloyd Austin, following a congressional recommendation in the 2022 defense bill. Lawmakers had urged rescinding the medals, arguing that they were awarded for participation in the killing of some 250 Lakota Sioux — including women and children — at South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation near Wounded Knee Creek.
Although cited as a “battle” in some accounts, historians widely agree the event was a massacre, occurring after Native fighters had already surrendered. The 7th Cavalry Regiment received 19 Medals of Honor afterward, with citations ranging from rescuing fellow troops to “dislodging Sioux Indians” concealed in a ravine.
In 1990, Congress issued a formal apology to the Lakota Sioux descendants but stopped short of revoking the medals. The panel that reviewed the awards concluded they should remain, according to Hegseth, though the Pentagon has not confirmed whether the report will be released publicly.
The decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s March executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which opposes reinterpretations of U.S. history. Since then, Hegseth has reversed several steps taken by previous administrations, including restoring Confederate-linked names to Army bases and reinstalling a Confederate memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
Critics argue the Wounded Knee medals remain a painful symbol of historical injustice, while supporters frame Hegseth’s move as part of a broader effort to defend what he calls “honored traditions” of the U.S. military.