Medals

President Harry S. Truman congratulating Congressional Medal of Honor winners during a White House lawn ceremony. Many of the honorees are in wheelchairs.

Front view of the special inaugural medal honoring President Truman. Mrs. Nellie Taylor Ross, Director of the Bureau of the Mint and Chairman of the Medal Committee of the 1949 Inaugural Committee, says the medal will be of bronze and will be 2 inches in diameter. From: Beth Gore.

Former Secretary of the Treasury Fred M. Vinson today has received the first medal struck in his honor by the department he headed before becoming Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Medals have been made of all Treasury Secretaries since Alexander Hamilton. One of John W. Snyder, present Secretary, is due soon. From: Beth Gore.

Mrs. Anna Rosenberg, New York City, today became the first American citizen to receive the recently authorized Medal of Freedom. The medal was presented to Mrs. Rosenberg by Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson. The award was given on the recommendation of General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower in recognition of Mrs. Rosenberg's work overseas. From: Beth Gore.

Photo of President Sergio Osmena of the Philippines, left, awarding the Medal for Valor, highest Philippine decoration, to Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, center, as Admiral Ernest J. King, right, looks on. From: Beth Gore.

Admiral Chester Nimitz at the White House where President Harry S. Truman (left) decorated the Naval hero with the Gold Star in lieu of a third Distinguished Service Medal. Mrs. Nimitz is shown in center. From: Beth Gore.

Photo showing Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson presenting the Medal for Merit to Philip Murray, President of the CIO, for Mr. Murray's services "in connection with the mobilization and leadership of American workers throughout the industrial emergency existing during the Second World War". From: Beth Gore.

Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson presenting the Medal for Merit to Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, for his services as Chief of Counsel for the United States for the prosecution of Axis Criminality at the Nuremberg Trials. From: Beth Gore

Youngest of the group of 28 to receive Congressional Medal of Honor awards at the White House was Staff Sergeant James R. Hendrix of Lepanto, Arkansas. Staff Sergeant Hendrix, shown getting his award from President Harry S. Truman, was 19 years old at the time he earned his medal. The former farm boy wiped out two enemy artillery positions and saved the lives of three of his comrades when his outfit was assigned the task of breaking through the Belgian town of Assenois and relieving the besieged garrison at Bastogne. From: Beth Gore.

American Federation of Labor President William Green was presented the Medal of Merit for his contribution to labor's war effort in ceremonies at the War Department. The presentation was made by Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson. From: Beth Gore