MEDAL OF HONOR SOLD IN GERMANY

A German auction house has sold an historic Medal of Honor — despite opposition from Sen. Ted Cruz and the National Medal of Honor Museum who urged the U.S. government to intervene and stop the sale.

Army Pvt. Thomas Kelly earned the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for valor, for his service in 1898 during the Spanish-American War while he was serving with Company H, 21st U.S. Infantry. The National Medal of Honor Museum says he was awarded the medal for rescuing injured soldiers as he came under enemy fire in Santiago, Cuba. Additionally, Theodore Roosevelt also earned a Medal of Honor for his valor in the same battle, the museum noted.

U.S. law bars the sale of military medals or decorations authorized by Congress, and those who violate the law could face a fine and up to six months in prison. Despite the urging from the National Medal of Honor Museum to remove the listing on Wednesday, Hermann Historica GmbH auction house sold the medal for more than $15,000 on Thursday.

National Medal of Honor Museum President and CEO Joe Daniels also wrote letters to U.S. government officials including President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Attorney General Bill Barr, calling on them to halt the sale of the medal.

"This Medal of Honor is a priceless American treasure that belongs here in our country," Daniels said in a statement Wednesday. "We're asking our elected leaders and officials in the administration to do what they can to prevent people from illegally profiting off of Private Kelly's heroism and bring the medal home where it belongs."

But ultimately, the efforts did not stop the sale from going through. Bernhard Pacher, the managing director of Hermann Historica, noted the law doesn't apply to him since he is not in the U.S.

"There's nothing morally bad in selling a medal, even if it's pointed out to me that it's illegal in the U.S., because I'm not in the U.S.," Pacher told Stars and Stripes.

This isn't the first time Pacher has sold a Medal of Honor either. Stripes reports he's previously sold four others, including one for more than $7,400. The auction listing says the item sold for €14,000 — more than $15,000.

To read the complete article, see:
German auction house sells historic Medal of Honor despite US opposition (https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/05/28/german-auction-house-sells-historic-medal-of-honor-despite-us-opposition/)

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