Hegseth Defends Medal Retention for Wounded Knee Soldiers
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the 20 soldiers awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions at Wounded Knee in 1890 will keep their medals, following a review that upheld their bravery despite the controversial history of the event, which involved the killing of an estimated 250 Native Americans by U.S. troops. The decision continues a pattern of the military and government revisiting historical narratives and honors related to contentious events.