To: Congress
Tell Congress: Rescind the Wounded Knee Medals of Honor
The Remove the Stain Act would revoke the Medal of Honor from the soldiers who perpetrated the Wounded Knee massacre in 1890, when U.S. soldiers slaughtered hundreds of Lakota men, women, and children — most of them unarmed — on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
While we cannot change this horrific history, we can stop celebrating those who committed the atrocities by revoking their medals. I urge you to reject Defense Secretary Hegseth’s decision to keep these medals by passing S.1915 and H.R.3609.
While we cannot change this horrific history, we can stop celebrating those who committed the atrocities by revoking their medals. I urge you to reject Defense Secretary Hegseth’s decision to keep these medals by passing S.1915 and H.R.3609.
Why is this important?
In 1890, U.S. troops descended on the Lakota people at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. What followed was not a “battle” — it was a massacre. An estimated 250 people were slaughtered. More than half were women and children. Many were killed as they fled, gunned down long after officers had ordered soldiers to stop shooting.
Shamefully, 19 soldiers involved in this atrocity were awarded the nation’s highest honor for valor, the Medal of Honor. Congress and then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin worked together to review whether to rescind those medals, in light of the soldiers’ horrific actions. Now, Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just doubled down on honoring the perpetrators of the massacre.
“We’re making it clear [the soldiers] deserve those medals. This decision is now final, and their place in our nation’s history is no longer up for debate.”
Unfortunately for Hegseth, that’s not entirely up to him. Congress has the power to act where the Pentagon refuses — by legislating the rescission of medals awarded to soldiers involved in the Wounded Knee massacre.
We’re going to push them to do just that by passing the Remove the Stain Act introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren (S.1915) and Representative Jill Tokuda (H.R.3609). With enough people speaking out, we can push Congress to take this decision out of Hegseth’s hands and finally deliver justice.
Shamefully, 19 soldiers involved in this atrocity were awarded the nation’s highest honor for valor, the Medal of Honor. Congress and then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin worked together to review whether to rescind those medals, in light of the soldiers’ horrific actions. Now, Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just doubled down on honoring the perpetrators of the massacre.
“We’re making it clear [the soldiers] deserve those medals. This decision is now final, and their place in our nation’s history is no longer up for debate.”
Unfortunately for Hegseth, that’s not entirely up to him. Congress has the power to act where the Pentagon refuses — by legislating the rescission of medals awarded to soldiers involved in the Wounded Knee massacre.
We’re going to push them to do just that by passing the Remove the Stain Act introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren (S.1915) and Representative Jill Tokuda (H.R.3609). With enough people speaking out, we can push Congress to take this decision out of Hegseth’s hands and finally deliver justice.