Obama To Award Medal Of Honor To Servicemen Overlooked Because Of Prejudice

Following a congressionally-mandated review to ensure that eligible recipients were not bypassed due to prejudice Pres. Obama will award the Medal of Honor on March 18, 2014, to 24 Army veterans, including, clockwise from top left: Sgt. 1st Class Eduardo Corral Gomez, Master Sgt. Juan E. Negron, Master Sgt. Mike C. Pena, Pvt. Pedro Cano, Sgt. 1st Class Jose Rodela and Spec. 4 Santiago J. Erevia. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama is moving to right old wrongs by belatedly awarding the Medal of Honor to 24 Army veterans who served during World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Just three of those being honored during Tuesday's ceremony at the White House are still alive, all of them combat veterans of Vietnam.

The honors are being awarded after Congress ordered a review to determine whether service members of Jewish or Hispanic heritage or others had been wrongly denied the Medal of Honor due to prejudice. All of those being honored had previously been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second-highest military award.

Overall, eight of the 24 fought in Vietnam, nine in Korea and seven in World War II.

The servicemen being honored include Private Pedro Cano and Master Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza, who served during World War II; veterans of the Korean conflict, Sergeant 1st Class Eduardo Corral Gomez, Master Sergeant Juan E. Negron and Master Sergeant Mike C. Pena; as well as living Vietnam veterans, Specialist 4th class Santiago J. Erevia and Sergeant 1st Class Jose Rodela.