Obama awards posthumous Medal of Honor to Civil War veteran


President Obama has awarded Alonzo H. Cushing, first lieutenant in the Union Army, the Congressional Medal of Honor.
In a ceremony at the White House on Thursday, Obama honored Cushing, who died in the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. He was 22 when he was shot and killed by Confederate soldiers during Pickett's Charge.
Recommendations for the Medal of Honor must be made within a few years of a heroic act, but Congress made an exception for Cushing, thanks to the lobbying of one 94-year-old woman. Margaret Zerwekh spent almost 50 years trying to get Cushing the Medal of Honor — she told The Washington Post that Cushing "helped make this country what it is" and that he "saved the Union."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Zerwekh has a special connection to Cushing, because her home in Delafield, Wisconsin, once belonged to the Cushings. She wrote letters to every member of Congress from Wisconsin — and multiple presidents — about awarding Cushing the honor. Finally, Congress passed legislation last year to suspend the time limit in Cushing's case.
"No matter how long it takes, it's never too late to do the right thing," Obama said at the ceremony. "This story is part of our larger American story and one that continues to this very day." --Meghan DeMaria
Iframe Code
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
A tall ship adventure in the Mediterranean
The Week Recommends Sailing aboard this schooner and exploring Portugal, Spain and Monaco is a 'magical' experience
-
How drone warfare works
The Explainer From Ukraine to Iran, it has become clear that unmanned aircraft are rapidly revolutionising modern warfare
-
The tourist flood in the Mediterranean: can it be stemmed?
Talking Point Finger-pointing at Airbnb or hotel owners obscures the root cause of overtourism in holiday hotspots: unmanageable demand
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary
-
Supreme Court clears third-country deportations
Speed Read The court allowed Trump to temporarily resume deporting migrants to countries they aren't from