Army Secretary has Directed Army Decorations Board to Reconsider Previous Denial of Posthumous Medal of Honor to Corporal David D. White
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey along with Representatives Richard Neal and Niki Tsongas sent a letter to Secretary of the Army Mark Esper to express their continued interest in the Medal of Honor recommendation for the late Corporal David D. White, who served in the 37th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. The Massachusetts delegation members requested that Secretary Esper promptly notify them of the Senior Army Decorations Board's final determination of whether to posthumously award Corporal White the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary actions during the Civil War.
Then-Private White is regarded by eyewitnesses, the 37th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment Descendants Association, and his descendants as the person responsible for capturing Confederate Major General George Washington Custis Lee at the Battle of Sailor's Creek in Virginia on April 6, 1865. In their letter, the Members of Congress cited a collection of eyewitness accounts supporting the conclusion that it was Private White's capture of Major General Custis Lee that "contributed to the disruption of the enemy command structure, helped to impede the ability of enemy leaders to coordinate effective resistance, and brought an earlier conclusion to the fighting."
The Members of Congress also sent a letter of support for this effort in 2014, but the Senior Army Decorations Board denied awarding the Medal of Honor to the late Corporal White. However, Secretary Esper, upon receiving recommendations from the Acting Defense Department Inspector General, asked the Board to reconsider the case and ensure a thorough examination of all relevant supporting evidence.
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