Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73
§7282 Medals: posthumous award and presentation
Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle B— - Army › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 737— - DECORATIONS AND AWARDS › § 7282
Summary
If someone dies before getting the Medal of Honor, Distinguished-Service Cross, Distinguished-Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, or the device that goes with one of those awards, the award can still be made and given to a person the President picks. If someone dies before receiving an authorized service medal or its device under section 7281, that medal must be given to their family.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §7282
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)If a person dies before the award of a medal of honor, distinguished-service cross, distinguished-service medal, distinguished flying cross, or device in place thereof, to which he is entitled, the award may be made and the medal or device presented to his representative, as designated by the President.
(b)If a person dies before an authorized service medal or device prescribed as a part thereof is presented to him under section 7281 of this title, it shall be presented to his family.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
1956 Act Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3752(a) 3752(b)10:1409 (words between 1st and 2d semicolons).10:1429 (1st 49 words of last sentence).10:1415a (21st through 30th words, less applicability to clauses (a) through (n)).
July 9, 1918, ch. 143 (words between 1st and 2d semicolons of 15th par. under “Ordnance Department”), 40 Stat. 871.
July 2, 1926, ch. 721, § 12 (1st 49 words of last sentence), 44 Stat. 789;
July 30, 1937, ch. 545, § 4, 50 Stat. 549.
May 12, 1928, ch. 528, § 1 (25th through 34th words, less applicability to clauses (a) through (n)), 45 Stat. 500. In subsection (a), the words “If a person” are substituted for the words “In case an individual * * * dies”, in 10:1409, and “In case an individual * * * shall have died”, in 10:1429. The words “within three years from the date”, in 10:1409, are omitted as covered by section 3744 of this title. The words “who shall distinguish himself”, in 10:1409, and “who distinguishes himself”, in 10:1429, are omitted as covered by the words “the award * * * to which he is entitled”. 1958 ActThe change reflects the fact that the source statute for these sections (sec. 1 of the Act of
May 12, 1928, ch. 528, 45 Stat. 500) was mandatory and not merely permissive.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–232, § 808(b)(11), renumbered section 3752 of this title as this section. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–232, § 809(a), substituted “section 7281” for “section 3751”. 1958—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 85–861 substituted “it shall be presented” for “it may be presented”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of
Amendments
and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1958 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 85–861 effective Aug. 10, 1956, see section 33(g) of Pub. L. 85–861, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 7282
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73