Remove the Stain Act

The "Remove the Stain Act" proposes to rescind all 20 Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers for their actions at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890. This legislative action is intended to address the historical context of these awards, which the bill argues were given for participation in a massacre rather than acts of gallantry. The bill's findings emphasize that the Wounded Knee event was a massacre of approximately 350-375 unarmed Lakota men, women, and children , with many U.S. casualties resulting from friendly fire. It asserts that allowing such Medals of Honor to stand undermines the integrity of the award, which is the highest military decoration for gallantry beyond the call of duty. The legislation highlights requests from Native American tribes and organizations to revoke these medals. Specifically, the Act directs the Secretary concerned to remove the names of these individuals from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard Medal of Honor Rolls . However, it clarifies that recipients or their families are not required to return the physical medals, nor will any individual be denied Federal Government benefits as a result of this rescission.