In September 1944, Eleanor Butler Roosevelt accepted the Medal of Honor on behalf of her late husband, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., at a White House ceremony. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson presented the award in recognition of Roosevelt’s extraordinary personal courage and tactical leadership during the opening hours of the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
The eldest son of President Theodore Roosevelt, Roosevelt Jr. had already compiled a distinguished military career in both World Wars. On D-Day, despite severe arthritis and the use of a cane, he repeatedly sought permission to accompany the first assault wave at Utah Beach. After two verbal requests were denied, his written request was approved, and he landed with the leading American forces.
Strong currents carried the landing force well south of its intended position. Rather than allowing confusion to stall the assault, Roosevelt assessed the unfamiliar ground, reportedly declaring, “We’ll start the war from right here.” He then moved among the troops under enemy fire, rallying men, directing units off the beach and over the seawall, and helping establish the American beachhead inland. His official citation credited his “seasoned, precise, calm, and unfaltering leadership” with helping assault troops overcome strongpoints and move inland with minimal casualties.
Roosevelt survived the landings but died of a heart attack in France on July 12, 1944, 36 days after D-Day. His posthumous Medal of Honor recognized the leadership and courage that helped turn a navigational error at Utah Beach into a successful landing.
The award also made Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. one of only two father-son pairs to receive the Medal of Honor; the other pair was Arthur and Douglas MacArthur. President Theodore Roosevelt was later awarded the medal for his actions in the Spanish-American War.
Photograph: Eleanor Butler Roosevelt receives the Medal of Honor awarded posthumously to her husband, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., at the White House, September 1944. Image via Wikimedia Commons; public domain in the United States.
