T he Medal of Honor was established 150 years ago to commend acts of gallantry by members of the military, such as the heroism displayed by Henry Breault of the U.S. Navy in 1923. He chose to remain aboard a sinking submarine in the Panama Canal to assist a crewmate, and the two were rescued more than a day later. President Calvin Coolidge presented Breault with the medal on March 8, 1924, at the White House. In appreciation for the medal’s creation, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Foundation recognized Congress at a ceremony Monday.