10 USC § 7282 - Medals: posthumous award and presentation

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s7282"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 7282 - Medals: posthumous award and presentation"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "7282"
section_name: "Medals: posthumous award and presentation"
chapter_number: 737
chapter_name: "DECORATIONS AND AWARDS"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "PERSONNEL"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 217, § 3752; Pub. L. 85–861, § 33(a)(23), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1565; renumbered § 7282 and amended Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, §§ 808(b)(11), 809(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1838, 1840.)"
---


# § 7282. Medals: posthumous award and presentation

**(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.

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 217, § 3752; Pub. L. 85–861, § 33(a)(23), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1565; renumbered § 7282 and amended Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, §§ 808(b)(11), 809(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1838, 1840.)

| Revised section | Source (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 . 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 Act

The change reflects the fact that the source statute for these sections (sec. 1 of the , ) was mandatory and not merely permissive.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—, renumbered  as this section.

Subsec. (b). , substituted “section 7281” for “section 3751”.

1958—Subsec. (b).  substituted “it shall be presented” for “it may be presented”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see , set out as a note preceding .

### Effective Date of 1958 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under .