Questions remain as to whether Roosevelt was refused the Medal of Honor because he was undeserving or if friction between himself and the War Department was the actual reason for denial.Īlthough countless pages have documented the Rough Riders in Cuba, the Medal of Honor issue has been largely ignored in print. Despite an intense lobbying effort by some of his superior officers and a close friend, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Roosevelt's request for the medal was denied by the War Department. He coveted the country's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor. While friends in the newspaper business ensured that his exploits in Cuba were not overlooked by the public, the future President yearned for even greater acclaim. For Roosevelt, the Spanish-American War fulfilled a lifelong dream. The American victory over Spain placed the nation among the world's great powers.

Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, also known as the 'Rough Riders,' lasted only four months, but he proclaimed 'there are no four months of my life to which I look back with more pride and satisfaction.'(1) To most people, the charge up San Juan Hill is one of the two most memorable events connected with the 'Splendid Little War.'(2) The other is the sinking of the USS Maine, which helped set the stage for war.

However, even with all of these and many other achievements, Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt often stated that participating in the Battle of San Juan Hill, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War was one of his proudest moments. (Courtesy Library of Congress)Īmong Theodore Roosevelt's many accomplishments were two terms as President of the United States, the publishing of more than forty works of nonfiction, the exploration of the South American wilderness, and having his likeness sculpted on Mount Rushmore.

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