On March 18, 2014, President Barack Obama awarded 24 Army veterans with Medals of Honor in a single ceremony.

The unusual event honored veterans of World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War who had previously been overlooked for the nation's highest military award for valor.

A 12-year congressional review of service records found dozens of awards had been overlooked or denied due to racial or ethnic discrimination.

Obama awarded 21 medals posthumously, and three to living recipients Melvin Morris, Jose Rodela, and Santiago Erevia.

On March 18, 2014, in one of the longest ceremonies of its kind, 24 Army veterans received the Medal of Honor for actions during their service in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

12 years earlier, Congress began a review of Jewish and Hispanic Americans' war records, finding that dozens had been overlooked or denied the nation's highest military award for valor due to discrimination.

"No nation is perfect," President Obama said at the ceremony. "But here in America, we confront our imperfections and face a sometimes painful past, including the truth that some of these soldiers fought and died for a country that did not always see them as equal."

Three living veterans were honored at the ceremony, and 21 were honored posthumously for their heroic actions. These are their stories.