Fact check: False claim that Biden botched Medal of Honor placement

Bayliss Wagner, USA TODAY
·3 min read
22
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The claim: President Biden placed the Medal of Honor backwards on Vietnam War veteran Dwight W. Birdwell's shoulders

Social media users are claiming a clip of a recent Congressional Medal of Honor ceremony shows President Joe Biden botching the presentation of a medal to a Vietnam War veteran. But the claims are off base.

Biden honored Birdwell for his actions during his unit's attack on an airbase in 1968.

The blurry, pixelated video shows Biden placing the blue ribbon of the Army's Medal of Honor around the neck of Spc. Dwight W. Birdwell, who was honored for "repeatedly (placing) himself in extreme danger to protect his team and to defeat the enemy" during an attack that disabled his tank commander, the Army's webpage on Birdwell says. The pendant was not clearly shown in the video, and some social media posts said it had been on Birdwell's back instead of his chest.

"Biden puts medal on backwards," one user captioned the clip in a July 6 Facebook post shared more than 60 times. "Just imagine if Trump had done this."

In a Twitter post, the clip accrued more than three million views and was shared on Facebook more than 1,100 times, according to social media data aggregator CrowdTangle. Several other Facebook users created their own posts about the claim.

However, high-resolution photos and videos from the U.S. Army and numerous news outlets show Biden placed the medal correctly, as Reuters and Lead Stories previously reported. The poor quality of the social media clip makes the pendant blend into the fabric of Birdwell's shirt and tie, rendering it difficult to see.

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USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the claim for comment.

President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Honor to Spc. Dwight Birdwell for his actions on Jan. 31, 1968, during the Vietnam War, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, July 5, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Honor to Spc. Dwight Birdwell for his actions on Jan. 31, 1968, during the Vietnam War, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, July 5, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Footage, photos from several sources show medal was placed correctly

Footage and images from several sources and angles show Biden placed the medal facing forward on Birdwell's chest, contrary to social media claims.

YouTube livestreams from The Washington Post and PBS NewsHour both show the Medal of Honor ceremony from the same angle as the social media video was filmed. Each video shows Biden standing behind Birdwell and placing the medal so that it rests on Birdwell's chest, facing outward. It is also visible when Birdwell turns toward the camera.

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In CBS Mornings' footage, taken from a different angle, Birdwell is facing the camera while receiving his medal. It's clear here that the pendant was never placed backwards, as the five-point medal with green detailing is visible throughout.

Additionally, photos of the moment from the U.S. Army News Service and Bloomberg photographer Al Drago show Birdwell's medal correctly placed by Biden.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that Biden placed the Medal of Honor backwards on Birdwell's shoulders. High-definition photographs and videos from several reputable news organizations show Biden placed the medal correctly.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: False claim that Biden botched Medal of Honor placement