MOH Recipient William Carney Gets the (Excellent) Comic Book Treatment

I had the chance recently to participate in a small way in a very cool project by the Association for the United States Army (AUSA). They publish a series of short comic book-style graphic novels about various Medal of Honor recipients. They asked me to serve as a historical consultant on their latest work, Volume 7, Issue 1: Medal of Honor: William Carney.

Carney was a member of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which Civil War folks best know from their appearance in the movie Glory. Carney earned the Medal of Honor for his actions during their famous charge on Fort Wagner in July 1863. “When the unit’s color guard was shot,” the AUSA explains, “Carney grabbed the American flag and crawled to the parapet under heavy fire to urge the troops forward. His story was immortalized in the patriotic song ‘Boys the Old Flag Never Touched the Ground.’”

I became fascinated with Carney’s story several years ago thanks to an incredible video by the American Battlefield Trust. In the video, living Medal of Honor recipient Melvin Morris (whom I later had the honor to meet) walked in Carney’s footsteps on Morris Island outside Charleston Harbor. Having all those pieces come together was profound.

So I jumped at the chance when the AUSA reached out to me about reviewing the script and the artwork. Little did I realize that the work I’d be reviewing would be by some top-notch comic book creators:

• Script: Chuck Dixon (Batman, The Punisher, The ’Nam) 
• Artwork, Cover: Wayne Vansant (The ’Nam, Savage Tales, All Quiet on the Western Front)
• Colors: Peter Pantazis (Justice League, Superman, Black Panther)
• Lettering: Troy Peteri (Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men)

Dixon’s work on the Batman storylines Knightfall and Knight’s End in the 1990s had made a huge impression on me back in the day, so the old comic book fanboy in me was a little starstruck about that, to be honest!

I read the script and made one or two minor suggestions (Dixon had really done his homework). Later, I reviewed the artwork, again making only a couple small comments (Vansant had really done his homework, too). Just before the whole thing went to press, I made one final review. It was neat to see the evolution of the project and especially neat to see the final product. Carney’s story is incredible, and these pros took care to do it justice. Bravo to them.

If you’d like a free digital copy of that final product, you can download one here, courtesy of the AUSA.

My thanks to Joe Craig, director of the AUSA’s book program, for inviting me to play a small part in this wicked cool project.

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I’m pleased to pass on info about the AUSA’s entire graphic novel series:

American soldiers have always displayed heroism on the battlefield. But only a select few are recognized with the nation’s highest military decoration: the Medal of Honor.

The Association of the United States Army celebrates their valor with the Medal of Honor graphic novel series. These full-color digital books are created by a talented team of professionals drawn from the comic book industry, and the details are vetted by professional historians. Each eight-page issue profiles a true American hero, bringing to life the daring deeds that distinguished themselves by gallantry in action “above and beyond the call of duty.”

The series started in October 2018 with the release of Medal of Honor: Alvin York to commemorate the centennial of York’s heroic actions in World War I. To date, 24 issues have been published, commemorating such heroes as Audie Murphy, Mary Walker, Daniel Inouye, Henry Johnson, and Roy Benavidez.

AUSA is producing four new issues in 2025, along with a paperback collection for the fall:

Medal of Honor: William Carney – for the soldier in the 54^th Massachusetts who saved the flag at Fort Wagner

Medal of Honor: Clint Romesha – to celebrate the soldier who rallied his comrades to keep Combat Outpost Keating out of Taliban hands

Medal of Honor: Van Barfoot – to recognize the WWII soldier who advanced through a minefield to take out enemy machine gun positions and a tank

Medal of Honor: Emil Kapaun – for the chaplain in the Korean War known for his courage as much as his spiritual guidance

Information and links to all of the graphic novels are available on AUSA’s Medal of Honor series page at www.ausa.org/moh.

To read Medal of Honor: William Carney online or download a free copy, please visit www.ausa.org/carney.