Portal:Military of the United States/Selected biography/13
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William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody (February 26, 1845 – January 10, 1917) was an American soldier, buffalo hunter and showman. He was born in the American state of Iowa, near Le Claire. He was one of the most colorful figures of the Old West, and mostly famous for the shows he organized with cowboy themes.
After the death of his mother in 1863, Cody enlisted in the 7th Kansas Cavalry Regiment and fought with them on the Union side for the rest of the Civil War. From 1868 until 1872 Cody was employed as a scout by the United States Army. Part of this time he spent scouting for Indians. He received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for "gallantry in action" while serving as a civilian scout for the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment. This medal was revoked on February 5, 1917, 24 days after his death, because he was a civilian and therefore was ineligible for the award under new guidelines for the award in 1917. The medal was restored to him by the army in 1989.
