How the Archive Works

1. 1

   Sources gathered

   A researcher pulls every primary source they can find: London Gazette / Canada Gazette / equivalent governmental records, official medal rolls, regimental histories, ship and unit war diaries, contemporary newspaper accounts, US Medal of Honor and gallantry citation indexes, and reputable secondary works. Family-supplied photographs and documents are included when offered.

2. 2

   Medal rack built

   Each medal is identified against the master catalog with its correct precedence order for the issuing country. Clasps, devices, and ribbon bars are added with their per-issue specifics. A first-pass ribbon rack is rendered and reviewed against any surviving photograph of the recipient's actual rack.

3. 3

   Biography drafted

   The researcher writes a short biography focused on service: where and when the person served, what units they were attached to, the actions that led to their decorations, and any notable post-service details. Speculation is flagged as speculation; uncertain facts are flagged as uncertain.

4. 4

   Citation transcribed and checked

   The actual citation text for each gallantry award is transcribed verbatim from the gazette or equivalent source. Citation transcripts are line-checked against scans or facsimiles where available — small typographical errors in well-known online repositories are corrected against the primary source.

5. 5

   Second reviewer verifies

   A second person — never the original researcher — reviews the draft against the cited sources. Disagreements are escalated to an admin for resolution. The reviewer either approves the profile for publication or sends it back with specific corrections.

6. 6

   Family submissions reviewed

   If a relative or descendant has submitted photographs, documents, or notes, those are reviewed for relevance and accuracy. Nothing private is published without explicit family permission. Family submissions become part of the profile once approved, with attribution if requested.

7. 7

   Profile published

   The finished profile goes live with its provenance visible: every medal, every citation, and every claim links to or names its source. Sponsorship (if any) is acknowledged on the profile at the sponsor's option.

8. 8

   Corrections remain open

   Publication is never final. Errors, missing sources, and new family material can be submitted at any time via the Suggest a Correction page; each change is reviewed by a second person before it ships, and the profile's edit history records what changed and when.

• Publish a hero profile without a sourced citation for every gallantry award claimed.
• Publish a family-supplied document without explicit publication permission from the contributing family.
• Inflate a service record beyond what the sources support, even when it would be a more flattering story.
• Hide an honest correction. If we got something wrong, the page records what changed and why.
• Score a recipient's worth as a person. USM-25 ranks decorations on a transparent matrix; it does not rank people.

The archive runs on careful research, family contributions, and modest sponsorship. Whichever route fits, we're grateful.