In the US Military, is discrimination a thing of the past?

President Barack Obama held a special Medal of Honor ceremony for 24 Army veterans on Tuesday. Out of the 24 decorated, only three could attend — because they are the only ones still alive. Their service ended decades ago.

"After years of review, these two dozen soldiers — among them, Hispanics, African-Americans and Jewish veterans — were identified as having earned the Medal of Honor," said Obama.

"Some of these soldiers fought and died for a country that did not always see them as equal."

This appreciation comes after a congressional order to review cases of veterans who may have been wrongly denied the nation's highest military honor because of their religion, race or ethnicity.

"Their deeds merited the highest recognition, and today we have the chance to set the record straight," announced Obama.

Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Melvin Morris was one of Tuesday's recipients.

Now retired in a small town in Florida, Morris remembers that fateful day in Vietnam in 1969. He went back to retrieve the body of a fellow soldier and was shot three times.

"I made a quick choice that I had to get him, because we can't leave anybody behind. We can't leave nothing for the enemy. We'll never leave another fallen comrade," said Morris.

After returning home, Morris received the military’s second-highest award, the Distinguished Service Cross.

The reason the military denied him the highest award: institutional racism. The president called him to tell him.

"He said, 'I want to apologize to you. You should have received the Medal of Honor 44 years ago, so I’m presenting you with the Congressional Medal of Honor.' I dropped down to my knees. I was overwhelmed," said Morris.

Sgt. Santiago Erevia and Master Sgt. Jose Rodela were also decorated heroes in the Vietnam War but were denied the Medal of Honor in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Of the 24 veterans honored Tuesday — who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam — more than half were Hispanic.

In the Medal of Honor’s history, just over 60 Hispanic men received the award, out of the more than 3,000 medals awarded.

However, a third of the medals were for service during the Civil War. In that conflict, three medals went to Hispanic servicemen.

Last year more than 150,000 Hispanics were in active duty, and in 2011, they made up nearly 17 percent of new recruits.

Is Medal of Honor discrimination a thing of the past?

With Latinos as one of the fastest-growing minority demographics in the U.S., how are they faring in the military today?

Will more Hispanics feel inspired to join the armed forces?

We consulted a panel of experts for the Inside Story.

This panel was assembled for the broadcast of “Inside Story.”

For future hard-hitting conversations, find Al Jazeera America on your TV.