▁C ody ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁en list ed ▁soldier . ▁Another ▁problem ▁was ▁the ▁question able ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁Board ▁for ▁Cor re ction ▁to ▁contra ven e ▁several ▁federal ▁stat utes ; ▁the ▁Medal ▁of ▁Honor ▁rev ocation ▁had ▁been ▁express ly ▁author ized ▁by ▁Congress , ▁meaning ▁that ▁the ▁rest oration ▁went ▁against ▁the ▁law ▁in ▁force ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁the ▁law ▁requiring ▁the ▁rev ocation ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁and ▁the ▁modern ▁stat ute ▁en act ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁that ▁remains ▁substantial ly ▁un mod ified ▁today . ▁Since ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Cor re ction ▁is ▁merely ▁a ▁deleg ation ▁of ▁the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Army ' s ▁authority , ▁this ▁ra ises ▁a ▁separation ▁of ▁powers ▁conflict , ▁since ▁even ▁the ▁president ▁cannot ▁contra ven e ▁a ▁clear ▁stat ute , ▁yet ▁C ody ' s ▁medal ▁was ▁de alt ▁with ▁below ▁the ▁cabinet ▁level . ▁Modern ▁Medal ▁of ▁Honor ▁cases ▁origin ating ▁from ▁the ▁board , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁recent ▁case ▁of ▁Gar lin ▁Con ner , ▁required ▁both ▁executive ▁action ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁stat ut ory ▁w ai ver ▁from ▁Congress , ▁which ▁unders c ores ▁this ▁point . ▁In ▁the ▁C ody ▁case , ▁the ▁board ' s ▁gover ning ▁assistant ▁secretary ▁recognized ▁that ▁it ▁lack ed ▁the ▁authority ▁to ▁re inst ate ▁the ▁medal ▁directly , ▁and ▁so ▁decided ▁to ▁return ▁the ▁case ▁to ▁the ▁board ▁for ▁re cons ider ation . ▁As