▁basic ▁criter ion ▁of ▁being ▁officers ▁or ▁en list ed ▁soldiers , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁express ly ▁listed ▁in ▁every ▁author izing ▁stat ute ▁ever ▁en act ed . ▁C ody ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁five ▁sc outs ▁affected . ▁Their ▁med als ▁were ▁stri pped ▁shortly ▁after ▁C ody ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁ ▁C ody ' s ▁relatives ▁object ed , ▁and ▁over ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁years ▁they ▁wrote ▁repeatedly ▁to ▁Congress ▁seeking ▁re cons ider ation . ▁All ▁efforts ▁failed , ▁including ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁letter ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁Senate ▁from ▁C ody ' s ▁grand son , ▁until ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁Senator ▁Alan ▁K . ▁Sim pson ▁of ▁Wy oming ▁took ▁up ▁the ▁cause ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁Its ▁brief , ▁which ▁argued ▁for ▁the ▁retro active ▁elev ation ▁of ▁these ▁civil ian ▁sc outs ' ▁status ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁Medal ' s ▁standards , ▁persu aded ▁the ▁Army ▁Board ▁for ▁Cor re ction ▁of ▁Military ▁Records ▁to ▁restore ▁their ▁med als . ▁The ▁decision ▁was ▁controvers ial ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁reasons . ▁Senator ▁Sim pson ' s ▁submission ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁law ▁had ▁never ▁required ▁C ody ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁soldier , ▁which ▁was ▁un true , ▁as ▁every ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁law ▁had ▁required ▁this . ▁Sim pson ' s ▁submission ▁c ited ▁a ▁book , ▁A bove ▁and ▁Bey ond , ▁to ▁illustrate ▁this ▁point , ▁but ▁the ▁source ▁actually ▁listed ▁the ▁correct ▁law ▁that ▁required