U.S. President Barack Obama awarded the nation's highest civilian honor - the Presidential Medal of Freedom - to 16 Americans in a ceremony at the White House on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients
![Former Chicago Cubs first baseman Ernie Banks, pictured in 2013. ](https://gdb.voanews.com/7C341668-C3AC-40BA-BE30-6C70961C8F5E_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
1
Former Chicago Cubs first baseman Ernie Banks, pictured in 2013.
![Ben Bradlee, former executive editor of the Washington Post, pictured in 2011.](https://gdb.voanews.com/58AE3F56-873B-4BCB-B70E-C3835AB13FD5_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Ben Bradlee, former executive editor of the Washington Post, pictured in 2011.
![Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, pictured Oct. 29, 2013.](https://gdb.voanews.com/F3EA99B3-396C-4A3D-BE5D-110D6C23D73A_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
3
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, pictured Oct. 29, 2013.
![Former Hawaii Senator. Daniel Inouye, pictured in 2012.](https://gdb.voanews.com/BEACF3DA-F3C7-44B8-9235-4950F73AB115_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
4
Former Hawaii Senator. Daniel Inouye, pictured in 2012.