His heroism at San Juan Hill merited Roosevelt the Medal of Honor. However, Roosevelt penned an open letter in which he criticized the army and the politicians for their slow withdrawal of American troops from Puerto Rico, even though there was a spread of malaria. The secretary of war and President McKinley were not pleased and some even thought that Roosevelt might face a court martial. However, nothing came of this, due to Roosevelt’s immense popularity. President Bill Clinton later posthumously awarded Roosevelt his Medal of Honor in January 2001.