March 25 was established by Congress as National Medal of Honor Day to “foster public appreciation and recognition of Medal of Honor recipients.”

As the Congressionally chartered organization for the 65 living Medal of Honor Recipients, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society is grateful for the nation honoring the 3,516 Recipients who have received the Medal since the Civil War. Yet we are most appreciative of the opportunity it offers to reinforce what this day means to us.

To its Recipients, the Medal of Honor represents more than recognition of combat actions. Instead, it symbolizes the sacrifices of those we served alongside and those who came before us. Each year on this day, Medal of Honor Recipients lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The “unknowns” buried here are each Medal of Honor Recipients.