The end of 2021 was a significant period for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. We mourned the loss of one of our members, Vietnam veteran and Recipient Gary B. Beikirch. President Joseph Biden signed legislation to permit the building of a new monument to honor Medal of Honor Recipients in the District of Columbia. And Medals were awarded to three U.S. Army service members–Master Sgt. Earl Plumlee Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe and Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Celiz–for their heroic actions in the War on Terrorism.
Connecting these events is not just the Medal, itself, but the importance of the values behind them—courage, sacrifice, integrity, commitment, patriotism, and citizenship.
Americans have historically held these values dear, both in peacetime and during some of the most turbulent times in our nation’s history. Indeed, it was seeing these values demonstrated during the American Civil War that sparked the creation of the Medal of Honor in 1861.
As a Society, we have made it our mission to ensure that the Medal and these values are not forgotten. It is why the passing of a fellow Recipient is so significant. And it’s why the awarding of new Medals is so momentous. It is also why we are so grateful for efforts across the United States that spotlight the Medal of Honor and help support the Society’s mission.
The Medal of Honor Memorial in Indianapolis, Indiana; the Medal of Honor Memorial in Riverside, California; and the Recipients’ own Medal of Honor Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina—all Congressionally-recognized Medal of Honor sites—as well as the Charles H. Coolidge National Heritage Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, help to preserve the history and the values of the Medal.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Ceremony in Virginia is a highly reverential memorial dedicated to the remains of unidentified U.S. service members, each of whom has been awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.
New opportunities to help the public learn more and appreciate the importance of the Medal of Honor are also being introduced.
Along with the future monument in the District of Columbia, a new Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas, will soon break ground, and a National Medal of Honor Leadership and Education Center in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, is in the planning stage.
In turn, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society will continue to help teach the important values we associate with the Medal of Honor to children through our Character Development Program educational curriculum that we offer free to elementary and secondary schools.
We will work to connect Recipients with members of the American public to reinforce the Medal of Honor values and support veterans and their sacrifices through our Valor Outreach Program.
We will preserve the legacies of the more than 3,500 Medal of Honor Recipients and the history and artifacts of the Medal of Honor through our Archives and our Recipients’ Medal of Honor Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
We will also facilitate the unique bonds shared by the living Medal of Honor Recipients who make up the membership of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and support them through our Healthcare and Advocacy program that works to ensure that Medal of Honor Recipients receive the care that they deserve.
We wish to thank members of the U.S. Congress for passing legislation to create the new memorial in Washington and the bills’ sponsors–Sens. John Cornyn and Tim Kaine and Reps. Marc Veasey and Blake Moore. The Society also recognizes the National Medal of Honor Museum foundation for facilitating the legislation.
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor and its Recipients, inspiring Americans, and supporting the Recipients as they connect with communities across the country. Chartered by Congress in 1958, its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor, including 66 living Recipients.
The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education, and historical preservation programs, including the Medal of Honor Museum, Valor Outreach Program, Character Development Program, and more.
Learn more about the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s initiatives and how you can partner with us at https://www.cmohs.org.