In 1958, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society was chartered by Congress. The Society is composed of those who wear the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military award for valor. 

The Medal of Honor Recipients are still committed to serving our country by championing the values of courage, sacrifice, integrity, commitment, patriotism, and citizenship across the United States. Some do so by serving on our board of directors. 

We would like to give a warm welcome to our new president, Recipient Leroy Petry, and the following board members who will serve this upcoming year. Read about their stories of service and involvement with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society below. 

Recipient Leroy Petry (President) 

Leroy Petry was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Army during the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Since his return from the war, he has championed Veterans’ mental health and wellbeing by addressing topics such as suicide prevention. Recipient Petry has also been involved in many outreach initiatives for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and has inspired others with his stories of service. Listen in as he discusses nominating a Citizen Hero for our Citizen Honors Award here. 

Recipient James McCloughan (Vice-President) 

James McCloughan was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2017 for his service as a combat medic during the Vietnam War. Since then, he has given much of his time to help further the mission of the Society, recently completing a Living History Video and participating in a webinar as part of our Character Development Program. 

Recipient Ryan Pitts (Secretary) 

Ryan Pitts was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Army during the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. His courage and steadfast devotion to his unit and the ability to fight while seriously wounded prevented the enemy from seizing fallen American soldiers. Recipient Pitts has shared his story with students across America through our Character Development Program. 

Recipient Kyle J. White (Treasurer) 

Kyle White received the Medal of Honor in 2014 for his service as a radio telephone operator during the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Recipient White continues to champion the Medal of Honor through our Veterans Outreach Program and Character Development Program. This month, he will participate in “The Invisible Wounds of War” Webinar co-hosted by the Society and the Fisher House Foundation. 

Recipient Drew Dix (Immediate Past President) 

Drew Dix was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. His actions led to the rescue of many people. Recipient Dix recently served as our President and has consistently shared the values of the Medal of Honor with others. Listen to his story of service with our Living History Video here. 

Recipient Matthew Williams (First Regional Vice President)

Matthew Williams was presented the Medal of Honor in 2019 for his service during the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Through his actions, he ensured the survival of four critically wounded soldiers. He has shared his story of valor through our Character Development Program and recently spoke at Wells Fargo for their Veterans’ Connection Employee Resource Network. 

Recipient Michael Thornton (Second Regional Vice President) 

Michael Thornton was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. Through his extraordinary courage, he was directly responsible for saving the life of his superior officer. Recently, he was part of a group of Recipients that talked to incoming freshmen at The Citadel Success Institute about courage and character. 

Recipient Harold Fritz (Third Regional Vice President) 

Harold Fritz was presented the Medal of Honor in 1971 for his service as a platoon leader during the Vietnam War. Recipient Fritz refused medical aid until all his wounded comrades had been treated and evacuated. He has continued to serve the Congressional Medal of Honor Society through Character Development Program initiatives. He also served on the board of directors last year. 

Recipient William Swenson (Fourth Regional Vice President) 

William Swenson was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Army during the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. His exceptional leadership against the enemy rallied his teammates and ultimately disrupted the enemy’s assault. Recipient Swenson is very involved in all of our events and has shared his story of service with communities across the United States. 

Interested in learning more about the Recipients? We invite you to sign up to receive our monthly newsletter where you can stay up to date with special announcements and events.