For Release February 23, 2021

Congressional Medal of Honor Society

Contact: John Falkenbury at [email protected]

Congressional Medal of Honor Society

Announces 2021’s Citizen Honors Award Finalists

Awardees to be Announced on Medal of Honor Day, March 25

Washington, DC, February 23, 2021 — The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, today, announced the top 20 finalists for this year’s Citizen Honors Awards.  The finalists were selected through two rounds of judging by an independent panel, with the final round judged exclusively by Medal of Honor recipients.

Each year, The Citizen Honors Awards recognize Americans whose exceptional courage and selfless service embody the values of the Medal of Honor: courage, sacrifice, integrity, commitment, patriotism, and citizenship. More than 75 nominations from around the country were received for this year’s prestigious awards.

Every day in this country, ordinary Americans become extraordinary through singular acts of heroism or through a prolonged series of selfless acts. These acts of courage and self-sacrifice symbolize the American spirit and are recognized every year by our nation’s greatest heroes.

From the 20 finalists, an honoree in each of the following categories will be honored for their courageous and selfless work for our country.  The finalists are:

SINGLE ACT OF HEROISM – recognizes Americans who accomplish extraordinary feats of heroism by risking their lives for the benefit of others in a dire situation.

• Raine Neeland (Posthumous) Bagley, MN
• David Dorn (Posthumous) St. Louis, MO
• Jalan Alston (Posthumous), Brooklyn, NY
• Chianti Bryant. Bainbridge, GA
• Harrell Fischer, Sacramento, CA
• Marena Kouba, Sartell, MN

YOUNG HERO AWARD – Recognizes young Americans age 8-17 for their courage in a dire situation.

• Chris Stone (Posthumous) Santa Fe, TX
• Trenton Beazley, Santa Fe, TX
• Isaiah Thompson and Desaun Williams, Moseley, VA

 SERVICE ACT AWARD – recognizes Americans who consistently place others before themselves through volunteer service.

• Aiden Reilly and James Kanoff, Pacific Palisades, CA
• Patrick Scannon, San Francisco, CA
• John Turner, Sanford, NC

YOUTH SERVICE AWARD – Recognizes young Americans age 8-17 for placing others before themselves through volunteer service.

• Charles Austin, Brunswick, ME
• Cavanaugh Bell, Gaithersburg, MD
• Khloe Joiner, Missouri City, TX

COMMUNITY SERVICE – recognizes a community-based organization for its exceptional impact or mission in supporting our nation’s military service members and their families.

• Gary Sinise Foundation, Woodland Hills, CA
• Project Life Saver, Port St. Lucie, FL
• The Armed Forces Service Center, St. Paul, MN
• Tierney Center for Veterans Services, Tustin, CA
• Wreaths Across America, Columbia Falls, ME

The 2021 Citizen Honors Service Awards Honorees (Service Act, Youth Service and Community Service) will be celebrated on July 14, 2021 in Charleston, SC at a dinner being held at The Belmond Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston, SC.

The Valor Awards Honorees (Single Act of Heroism and Young Hero) will be honored in Boston, MA on September 10, 2021 at a dinner at the Seaport Hotel.

The Citizen Honors honorees receive this award from a group of Americans whose actions have defined the words courage and selfless service — the living members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. These brave Americans have received the Medal of Honor for their acts of valor performed during wartime and present the Citizen Honors awards to Americans who are showing courage and dedicating themselves to service here at home.

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society was chartered by Congress in 1958 to create a brotherhood among the living Medal of Honor recipients; to protect and uphold the dignity and honor of the Medal; to promote patriotism and love of country; and to inspire our youth to become worthy and dedicated citizens of our nation. Its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. Today, there are 69 living recipients of the Medal of Honor. The Society is unique in that its membership hopes that there will be no need to welcome new inductees.

More information on the finalists and the Citizen Honors awards are available by contacting John Falkenbury at [email protected] or by visiting https://themedalofhonor.com/citizen-honors/

# # #