The Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s mission is to promote the legacy of the Medal and the values it stands for like courage and sacrifice.

One way that we carry out this mission is through our annual Citizen Honors Awards. 

Launched in 2007, the Citizen Honors Awards let us recognize extraordinary people and organizations who have gone above and beyond to help others in their communities. We believe it is important to recognize and honor these Americans for their bravery and to share their stories with others across the country. 

If you know an individual or organization in your community who has gone above and beyond for others, we invite you to share their story by nominating them for our 2022 Citizen Honors Awards. From now until Dec. 1, you have the opportunity to give them the recognition they deserve. If you would like to learn more about nominating a Citizen Hero, we invite you to click here. 

To inspire you, we wanted to share the stories of our 2021 Citizen Honors Awardees below.  

Raina Neeland (Single Act of Heroism Award)

Raina’s kind and generous spirit was a constant inspiration to her community. She was passionate about fishing, sports, and spending time with the people around her. One day, she went out with her cousins to visit Clearwater Dam. The kids jumped in, not realizing that the tide was too high. Raina, without hesitation, rescued the three young children. She gave her life to save the lives of others. We invite you to learn more about her story from her family here. 

David Dorn (Single Act of Heroism Award)

Retired police captain David Dorn, loved serving, protecting, and bringing his community together. He took a vested interest in the area that he worked and lived in. One night, he got up to respond to a call about his friend’s shop that was being looted. While trying to peacefully de-escalate the situation, he was mortally wounded. We invite you to listen in as his wife and members of his community share his story here. 

Chris Stone (Young Hero Award)

Chris was a charismatic, kind, and empathetic young man. His laughter was contagious and he had a strong bond with his family. When a gunman opened fire at his high school, Chris and his classmates took shelter in a closet. Without hesitation, he blocked the closet door so that his classmates would remain safe. His family has started a foundation that provides scholarships to seniors who are graduating to honor his memory. We invite you to listen in here as they share his story. 

Aiden Riley & James Kanoff (Service Act Award)

James and Aiden are a best friend duo. Both have a desire and passion to serve others in their community which spurred the creation of the FarmLink Project. They noticed that each year, tons of food go to waste instead of the people who need it. To initiate change, they began connecting farmers with surplus products to communities in need. Listen in as they share their story and passion for providing food to those who need it.   

Charles “Charlie” Austin (Youth Service Award)

Charlie’s passion for sports is something that has been a big part of his life since he was a kid. When he discovered that he was living with cardiac limitations, he didn’t want to give that world up. To stay involved, Charlie decided to donate his time and money to help fund and develop The Warrior Program, a virtual training program for Special Olympics Maine. We invite you to listen in as Charlie’s family and teachers share his story of service here. 

Gary Sinise Foundation (Service Act Award)

The Gary Sinise Foundation is an organization filled with people who are passionate about serving our military, their families, and first responders. Their mission is to ensure that service members and their families know that their service is not in vain. Listen in as the founder, Gary Sinise, his team, and those who have been impacted by this organization discuss their experience. 

To learn more about our Citizen Honors Awards from Recipient Leroy Petry, we invite you to click here. We look forward to hearing your stories about individuals or organizations who have gone above and beyond for others. To submit a nomination, please fill out this form to tell us a little bit about yourself and the nominee. 

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