A film documents the struggle to honor a Medal of Honor recipient, a Marine and heroic flying ace

“Pappy Boyington Field" is a film that tells the story of the grass-roots effort to honor WWII hero Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, who earned the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor for his leadership of the Black Sheep Squadron in the Pacific during World War II.

The film follows members of his hometown of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho who battled against bureaucracy to name an airfield after this extraordinary hero.

Boyington flew initially with the American Volunteer Group in the Republic of China Air Force during the Second Sino-Japanese War. He later commanded the famous U.S. Marine Corps squadron, VMF-214 "The Black Sheep Squadron" during World War II.

The Black Sheep Squadron amassed an impressive record of victories against the Japanese. Pappy Boyington was credited with 26 victories, until he was himself shot down over the Pacific and captured by the Japanese. He spent 20 months as a Prisoner of War, and was listed as Missing in Action for the duration of the war. Upon his liberation from the prison camp at the end of the war, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

In his memoir, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Boyington portrays himself as a tough, unorthodox, hard-living character. He was also a heavy drinker, which plagued him in the years after the war, and possibly contributed to his multiple divorces. He himself, freely admitted that during the two years he spent as a P.O.W. his health improved, due to the enforced sobriety.

Brad Schaeffer in his article, ‘Pappy’ Boyington Almost Shot Down by the P.C. Craze? writes:

“Believe it or not, it took several years and a mammoth grass-roots effort from several Marine veterans groups, Pappy’s family members, and even the weight of celebrities like Col. Oliver North (USMC Ret.) and actor Robert Conrad (who played Boyington in the 1970s series “Baa Baa Black Sheep” to convince the town council to even consider a vote on the motion let alone get it passed.

In 2007, after several years of controversy, the airport was finally renamed Pappy Boyington Field.

Gonzalez’s film, which leads off with interviews of aging Marine veterans from Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima and morphs into a tale of denying one of their comrades the recognition he earned because he did not pass a personal litmus test of what is a “good example” set by men far removed from the war and its impact, provides yet another small piece of the puzzle of what has gone awry with America.

Although today when visiting Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, you do indeed fly into Pappy Boyington Field, showing that people, if organized and determined, can still have a voice as to the direction of their community and nation.

Director Kevin Gonzalez states on the film’s website:

"One does not undertake a story about a Medal of Honor recipient without a tremendous sense of responsibility to the subject.

I was inspired by the many Veterans involved in the campaign, because they are heroes in their own right. In the film I've tried to capture the essence of what a Medal of Honor recipient means to people, and how that sentiment fueled their resilience in this fight.

How many towns can say that a Medal of Honor recipient was born here? It seemed like such an innocuous issue on the surface, so I couldn't understand why there was a controversy. I then decided to document the story as it unfolded, not knowing how long it would continue or how it would end. There are many themes I explore in this story, but at its core, the film offers a unique perspective on local community activism.

The struggle against bureaucracy seemed universal to me whether a community wants to honor a Librarian, a Fireman, or in this case a Fighter Pilot...the people should have a voice in a decision about a public commemoration."


Pappy Boyington Field from Kevin on Vimeo.

Resources and Photo Credits:

Documentary website: Pappy Boyington Field: A Campaign to Honor a Hero
Pappy’ Boyington Almost Shot Down by the P.C. Craze? Brad Schaeffer Breitbart

The last living Medal of Honor recipient from the Battle of Iwo Jima

According to Bill Bartel’s article, Aboard the Iwo Jima, hero recalls epic battle in The Virginian-Pilot, WWII Medal of Honor recipient; Hershel “Woody” Williams was invited by the Navy to a remembrance ceremony aboard the USS Iwo Jima at Norfolk Naval Station on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011.

Williams was only 17 when he joined the Marines. His accomplishments  on Iwo Jima are legendary. He landed on Iwo Jima on February 21, 1945, then a corporal and distinguished himself two days later when American tanks, trying to open a lane for infantry, encountered a network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines, and black volcanic sands.

“Williams went forward alone with his 70-pound flamethrower to attempt the reduction of devastating machine gun fire from the unyielding positions.”

“Covered by only four riflemen, he fought for four hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flame throwers. He returned to the front, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another. At one point, a wisp of smoke alerted him to the air vent of a Japanese bunker, and he approached close enough to put the nozzle of his flamethrower through the hole, killing the occupants. On another occasion, he charged enemy riflemen who attempted to stop him with bayonets and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon.” Wikipedia

He was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on October 5, 1945, at the White House.

From the article:

"He repeated for his audience Wednesday what Marine Commandant Alexander Vandegrift told him in October 1945, shortly after President Harry S. Truman presented the Medal of Honor to Williams.

"That medal does not belong to you," Vandegrift said. It belongs to all the Marines who never came home. Don't do anything to tarnish it, he said.

"The words stuck."

"I wear it especially for two Marines who, on Feb. 23, 1945, gave their lives protecting mine," Williams said. "I claim only to be the caretaker of the medal."

Williams served in the Marine Corps Reserve, Organized Marine Reserve when the 98th Special Infantry Company was authorized by Marine Corps Headquarters, Clarksburg, West Virginia,  the 25th Infantry Company in Huntington, West Virginia as (Interim) Commanding Officer of that unit Mobilization Officer for the 25th Infantry Company. He was advanced through the warrant officer ranks during his time in the Reserves until reaching his final rank of Chief Warrant Officer.

Though Williams struggled with the after-effects of combat stress until 1962, he experienced a religious renewal and later served as chaplain of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for 35 years.

Read more of Bill Bartel’s article, Aboard the Iwo Jima, hero recalls epic battle with photos of the ceremony.

Video from the National WWII Museum:



also see the Hershel "Woody" Williams interview with Ed Tracy at the Pritzker Military Library

Kansas House votes unanimously to name highway for MOH recipient

Captain Donald Ross

The Kansas House of Representatives voted unanimously Monday, February 21st, 2011 to endorse naming of a section of Kansas highway for Medal of Honor recipient, the late U.S. Navy Captain Donald Kirby Ross.

Representatives saluted the World War II veteran in the presence of two fellow Medal of Honor recipients — retired Col. Donald Ballard and retired Col. Roger Donlon. Both received the nation's most distinguished medal for bravery in combat while fighting in Vietnam.

During the 7 December 2024 Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor, Ross was serving on board USS Nevada (BB-36). When the ship was badly damaged by bombs and torpedoes, he kept the dynamo rooms operating until he was overpowered by smoke, steam, heat and exhaustion. For his courageous conduct, Machinist Ross was awarded the Medal of Honor.

"When his station in the forward dynamo room became almost untenable due to smoke, steam and heat," reads Ross' citation, "he forced his men to leave that station and performed all the duties himself until blinded and unconscious. Upon being rescued and resuscitated, he returned and secured the forward dynamo room and proceeded to the after dynamo room, where he was later again rendered unconscious by exhaustion. Upon recovering consciousness, he returned to his station, where he remained until directed to abandon it."

The 47-mile section of K-18 to be named in memory of Ross runs from north of Salina to the west.

See rest of article, House salutes Kansas MOH recipients in The Capital-Journal by Tim Carpenter

School opposes changing name to honor Vietnam MOH recipient

Sgt. Brian L Buker

The following article, Residents of Benton will have their say on renaming school, appeared the other day and we find it hard to believe that there is any doubt in the minds of the citizens of Benton, Maine. Unfortunately, we have read similar reports from other cities and towns.

"On Nov. 2, students at Benton Elementary School held a mock election and included a question about renaming the school. They voted by a 3-1 margin to keep its current name.

The results of a survey posted on the school’s website showed that many staff members, former students and parents also opposed the change."

We believe it might be a good thing that Benton School district included a Medal of Honor curriculum in their history lesson plans.

After Medal of Honor recipient, Sergeant Brian L. Buker's medals were donated to Lawrence High School this fall, Kennebec County Sheriff Randall Liberty proposed renaming Benton Elementary School for Buker, who was killed in combat during the Vietnam War, 41 years ago, when he was only 20 years old.

From the Morning Sentinel:

"We didn’t realize there was going to be as much opposition to denotive the school as there was," stated Fitzpatrick, a member of the subcommittee. "We were all kind of surprised."

Liberty stated Tuesday he’s collected 280 signatures from Benton residents who support changing the name. He called the resistance from the school "surprising and disappointing."

Liberty stated that many schools are titled after local heroes, and he believes Buker is deserving of that honor.

"The only opposition I have heard is that people don’t like change or that somehow this will impact the environment at the school," Liberty said. "I don’t see the merit to that thought process."

The 1st and only woman Medal of Honor recipient: A statue in her honor

Mary Edwards Walker, one of the nation's 1.8 million women veterans, was the only woman to earn the Medal of Honor, for her service during the Civil War.

Though a World War II, Liberty ship, the SS Mary Walker, was named for her and in 1982, the U.S. Postal Service issued a 20 cent stamp in her honor, in April 2011 the residents of her hometown of Oswego, New York will honor her with a statue.

According to Post-Standard columnist, Dick Case in his article, Statue of Oswego County woman who served as a surgeon in Civil War ready for casting:

A “bigger than life” statue of Dr. Mary Walker, a Civil War surgeon and dress reformer, will be dedicated April 30 in front of the town hall. The sculptor, Sharon BuMann, plans to send the clay model of the statue to the foundry for casting in bronze next week.

The statue is a gift from the Oswego community, according to Theresa Cooper, the Oswego town clerk who headed the campaign to get the statue done. “I’m so proud of the community,” Theresa explained. “This is a major piece of our history.”

Although there were larger donations from Oswego County and Wal-Mart, most of the $53,000 was raised in individual contributions, according to the clerk, who also is an officer of the town historical society, which is officially sponsoring the statue.”

Disturbing news: Advocacy group opposes memorial to Medal of Honor recipients

Photo credit: Obregon/CMH Foundation

Disturbing news from Los Angeles with the announcement that an advocacy group is opposing a memorial to Medal of Honor recipients.

The City Project filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles for the construction of the war memorial in the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument by three different groups, including the nonprofit El Pueblo Park Association and a Tongva Indian group.

One of reasons given: The memorial, “diminishes much-needed public space and demands that the city suspend work until a full environmental review is completed."

The case is set to go to trial on March 11.

Pfc Obregon and Pfc Summers

From the Obregon/CMH Foundation website (who are financing and constructing the monument):

"It is a little known fact that of the nearly 3,500 Medals of Honor awarded since the Civil War, 40 (43) have been given to Latino Americans making them the largest single ethnic group, in proportion to the number who served, to earn our nation's highest award for bravery.

This site will remind all who visit it that many of these heroes made the ultimate sacrifice to safeguard our liberties and to protect their comrades. Such was the case of Pfc Eugene A. Obregon, a young Marine from East Los Angeles, California, who gave his life so that his friend, Pfc Bert M. Johnson of Grand Prairie, Texas, might live. While shielding the wounded Bert with his body, Gene Obregon single-handedly held off an entire North Korean platoon, killing 22 of the enemy before falling to a burst of enemy machine gun fire. Obregon's deed exemplifies the brotherhood that should exist among all Americans.

Above all, it is important to understand that the purpose of the Obregon/CMH monument is not to glorify war, but to honor those patriotic Latino Americans who, for love of country, liberty and brotherhood "performed with conspicuous gallantry, above and beyond the call of duty."

In the Los Angeles Times article, Veterans Win OK of Statue to Honor 39 Latino War Heroes (published in 2000), George Ramos mentions that it took six years for the local veterans to persuade the governing board of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument to approve a statue in honor of the Latinos who have received the nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor.

“Their patriotism should not be questioned, they say, pointing out that among Mexican Americans alone, there were 17 Medal of Honor winners during World War II and Korea. A book about the Latino Medal of Honor recipients, Among the Valiant, by Los Angeles author Raul Morin, was the impetus for the memorial…

"This is a great day" for Latino veterans, said Morin's son, Eddie, who is updating his father's book.

We recommend the groups filing the lawsuit, read Obregan’s story and the citations of these Medal of Honor recipients:

Medal of Honor recipient unceremoniously ousted as Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services by Governor

Vietnam War hero, Medal of Honor recipient and Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services, Thomas G. Kelley was recently fired by Governor Deval Patrick after 30 years of service to the United States Navy and a decade devoted to Bay state veterans.

Thomas G. Kelley was awarded the Medal of Honor while serving as a Navy lieutenant in Vietnam. From 1999, first as commissioner and then secretary of Veteran Services, he made Massachusetts a national leader in programs and benefits for veterans.

“The state redefined the word veteran to include military personnel who served in peacetime, not only war, making them eligible for benefits. Massachusetts created a welcome-home program to offer bonuses to returning veterans and free college tuition to National Guard members attending state schools. And Kelley’s agency also created a counseling program called SAVE, Statewide Advocacy for Veterans Empowerment, to help returning vets reintegrate into society.” Boston.com

Bruce Coulter, editor of the Beacon-Villager had something to say about this in his recent column, Farewell to an American hero:

“Kelley, who I’ve interviewed in the past, told reporters that Gov. Deval Patrick and Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray apparently want to take the veterans services agency in another direction.

Which leads me to ask: What direction?

Which leads me to ask: What was the problem with Kelley?

I don’t begrudge Patrick the opportunity to pick his administration officials, but he could at least be honest regarding Kelley’s dismissal. Instead, his administration spent the following days ignoring the question most asked: Why?”

Read more of the article on the Beacon-Villager.

In the Boston.com article, Patrick bumps veterans secretary, Andrea Estes mentions:

“He served under three successive Republican governors, Paul Cellucci, Jane Swift, and Mitt Romney, and was retained by Patrick during his first term.

But Kelley’s future with the administration appeared uncertain after the governor excluded him from Cabinet meetings.

After his reelection last month, Patrick asked all Cabinet secretaries and senior officials to submit letters of resignation and reapply for their jobs.”

Read more of the article at Boston.com.

Thomas G. Kelley served in Vietnam as a lieutenant in command of River Assault Division 152, part of the Mobile Riverine Force.

“On June 15, 1969, he led eight boats on a mission to extract a U.S. Army infantry company from the bank of the Ong Muong Canal in Kien Hoa province, South Vietnam. During the extraction, the convoy came under attack from a hostile force on the opposite bank and one of the boats suffered a mechanical failure which prevented it from raising its loading ramp and getting under way. After ordering the other boats to form a defensive line around the disabled craft, Kelley maneuvered his own boat to the front, between his men and the enemy, and engaged the hostile force. He received a severe head wound when a rocket struck near him, penetrating the boat's armor and spraying shrapnel in all directions. Although unable to stand or speak clearly, he continued to relay directions to the convoy, with the help of one of his sailors, until the crippled boat was repaired and the group was able to move out. Kelley survived his wounds and was subsequently promoted to lieutenant commander and awarded the Medal of Honor.”

A wonderful interview at the Pritzker Military Library can be viewed here.

Thomas G. Kelley on Speak out! Save lives!

Medal of Honor’s 150 year anniversary and 100 years of Boy’s Life: one scout to receive the American Spirit Award

Photo Credit: Scouting Magazine

From the Boy Scouts of America:

“For Americans there is no greater recognition of service, courage and leadership than our nation's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor. This year, in celebration of a century of turning "today's readers into tomorrow's leaders," Boys' Life will work with the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and the exclusive Society of America's living Medal of Honor recipients to give Americans the opportunity to help select a Scout to receive the Foundation's American Spirit Award.

As part of the 150th anniversary celebration of what the Medal of Honor represents, the Foundation invited the Boy Scouts to nominate an outstanding Scout, so the editorial staff of Boys' Life conducted a national search of Scouts and their achievements and selected four Scouts as potential recipients. Visit Boy's Life  to see details of each finalist's accomplishments.

The four finalists are: TJ Ellwein, of Davidsonville, Md., who logged more than 400 hours leading the cleanup and beautification of Chaplain's Hill at Arlington National Cemetery, Brad Garr, of Scottsdale, Ariz., who has received the William T. Hornaday Silver Medal for his conservation efforts and who has helped save a life on two separate occasions, Jacob Netzel, of Fayetteville, N.C., who raised $40,000 and constructed a memorial for fallen members of the 3rd Special Forces Group and Jack Pape, of Omaha, Neb., who provided first aid to Scouts injured during the tornado at Little Sioux Scout Ranch in 2008 and who gave CPR to a boy pulled from a swimming pool in 2009.

Online voting for the nominees was from January 5 through February 11 and made up 50 percent of the evaluation process. A panel of Boys' Life editors and members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation also will evaluate nominees.

In March 2011, the recipient will be flown to Washington, D.C., to receive the American Spirit Award and participate in National Medal of Honor Day activities March 24-25, 2011. Also, the recipient will be featured in an issue of Boys' Life and will serve as an ambassador for the magazine throughout the remainder of its 100-year anniversary celebration.

"The values the Boy Scouts of America instills in young people represent those embodied in the Medal of Honor," said Gen. Nick Kehoe, president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. "We are excited to be working with Boy Scouts of America and Boys' Life, which has served as the voice of Scouting, chronicled the movement's achievements and helped prepare more than 100 million American youth across five generations for extraordinary lives."

Read more at Boy's Life.

Subscribe to Boys Life

The Boy Scouts of America is the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. For 100 years, the award-winning Boys' Life has chronicled Scouting's commitment to give young Americans the tools, experiences and knowledge they need to make the world a better place. Through an entertaining and educational variety of general interest articles, fictional stories and cartoons, the magazine has reinforced the importance of literacy and told the collective story of more than 100 million Scouts, many of whom have gone on to be national heroes, including sports stars, astronauts and U.S. Presidents. 

Vietnam War hero Jack Jacobs on duty and sacrifice in America’s time of need

Photo credit:Wikimedia Commons

In a recent article, GI Jack from the Chicago Jewish News Online, author Pauline Dubkin Yearwood recounts Medal of Honor recipient, Retired Col. Jack Jacob’s visit to Chicago where he was presented with the 2010 Colby Award, presented by the Tawani Foundation in association with Chicago's Pritzker Military Library, for his book, If Not Now, When? Duty and Sacrifice in America's Time of Need, written with Douglas Century.

The $5,000 award, named for former CIA director William E. Colby, recognizes “a first work of fiction or non-fiction that has made a significant contribution to the public's understanding of intelligence operations, military history or international affairs.” Jacobs accepted it at the library's Liberty Gala in Chicago.

Ms. Yearwood mentions:

Jacobs' Medal of Honor heroic action in Vietnam, which he describes in his book, parallels Giunta's experience in Afghanistan. Then-1st Lt. Jacobs was serving as an advisor to a South Vietnamese infantry battalion in the Mekong Delta and was searching for a group of Vietcong when the battalion was suddenly ambushed. The commander was badly wounded, as was Jacobs, who was hit by mortar shells in the head and eye and could barely see.

Nevertheless he took command, withdrew the rest of the unit to safety and returned to the scene of the attack several times, as intense fire continued, to rescue the wounded. He saved the lives of 13 soldiers and another advisor before passing out from the severity of his wounds.

Like Giunta, he downplays his own sacrifice.”

You can read the rest of this terrific article at Chicago Jewish News Online

See on Amazon.com

If Not Now, When?: Duty and Sacrifice in America's Time of Need 

A Medal of Honor recipient looks back at his own service-and ahead to America's future.

Jack Jacobs was acting as an advisor to the South Vietnamese when he and his men came under devastating attack. Wounded, 1st Lt. Jacobs took command and withdrew the unit, returning again and again, saving fourteen lives-for which he received the Medal of Honor.

Here, Col. Jacobs tells his stirring story of heroism, honor, and the personal code by which he has lived his life, and expounds with blunt honesty and insight his views on our contemporary world, and the nature and necessity of sacrifice.

Jack Jacobs on Speak out! Save lives.



The video above is from the project Medal of Honor Speak Out! Save Lives where Medal of Honor recipients - speak out to save lives by encouraging America's military to seek help when adjusting to life after combat, particularly for post-traumatic stress (PTS).

From the website:

Spread the words of Medal of Honor Recipient Jack Jacobs, Captain, U.S. Army, Vietnam: “The tools and the resources are here now. Make use of them. Stay strong. Don’t let the enemy defeat you at home.” Jacobs and other recipient’s open and honest sentiments may just be the words of encouragement a struggling Service member needs to hear.

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Inspiring column about 11 year-old Medal of Honor recipient

Photo credit: USS Yorktown

Columnist Doug Dickerson recently published a very inspiring article, Marching to the Beat of Your Own Drum, at Salem-News.com about his visit to the USS Yorktown, Medal of Honor Exhibit in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

From his article:

“What caught my eye was recognition given to the youngest recipient of the Medal of Honor, William “Willie” Johnston. Born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont in 1850, Johnston was a drummer boy in Company D of the 3rd Vermont Infantry. His service in the Seven Day retreat in the Peninsula Campaign was exemplary.

During the retreat many of the men threw away their equipment so they had less of a load to carry. Johnston retained his drum and brought it safely to Harrison’s Landing. It was there he had the honor drumming for the division parade. He was the only boy to bring his instrument to the battlefield. Upon receiving word of Johnston’s bravery, President Lincoln suggested he be given a medal; a Medal of Honor.

Heroic acts by leaders like Johnston give cause for us to reflect on our motives and how we might better serve those we lead. An 11 year-old drummer boy on a battlefield 149 years ago teaches us three leadership traits worth emulating.”

Read the rest of Doug Dickerson's article at Salem-News.com.
Doug's blog: Management Moment Leadership Services

See on Amazon.com

Young Johnston is the subject of a book, Mr. Lincoln's Drummer written by G. Clifton Wisler.

The fascinating, true story of ten-year-old Willie Johnston who, for his courage as a drummer in the Union Army during the Civil War, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. via Civil War Sources

Photo credit: USS Yorktown

The Congressional Medal of Honor Museum is located on board the historic aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. This national museum is also home to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the most unique and perhaps the most exclusive organization in the United States. Its members share the distinct honor of wearing our nation’s highest award for military valor.

The Congressional Medal of Honor Museum features interactive exhibits that explain the origin of the Medal of Honor and what it stands for. Perhaps of greater importance, these exhibits tell the stories of brave Americans who displayed remarkable courage such as Audie Murphy, Sergeant Alvin York and Jimmy Doolittle. Even now, the Medal of Honor continues to touch the lives of Americans as the museum pays special tribute to the first Medal of Honor recipients from the War On Terror; exceptional Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan. Visit website.

A must-see video: The Story of Sal Giunta

The Sal Giunta Story from SebastianJunger/TimHetherington on Vimeo.

A must see video The Story of Sal Giunta who received the Medal of Honor from President Obama last month. It should be shown in every elementary and high school history class. A friend of ours whose father was WWII Medal of Honor recipient, Sgt. Wise's commanding officer on the day he was awarded the Medal of Honor and he himself a captain who served in Vietnam, said:

"This is the kind of stuff I wish my father and Sgt. Wise were around to see."

This video clip is from the movie Restrepo winner of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for documentary. Restrepo chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. The movie focuses on 15 soldiers based at Outpost Restrepo, named after a platoon medic killed early in the deployment. Filmed by author Sebastian Junger and award-winning photographer Tim Hetherington, Restrepo takes viewers on their own 90-minute deployment, without comment or agenda. A National Geographic Entertainment release.

Medal of Honor recipient Bob Kerrey speaks about PTSD

Former Governor and United States Senator from Nebraska and Medal of Honor recipient Bob Kerrey recently spoke about post-traumatic stress disorder. In the Omaha World-Herald article, Soldier reintegration efforts lauded, author Matthew Hansen mentions:

"It's nearly impossible to return home from war normal," Bob Kerrey said Monday during an impassioned speech for an Omaha charity helping veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Too many Americans expect veterans to deploy, come home and then take off their uniforms and resume their old lives, the ex-U.S. senator, Vietnam War veteran and Medal of Honor recipient told an Omaha crowd.

But many veterans are haunted by a memory “that does not leave them when they sleep,” Kerrey said.

Those memories can “take the joy out of life … make pleasure impossible,” he said.

Read the rest of the article at the Omaha World-Herald

Medal of Honor recipients honored by United States Mint

2011 Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Program

The "Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009," (Public Law 111-91) was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on November 6, 2009. It authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 100,000 gold $5 and up to 500,000 silver $1 coins in recognition and   celebration of the establishment of the Medal of Honor in 1861.

The act calls for the designs to be emblematic of the traditions, legacy and heritage of the Medal of Honor and the distinguished service of its recipients.

As authorized, the United States Mint shall produce $5 gold and $1 silver coins in both proof and uncirculated qualities. Surcharges in the amount of $35 for each gold coin and $10 for each silver coin are authorized to be paid to the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation.

The foundation assists in perpetuating the legacy of the Medal of Honor by funding programs to promote the ideals of courage, sacrifice, selfless service and patriotism among the American public.