2011 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention September 28-October 2, 2011

LOUISVILLE, Ky - August 29, 2024 - The 2011 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention will convene in Louisville September 28 through October 2 at the Galt House Hotel & Suites. Over 50 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and their guests will converge on the city for several events designed to honor their service, sacrifice and deeds of heroism.

Every year, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society holds a convention in a host city for those living, distinguished service members who have received this prestigious award.

Thursday, September 29, 2024
9:00AM--7:30PM
Visit the WWII ship (LST-325): Open to the public at the wharf at Waterfront Park (LST admission $10.00 per family). Military displays.

2:00PM—4:00PM
Medal of Honor Autograph Signing: Open to the public with reservations at Galt House; Grand Ballroom (reservation forms on website)

7:30PM—10:00PM
(doors open at 6:00PM)
“A Tribute to American Valor.” KFC YUM! Arena. Free Public Event--Join the Medal of Honor recipients for a star-studded, patriotic show, Free tickets may be picked up at the Yum Arena, Convention, and Expo centers beginning August 29, 2011.

Friday, September 30, 2024
9:00AM--5:00PM
Visit the WWII ship (LST-325): Open to the public at the wharf at Waterfront Park (LST admission $10.00 per family). Military displays.

Saturday, October 1, 2024
9:00AM-- 5:00PM
Visit the WWII ship (LST-325): Open to the public at the wharf at Waterfront Park (LST admission $10.00 per family). Note: LST admission charge helps preserves this volunteer-Veteran vessel.

Noon—2:30PM
Luncheon at Churchill Downs—Open to the Public- with the Medal of Honor recipients in MiIlionaire’s Row. Open to the public. (30.00 per ticket) Check website for ticket and reservation information.

5:30PM—10:00PM
Patriots Award Dinner at Galt House Hotel and Suites Grand Ballroom. Black-tie reception and dinner event for recipients sponsors with tickets, and public ($250.00 per ticket. Call 228-7140 for tickets).
Sunday, October 2, 2024 Departure Day

Visit the convention website for more details

Honolulu to host 2012 Medal of Honor Convention

HONOLULU — The City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu Medal of Honor 2012 host committee are pleased to announce that the Congressional Medal of Honor Society has selected Honolulu to host its 2012 national convention.

“It is an honor for Honolulu to host our country’s most-decorated war heroes,” said Mayor Peter Carlisle. “We owe them a debt of gratitude and look forward to a successful event next year.”

Approximately 85 Medal of Honor recipients plan to gather in Honolulu next year for the annual Medal of Honor Convention, which will be held at the Hale Koa Hotel and other locations from October 2 to 6, 2012.

During the convention, the Medal of Honor recipients will take part in various activities including opportunities for outreach to children, students and veterans to meet and interact with them in and around Honolulu.

Convention co-chairpersons, David J. McIntyre, Jr., President and CEO of TriWest Healthcare Alliance and retired Admiral Tom Fargo, along with the Medal of Honor Society’s liaison and Medal of Honor Recipient Major Drew Dix will be in Honolulu on September 19, 2011, for committee meetings regarding the convention.

The Medal of Honor, established by President Abraham Lincoln in December 1861, is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy that can be earned by a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. The recipients of the Medal of Honor must distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation’s guidelines.

See article about this year's convention: The 2011 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention that will convene in Louisville, KY on September 28 through October 2, 2024

 

Medal of Honor Recipient, former Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer visits World Trade Center with Port Authority leaders

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Sep 22, 2024 hosted Medal of Honor recipient, former Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer, on a tour of the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center - which opened to the public twelve days ago - and One World Trade Center - where he signed a steel beam on the 72nd floor.

Sgt. Meyer was welcomed to the site by Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni, Port Authority Police Superintendent Michael Fedorko and 9/11 Memorial and Museum President Joe Daniels.

President Barack Obama awarded Sgt. Meyer, 23, the Medal of Honor on September 15 for his actions in saving 36 lives during a battle on September 8, 2009. Sgt. Meyer is the first living marine to receive this award since 1973 for actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A ceremony was held by the Memorial’s South Pool to commemorate Sgt. Meyer’s achievements, as well as to honor other veterans from the Port Authority Police Department Marine Corps. Association, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association (IAVA), and a number of veteran construction workers from the World Trade Center site.

Following the ceremony, Sgt. Meyer was given a tour of One WTC and signed a steel beam on the 72nd floor. A mark of significant progress, the tower has reached the 82nd floor.

See our previous articles about Medal of Honor recipient former Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer:

Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer to be inducted into Pentagon Hall of Heroes 9/16/2011 @ 2:00 PM EDT

Video and transcript of remarks by President Obama awarding the Medal of Honor to Sgt. Dakota Meyer

Video of U.S. Marine Dakota Meyer receiving Medal of Honor at White House ceremony

DoD Video: Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer tells his story

Marine Corps Cpl. Dakota Meyer to receive Medal of Honor on September 15th 2011

Fall Cleanup Dates Set for Medal of Honor Grove

Marine Corps Major General James E. Livingston (right)
and retired Army Colonel Walter J. Marm (left) and
present Senator Andy Dinniman

Volunteers are encouraged to come out to help clean up the Medal of Honor Grove on Saturday, September 24 and Saturday, October 1.

State Senator Andy Dinniman said, “Last fall, more than 1,000 volunteers from throughout the region came out to clean up the Medal of Honor Grove. Since then, we have made major progress in the promotion and protection of this historic veterans memorial site,I want to thank all of the volunteers who participated and encourage them to come join the Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove in a redoubled effort to maintain and preserve the Grove.”

Volunteers are welcome to attend two fall cleanup days, rain or shine. They are:

Saturday, September 24 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Saturday, October 1 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove is seeking volunteers who are able to lift and carry branches and sticks. In addition, trucks and trailers with drivers are needed to transport debris to the compost site. Drivers should register prior to arrival at www.friendsmohgrove.org.

Volunteers should wear gloves and appropriate attire and footwear to work in the woods and be prepared to bring bug spray, sunscreen and water. All children under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or group leader.

The 52-acre Grove, located at the rear of the Freedoms Foundations headquarters, just off Route 23 near Phoenixville, is the nation’s oldest memorial site dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients. It is divided into one-acre plots for each state, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Each plot features an obelisk and metal plaques set in the ground, honoring Medal of Honor recipients dating back to the Civil War.

For more information about the cleanup, visit www.friendsmohgrove.org.

See our previous article about Medal of Honor Grove:
Medal of Honor Grove highway approved by Senate to save nation's memorial


Photo credit: Medal of Honor recipients retired Marine Corps Major General James E. Livingston (right) and retired Army Colonel Walter J. Marm (left) present Senator Andy Dinniman with a book in recognition of his efforts to restore and repair the Medal of Honor Grove.

Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer to be inducted into Pentagon Hall of Heroes 9/16/2011 @ 2:00 PM EDT

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota L. Meyer will be inducted into the Hall of Heroes on Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. EDT in the Pentagon Auditorium.

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Secretary of the Navy Ray E. Mabus, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James F. Amos, and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Michael P. Barrett will participate in the ceremony.

Following the Hall of Heroes ceremony, Meyer will be honored with an evening parade at Marine Barracks Washington at 6 p.m.

View coverage of the Hall of Heroes ceremony and live coverage of the parade on the Pentagon Channel below:



President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Meyer in a White House ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 2:30 p.m. in recognition of his valor during Operation Enduring Freedom.

See previous articles:

Transcript of remarks by President Obama awarding the Medal of Honor to Sgt. Dakota Meyer

Marine Dakota Meyer to receive Medal of Honor at ceremony @ 2:30 p.m. September 15 2011 at the White House

Marine Corps Cpl. Dakota Meyer to receive Medal of Honor on September 15th 2011

Photo credit:President Barack Obama shares a laugh with Jean Meyer, the grandmother of Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer, second from left, as they and members of the Meyer family walk along the Colonnade of the White House, Sept. 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Video and transcript of remarks by President Obama awarding the Medal of Honor to Sgt. Dakota Meyer

MOH Dakota Meyer and President Obama

Remarks by the President Awarding the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Dakota Meyer

East Room

2:50 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Please be seated. Thank you, Chaplain Kibben. Good afternoon, everyone. And on behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to the White House.

It’s been said that “where there is a brave man, in the thickest of the fight, there is the post of honor.” Today, we pay tribute to an American who placed himself in the thick of the fight -- again and again and again. In so doing, he has earned our nation’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor. And we are extraordinarily proud of Sergeant Dakota Meyer. (Applause.)

Today is only the third time during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that a recipient of the Medal of Honor has been able to accept it in person. And we are honored to be joined by one of the two other recipients -- Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry, who is here.

I would point out something else -- of all the Medal of Honor recipients in recent decades, Dakota is also one of the youngest. He’s 23 years old. And he performed the extraordinary actions for which he is being recognized today when he was just 21 years old.

Despite all this, I have to say Dakota is one of the most down-to-Earth guys that you will ever meet. In fact, when my staff first tried to arrange the phone call so I could tell him that I’d approved this medal, Dakota was at work, at his new civilian job, on a construction site. He felt he couldn’t take the call right then, because he said, “If I don’t work, I don’t get paid.” (Laughter.) So we arranged to make sure he got the call during his lunch break. (Laughter.) I told him the news, and then he went right back to work. (Laughter.) That’s the kind of guy he is. He also asked to have a beer with me, which we were able to execute yesterday.

Video of U.S. Marine Dakota Meyer receiving Medal of Honor at White House ceremony

Sgt. Meyer received the Medal of Honor today for his acts of extraordinary heroism in Afghanistan on 8 September 2009. He was born and raised in Columbia, Kentucky, attended local public schools, and graduated from Green County High School.

In 2006, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at a recruiting station in Louisville, Kentucky, and completed his basic training at Parris Island Recruit Training Depot later that year. In 2010, Sgt Meyer completed his active duty commitment and he currently serves in the Individual Ready Reserve of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

He is a school trained sniper and highly skilled Marine infantryman. At the time of his deployment to combat duty in Afghanistan he was serving as a Turret Gunner and Driver. His unit assignment at the time of his heroic acts was with Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7 operating in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

Sgt. Meyer has deployed twice to combat duty, serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2007, he deployed to Iraq for OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, and during 2009-10, he deployed to Afghanistan for OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.

In his civilian professional life, he has completed undergraduate college coursework and he currently works for McDan, Inc. in Kentucky’s construction industry.

Sgt. Meyer is a highly decorated Marine combat veteran. His personal awards include a Purple Heart Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V” device for valor, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and a Combat Action Ribbon. His other awards and decorations include a Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two bronze campaign stars, Iraq Campaign Medal with one bronze campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Medal ISAF Afghanistan, and a Rifle Expert Badge (3rd Award) and Pistol Expert Badge (2nd Award). Marine Corps Web Site

Full details of his heroic actions on the Official U.S. Marine Corps Web Site

See previous articles about his bravery while retrieving the bodies of four U.S. servicemen killed in an ambush in Afghanistan in 2009:

Marine Corps Cpl. Dakota Meyer to receive Medal of Honor on September 15th 2011

U.S. Marine Dakota Meyer to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan



Check Medal of Honor News later for full transcript, photos and video replay 

Update (9/15/2011 @ 6:30 p.m.EST):
Video and transcript of remarks by President Obama awarding the Medal of Honor to Sgt. Dakota Meyer

Marine Dakota Meyer to receive Medal of Honor at ceremony @ 2:30 p.m. September 15 2011 at the White House

Photo credit: Pete Souza / White House

President Obama on Wednesday night shared a beer with former Cpl. Dakota Meyer at the White House, the evening before presenting Meyer with the Medal of Honor.

The White House said the meeting took place on the patio outside of the Oval Office.

Meyer will receive the military's highest award, the Medal of Honor, for charging five times through heavy gunfire to rescue comrades ambushed by insurgents in Afghanistan in September 2009. The ceremony will start at 2:30 p.m. EDT today at the White House.

Full details of his heroic actions on the Official U.S. Marine Corps Web Site

See previous articles about his bravery while retrieving the bodies of four U.S. servicemen killed in an ambush in Afghanistan in 2009:

Marine Corps Cpl. Dakota Meyer to receive Medal of Honor on September 15th 2011

U.S. Marine Dakota Meyer to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Check Medal of Honor News later for full transcript, photos and video replay

Update (9/15/2011 @ 6:30 p.m.EST):
Transcript of remarks by President Obama awarding the Medal of Honor to Sgt. Dakota Meyer

Photo credit: Pete Souza / White House President Obama shares a beer with Dakota Meyer on the patio outside of the Oval Office on Sept. 14. Meyer is scheduled to receive the Medal of Honor on Sept. 15.

DoD Video: Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer tells his story

Photo credit: DoDLive

Today, Sept. 15, 2011, @ 2:30 p.m. ET, President Barack Obama will present the Medal of Honor to former U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Dakota Meyer for his heroic actions in a remote Afghan village on Sept. 8, 2009.

Meyer is the third living recipient, and second Marine to receive the medal for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. Cpl. Jason Dunham was awarded the medal posthumously for covering a live grenade with his body in order to save two other Marines.

Marine Corps Cpl. Dakota Meyer to receive Medal of Honor on September 15th 2011

U.S. Marine Dakota Meyer to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan

Ceremony can be viewed live on the Pentagon Channel @ 2:30 ET (video pending)

To learn more about Cpl. Dakota Meyer view these videos from DoDLive.



Friends and family of Sgt. Dakota Meyer talk about what he is like.


Sgt. Dakota Meyer was serving with a special Marine Corps unit known as an Embedded Training Team when he performed the heroic actions that would eventually lead to him receiving the Medal of Honor. This video depicts the mission the teams have in Afghanistan.


Photo credit: DoDLive, Dakota Meyer, 23, displays the combat boots he wore during an eight hour battle in Ganjgal, Afghanistan, Sept. 8, 2009, on his dad's farm in Greensburg, Ky., Aug. 3. Meyer will be receiving the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor, from President Barack Obama in Washington, Sept. 15, making him the first living Marine recipient since the Vietnam War. Meyer was assigned to Embedded Training Team 2-8 advising the Afghan National Army in the eastern provinces bordering Pakistan. He will be awarded for heroic actions in the Ganjgal Valley, Sept. 8, 2009.

2011 Louisville Medal of Honor Convention salutes heroes with spectacular variety show September 29 2011 @ 7:30 P.M.

The 2011 Louisville Medal of Honor Convention will present, “A Tribute to American Valor,” a patriotic variety show honoring our nation's armed forces on Thursday, Sept. 29. The event is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., will honor troops, veterans and their families while showcasing more than 350 performers. “A Tribute to American Valor” is free of charge and open to the general public, however a ticket is required for entrance.

Medal of Honor stories and unrivaled performances from Medal of Honor recipients Leo Thorsness, 6 year Vietnam War POW and SFC Sammy Davis, who shares an amazing and very moving story about his time in Vietnam and Dakota Meyer, (Afghanistan) who will receive the Medal of Honor on September 15th, 2011.

The show will be hosted by Oscar-nominee John Ratzenberger, best known for his roles in Cheers, Superman, The Empire Strikes Back and all of the Pixar films Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL-E, and Up. Also taking the stage for the evening are TV actor Dennis Haysbert, country music sensation Darryl Worley, Grammy nominated and Entertainer of the Year Tony Orlando, singer Steve Amerson, combat veterans and Sony Music Recording Artists 4Troops.

All troops, veterans, and their families will be recognized and honored. This is a time for everyone to come together to meet our living Medal of Honor recipients. The tribute will be broadcast live to our troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and throughout the world, on The Pentagon Channel at www.pentagonchannel.com.

Tickets are available beginning August 29, 2011. Tickets are FREE if obtained from ticket offices at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center, Kentucky International Convention Center, or KFC Yum! Center. Tickets may also be obtained at Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/. Tickets obtained through Ticketmaster will have a convenience fee of $1.75 per ticket.

For more information on the 2011 Medal of Honor Convention including “A Tribute to American Valor,” visit www.2011cmohlouisville.org

Medal of Honor exhibit honors heroes at Frazier History Museum

Visions of Valor Exhibit

The Visions of Valor exhibit will be at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville, KY from August, 20th 2011 until November, 13th 2011

Visions of Valor is the first and largest exhibit of its kind in American history to honor the commitment and character of recipients of the Medal of Honor, our nation's highest military award for valor under fire.

This exhibit of black-and-white photographs from famed portrait photographer Nick Del Calzo is intended to educate the public about the Medal of Honor and to perpetuate the patriotism, courage and honor of its recipients.

TriWest Healthcare Alliance has acquired two Visions of Valor collections—each containing 140 portraits depicting America's Medal of Honor recipients. These portraits depict all that is noble and brave about America's most decorated heroes.

"The humility and heroism of these great patriots shines through every photograph, and it is our extreme pleasure to be able to share their incredible faces—and, indeed, incredible stories—with this portrait collection."
- David J. McIntyre, TriWest President & CEO

Of the two collections, one is being permanently displayed at the Pentagon. The official presentation of the Visions of Valor collection to the Pentagon occurred February 3, 2006.

The second is a traveling exhibit which is being displayed at military and public venues throughout the West Region. The first-ever unveiling of the other collection took place on December 7, 2005, at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz. It then traveled to the Naval Medal Center San Diego and the United States Air Force Academy, Evans Army Community Hospital in Fort Carson, Colo. and the Hawai'i State Art Museum in Honolulu. The exhibit will continue its tour throughout the region, with more stops planned in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Kansas and Missouri.

Official Visions of Valor website

Frazier History Museum

Two Black Medal of Honor recipients honored with renovated park in the South Bronx

Photo credit: Malcolm Pinckney

Members of the 24th Infantry Regiment Combat Team Association, and family members of Medal of Honor recipients Army Sgt. Cornelius Charlton and Army Pfc. William Thompson cut the ribbon at Charlton Thompson Memorial Garden in the South Bronx (NY) on August 16, 2011. $3.7 million was raised to renovate the garden and the site was renamed to honor both men.

The tireless advocacy of the Friends of Charlton Garden - a group of local veterans, and the support of Bronx elected officials, helped remake Charlton-Thompson Garden into a “worthy memorial for two war heroes from this community.”

“Thanks to $1,900,000 from Council Member Helen Diane Foster, $1,300,000 from Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and a $500,000 federal grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Parks reconstructed this garden with a rebuilt pergola, expanded planted areas, reconstructed entrance, ADA-compliant ramp, decorative pavers, fencing, lighting, and a new flagpole with a stone base that includes inscriptions honoring both Charlton and Thompson.”

Charlton and Thompson are the only two Black Medal of Honor recipients of the Korean War and out of 87 African-American recipients of the Medal of Honor, only two are from the Bronx.

“Initially no Black soldiers were awarded Medals of Honor during the World Wars making William Thompson the first Black American awarded the Medal of Honor since the Spanish American War. (In the 1990s, in efforts to right this wrong inflicted on the brave Blacks who served in the World Wars, upgrades eventually resulted in one award to a Black soldier of WWI and to seven Black veterans of WWII.)” Military Times

Army Pfc. William Thompson

On August 6, 2025 in South Korea, Army Pfc. William Thompson manned his machine gun during an overwhelming enemy attack, providing covering fire for his comrades despite his own wounds. He died of his wounds that day, 10 days before his 23rd birthday, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle. He was buried in Long Island National Cemetery, Farmingdale, New York.

Army Sgt. Cornelius Charlton served with the U.S. troops occupying Germany in the aftermath of World War II before being sent to Korea. Initially assigned to an engineering group, Charlton requested transfer to an infantry unit and was subsequently placed in Company C of the 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. The U.S. Army was still in the midst of desegregation, and the 24th Infantry was the last all-black regiment in operation.

Army Sgt. Cornelius Charlton

On June 2, 2025 in Seoul, his platoon encountered heavy resistance while attempting to take Hill 543. Taking command after his platoon leader was wounded; Charlton regrouped his men and led an assault against the hill. Wounded by a grenade, he refused medical attention and continued to lead the charge. He single-handedly attacked and disabled the last remaining enemy gun emplacement, suffering another grenade wound in the process. Sergeant Charlton succumbed to his wounds that day, dying at the age of 21. For his actions during the battle, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Charlton's body was returned to the United States and buried in Virginia. On November 12, 2008, Cornelius H. Charlton was re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 40, Grave 300.