National Medal of Honor Day Events at Arlington National Cemetery
National Medal of Honor Day Events at Arlington National Cemetery
This year marks the 151th anniversary of the establishment of the Medal of Honor, which President Abraham Lincoln signed into law in 1861. The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.
Events at Arlington National Cemetery to honor the Medal of Honor Recipients and the values that the medal represents:
Friday, March 23, 2012 at 2:15 p.m.: Medal of Honor Day Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Medal of Honor Recipients will participate in this ceremony.
Friday, March 23, 2012 at 2:30 p.m.: Citizen Service Before Self Honors Ceremony
Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation will host its fifth annual Citizen Service Before Self Honors ceremony to recognize nationally and honor three recipients: James McCormick of New Haven, W.Va.; Montel Mixon of Saint Paul, Minn.; and, Brandon Wemhoff of Lincoln, Neb. The recipients represent the values of courage, sacrifice and selfless service. At the ceremony, the Foundation will also present the American Spirit Award to Spencer Zimmerman, a 15-year-old Boy Scout from Phoenix, Ariz. for his extraordinary initiative and selflessness.
Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Medal of Honor Walking Tour (FULL)
In recognition of National Medal of Honor Day, Arlington National Cemetery is conducting a special guided walking tour of Arlington National Cemetery focusing on Medal of Honor recipients buried at Arlington, as well as the history of the Medal of Honor. Tom Sherlock, Arlington National Cemetery historian, and Timothy Frank, a historian with the Naval History and Heritage Command, will narrate the tour. Frank was a contract historian for the Medal of Honor Society from 2002 to 2004, and had the opportunity to interview 60 Medal of Honor recipients. The tour is full, but a list of Medal of Honor Recipients buried or memorialized at Arlington National Cemetery is available to honor, remember and explore our nation’s most honored heroes.