Raccoon Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee
He himself was not the Light; he came only as a witness to the Light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. ~ John 1:8-9
As of 2020, 41 million men and women have served in the United States Armed Forces beginning in the Civil War. Of those, only 3,500 have received this distinguished service award – 19 of them twice and 2 were fathers and sons. 1,522 are from the Civil War.
We learned this when we visited the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center today. It’s a brand new building which had the misfortune of this past February being their opening day. Three weeks later, it was closed due to Covid, and has only recently re-opened its doors.
It seems there have always been awards, beginning with the founding of our nation.
The Medal of Honor was ushered in at the conclusion of the Civil War.
The first awards went to men who were part of a spy group in Chattanooga during the Civil War, called Andrews Raiders. Of the 22 men assigned to the mission, only six survived. You can read about them in the upcoming pictures.
and they tried to make them look as much like the person as possible.
The docents here are full of information, and in a conversation with one of them, we learned that the first 32 medals awarded went to men from Tennessee.
To receive a Medal of Honor, you must exhibit the following character traits.
Courage
Doing the right thing when faced with danger or difficult decisions is the hallmark of the Medal of Honor. Acts as simple as speaking out when you believe something is wrong or standing up for someone who has been mistreated are ways that we as humans can live out acts of courage in our daily lives.
Sacrifice
Upholding sacrifice and service above self are guiding principles for all Americans as citizens of a free and prosperous nation. A young man choosing to give up his seat on a bus for an elderly woman or a child sharing her favorite toy with a classmate might seem like simple, insignificant acts, but each time someone chooses to prioritize others before his or herself are displays of sacrifice that demonstrate one’s character.
Patriotism
Devoting our loyalty to our nation and educating others about what makes America great is essential to a lasting, unified nation. While this is a crucial character trait for our soldiers fighting for our country and also for American citizens, the same sentiment can be applied to the dedication and loyalty we exhibit to those we are closest and interact with in our everyday lives – friends, family, classmates and beyond.
Citizenship
Inspiring all Americans to be involved in their community, respect others, show compassion, and assume personal responsibility helps build a greater nation. Volunteering at your local homeless shelter, purchasing Christmas gifts for a family that otherwise could not afford them or simply providing a shoulder for someone to lean on when he or she is going through a tough time are all ways we can continue to demonstrate citizenship every day.
Integrity
Being honest and having strong moral principles is a personal choice to hold oneself to consistent ethical standards, and one we can all make. This character trait can sometimes be the most challenging of all as it is on you and only you to make the right choice. More often than not, making the right choice isn’t the most enjoyable, easiest or safest choice, but when we prioritize morality over our own wants or needs, we promote a world that is supportive, kind and honorable.
Commitment
Dedicating time, energy and resources to and for others results in stronger communities and an America that is an example for the rest of the world. When you tell a friend you will pick them up from the airport or you promise your children you will build a treehouse with them over the weekend, making a commitment to be there and following through on that commitment is the number one way to build trust and respect from those around you.
I imagine that’s why there’s so few recipients.
Medal of Honor recipients receive the following privileges and special benefits:
- A Special Medal of Honor pension of $1,388.68 per month above and beyond any military pensions or other benefits for which they may be eligible
- Special entitlements to Space “A” air transportation
- Enlisted recipients are entitled to a supplemental uniform allowance
- Commissary and exchange privileges (includes eligible dependents)
- Admission to the United States military academies for qualified children of recipients – without nomination and quota requirements
- 10 percent increase in retired pay
- Medal of Honor Flag
- May wear the uniform at anytime as long as the standard restrictions are observed
- Many states offer Medal of Honor automobile license plates and other benefits
- Interment at Arlington National Cemetery if not otherwise eligible
I don’t know. It doesn’t sound like much to me. Especially when you consider that so many are awarded posthumously. What do you think? I suspect it’s more of an honor than benefits. I’m quite certain that none of the recipients did what they did in order to receive “benefits”.
This is a very well-done museum, with the exception of a few of the information boards being so dark you could barely read them. I’m not sure if it was designed that way, or if some light was out.
And as we walked through and looked at the men (and one woman) they’ve chosen for this museum, we discovered we’d already learned about two of them. One from another museum we visited in the past, and one by watching a movie– Alvin C. York (yes, I know Sgt York is a movie, but we’ve never seen it) and Desmond Doss. The movie “Hacksaw Ridge” was about his brave attempt to not leave anyone behind.
Other than picking up our ornament, History Lesson Number Four was all we did today that was noteworthy.
We truly enjoyed our time in Chattanooga! There’s lots to see and do here. I’m certain we’ll be back, because there were plenty of things we didn’t see due to time constraints.