Even Heroes have heroes, and Medal of Honor
recipients are no different from the rest of us in admiring the patriotism, courage, and
actions of others. In 1968 the members of the Medal of Honor Society designed and
presented the first NATIONAL PATRIOTS AWARD. Since then it has been presented
regularly at their Bi-annual (now ANNUAL) reunions to a "distinguished American who
exemplifies the ideals that make our country strong." These great Americans'
"dedication to freedom, their love for fellow man, their allegiance to our flag with
a full understanding of its demands, are accepted without reservation."
The award itself is a gold medallion
bearing
the seal of the Medal of Honor society on its face and an inscription on the reverse
bearing the name of the recipient and brief details of the award.
Past recipients include Bob Hope,
Jimmy Stewart, Will Rogers, Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and others. In
1998, for the first time in the award's history, it was presented to a married couple, Bob
and Elizabeth Dole. (Click on the image of this prestigious award at left to
view a roster of its recipients.)
The members of the Medal of Honor
Society have developed other awards as well to recognize the patriotism of notable
Americans. The Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment has been
presented to patriotic entertainers like Billy Ray Cyrus and more recently to General Carl
E. Mundy, Jr.
At their reunion in 1997 the
members of the Society introduced their new "Tex" McCrary Award for
Excellence in Journalism and presented it to CNN news anchor and former Marine
Bernard Shaw. The 1998 Award was presented to CBS News Correspondent Mike Wallace.
Another Medal of Honor Society
recognition is the DISTINGUISHED CITIZENS AWARD. Your webmaster is both humbled and
honored that the Society chose to present this award to him at the dedication of the Medal
of Honor memorial in Pueblo, Colorado in 1998.
All three of these additional
awards are the same gold medallion with an inscription on the back. The inscription
on the back of my award says:
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society
Presents
The Distinguished Citizens Award
To
DOUGLAS STERNER
A True American Patriot who firmly believes in God, children and love of
country, always selflessly giving in support of those beliefs. |
Yet
another Society award is a plaque that is often presented to local citizens for their
efforts to promote patriotism, serve America, and foster the ideals that make our Nation
great. The plaque bears the seal of the Medal of Honor Society surrounded by the
seals of the five branches of military service. At left Medal of Honor recipient
and 1995 6th Regional Director Dick Sorenson poses with my dedicated wife Pam after the
Society presented this special award to the two of us. In 1998 the Members presented
a similar plaque to the ENTIRE City of Pueblo for its ongoing efforts to preserve the
history of its hometown heroes.
