The Medal of Honor Marks its 160th Anniversary

By Desert Star Staff

Last week 160 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln presented the first Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for bravery and sacrifice on the battlefield.

Last week, leaders from the National Medal of Honor Foundation gathered in Washington, D.C., to build on the legacy and support a proposal to build a monument in the nation’s capital.

Army Lt. Col. Will Swenson is a medal recipient from Carmel, who now sits on the Foundation’s board of directors. He said we are all capable of giving back.

“The character traits that make up a recipient can be transferred directly to everyday lives,” Swenson explained. “Working with the team, selfless sacrifice, altruism, understanding that we have a greater cause to give back to in the form of our country.”

A bill will be introduced next month to clear the way for the monument to be built on the central part of the National Mall in D.C. A museum and leadership institute are under construction in Arlington, Texas, and are slated to open in March 2025.

Chris Cassidy, president and CEO of the Medal of Honor Museum and Foundation, said the museum would bring recipients’ stories of heroism and bravery to life for generations to come.

“We’re focused on

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Desert Star Weekly 13279 Palm Drive Suite 4 & 5, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240 760-671-6604 the stories of normal Americans who did something completely above and beyond when the nation needed it,” Cassidy noted. “Not every visitor will be somebody that will put a uniform on. But courage is required in all aspects of one’s life. So we aim to inspire people to be more courageous in their own lives.”

Since 1863, about 3,500 men and one woman have received the Medal of Honor, and 65 are still living.