HEROES H O N O R I N G A M E R I C A’ S
T
he Medal of Honor is our nation’s highest military award for valor to be bestowed upon a member of the United States military. Our nation has only awarded 3,510 Medals of Honor since it was initiated after the Civil War. When the Medal of Honor Host City (MOHHC) Program began, there were 150 living MOH recipients. At that time, there was a 1 in 600,000 chance that a person would ever meet a Medal of Honor recipient in their lifetime. However, Gainesville, Texas is unique. In 2001, Gainesville, Texas became the only city in America to annually host our nation’s highest decorated heroes to promote patriotism and celebrate the heroism of the recipients. Gainesville is now known as America’s “Medal of Honor Host City.” For the past 21 years, the students of Gainesville ISD have had the privilege of spending time with our nation’s highest decorated military heroes. To date, Gainesville has hosted 56 of our nation’s 64 living Medal of Honor recipients. Our students have the opportunity to interact with living heroes from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East/Afghanistan. Medal of Honor week, held annually in April, is full of community events including a banquet, tree dedication, Patriot Dinner, parade, and book signing. However, visiting our schools is what the recipients love the most about coming to Gainesville. ΩΩOn their first full day in town, they spend time with our students in our schools. They first visit either Gainesville Intermediate or the Junior High and then 22
• Gainesville SPOT SPOTlight light • Summer 2022
A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR GISD STUDENTS
