Medal of Honor Recipient Reflects on the Meaning Behind the Historic Medal
The Upcoming Annual Medal of Honor Convention Will Reunite Recipients in Gettysburg, Sept. 19-21
GETTYSBURG, Pa., Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Brian Miles Thacker, retired First Lieutenant of the U.S. Army and Medal of Honor recipient for his service during the Vietnam War, said there is a weight associated with the historic medal he carries.
"It's an 'us' award, not a 'me' award," Thacker said. "We saved some, but not all. It's those who didn't come home that are the burden. I think of them every day."
In a recent interview with John Reid for Focus Washington, the online channel for interviews and commentary from around the Beltway, Thacker discussed the Medal of Honor, his fellow recipients and the upcoming Medal of Honor Convention, to be held in Gettysburg, Pa., Sept. 19-21. The full interview can be viewed here.
"We look at the Convention as not only an opportunity to get together, but also an opportunity to meet with the communities that made us," Thacker said. "To talk with the small town America -- the block if you're in the city -- get to the people level, as opposed to the leadership level."
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society gathers each year to reunite living recipients as they continue their legacy of inspiring America's youth, honoring patriots and exemplary citizens, and memorializing fellow recipients who have passed. This year, more than 45 recipients of the U.S. Military's highest honor will convene in Gettysburg for the planned events. There are several events open to the public, listed here.
This year's convention is unique in that it not only seeks to highlight and celebrate the Medal of Honor recipients, but also to honor the history of Gettysburg and its connection to the Medal of Honor. The year 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the awarding of the first Medal of Honor in March of 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg, where sixty-three Medals were awarded, and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It is also the 55th anniversary of President Eisenhower's chartering of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention is an annual gathering of members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society – the only organization consisting exclusively of recipients of the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States for valor in combat. The Convention honors Medal of Honor recipients and promotes the Medal's values of courage, sacrifice, service and patriotism. Learn more about the 2013 convention at www.cmoh2013.org.
SOURCE Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention
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