Citizen Service Above Self Announced and Honored 2010 Recipients

One of the Highest Civilian Honors Given to Three Unsung Heroes by Medal of Honor Recipients

WASHINGTON, March 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation today on Medal of Honor Day announced and nationally honored the Citizen Service Above Self Honors recipients for 2010.  After a nationwide search and selection process, three Americans have been selected for their selflessness and indomitable courage. The three unsung heroes are:

Dylan Nelson of Madison, S.D. who sacrificed his own life while saving two others in Lake Madison on Aug. 8, 2009;

Jeffrey Michael Ross of Roseville, Calif. who rescued a semiconscious woman from her sinking vehicle in the Folsom South Canal on July 12, 2009; and,

Dr. Jordy Cox of Phoenix, Ariz. who selflessly volunteered and offered his medical skills to perform surgeries that have saved many lives in Haiti, the Congo, and the Ivory Coast.

The 2010 Citizen Service Above Self Honors recipients were recognized by our nation's most honored heroes, the fewer than 100 living Medal of Honor recipients, in the shadow of the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.  The Tomb of the Unknowns represents the epitome of courage, sacrifice and selflessness in service to our nation.  

The Citizen Service Above Self Honors ceremony was held at 2:45 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 25, 2010, following a Medal of Honor Day wreath laying ceremony.  Lt. Gen. James B. Peake (Ret.), M.D., Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Leo Thorsness, the President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society; and David J. McIntyre, Jr., Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation board member and TriWest Healthcare Alliance President and CEO made formal remarks.  More than thirty Medal of Honor recipients were in attendance.  

"I, along with all of the living Medal of Honor recipients, salute Dylan Nelson, Jeffrey Michael Ross, and Dr. Jordy Cox, for their selfless acts," said Leo Thorsness, President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and a Foundation board member.  "As true heroes among us, these three remarkable recipients epitomize the Citizen Service Above Self Honors concept of 'service above self' and are truly deserving of this award.  Their actions are an inspiration to Americans everywhere."

After considering all nominations, a panel including Medal of Honor recipient representation selected 20 national finalists. From among the finalists, a second panel of Medal of Honor recipients selected three individuals to receive the prestigious civilian honors, Citizen Service Above Self Honors.  Complete profiles for each of the three recipients are listed on the Web site, www.CitizenServiceAboveSelfHonors.org.  

Sponsors of the 2010 Citizen Service Above Self Honors initiative are TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and the T. Boone Pickens Foundation.

ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society is chartered by Congress, and regarded as the most exclusive organization in our country, as its membership is solely made up of living Medal of Honor recipients. Today there are fewer than 100 members, who come from all social classes, race and economic levels. They range in age from 59 to more than 100, and live in all areas of our country. No amount of money, power or influence can buy one's rite of passage to this exclusive circle, and unlike almost any other organization, this group's members hope that there will be no more inductees.  For more information, visit www.cmohs.org.

ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR FOUNDATION

The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to perpetuate the Medal of Honor's legacy of courage, sacrifice and patriotism.  The Foundation supports the objectives, activities and programs of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and raises funds for initiatives such as Citizen Service Above Self Honors, that promote awareness of what the Medal of Honor represents.  For more information, visit www.cmohfoundation.org.

SOURCE The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation