The National Medal of Honor Museum, a new museum that highlights Medal of Honor recipients, is set to open this week in Arlington, Texas.
The museum debuts just west of Dallas on Tuesday (25 March) following a three-year construction effort. It was created to explore the lives and service of Medal of Honor recipients.
A soft opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held over the weekend and was attended by 32 Medal of Honor recipients.
Chris Cassidy, the museum‘s president and CEO, said: “In an evening filled with fireworks, nothing will shine brighter than the Medal of Honor recipients.
“It is because of their service and sacrifice that we can gather for celebrations like these.
“I am so proud to open our doors and share their stories of courage, commitment and selflessness with the nation.”
Of the 40 million Americans who have served in the US Armed Forces, fewer than 4,000 have earned the Medal of Honor – the highest military decoration.
Of those, only 61 are living today.
Medal of Honor recipients honoured
“After decades of dreams, the Medal of Honor and its recipients will now have a proper home, where the values of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism will be preserved and shared with future generations of Americans,” said retired US Army major general Patrick H. Brady, a Medal of Honor recipient.
“This medal – and this museum – are for those I served with, especially the ones who never came home.
“I hope that visitors will learn from our stories and see that they too have it within themselves to do something great for others and make a positive impact on our country.”
The National Medal of Honor Museum is neither a war memorial nor a military museum, a press release says.
Instead, it provides a narrative journey through the lives of ordinary people who did something extraordinary in service to others.
The museum features 31,000 square feet of artefacts, interviews and stories of Medal of Honor recipients for an interactive visitor experience.
In total, the museum has more than 100,000 square feet of space, including areas for classrooms, meetings, memorials and ceremonies.
Images courtesy of the National Medal of Honor Museum
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