Beyond the Call of Duty, Arkansas Honors Its Veterans. Retired Army Captain & Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg shares the meaning of brotherhood behind his medal and talks about how the Medal of Honor museum will keep each recipient's story represented for future generations. “State Monument Honors Medal of Honor Recipients.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. (accessed December 11, 2020).Ĭongressional Medal of Honor Society. The chart below lists those Arkansans awarded the Medal of Honor, as well as those non-Arkansans so recognized for their military service in the state or who were later buried in the state.Ĭongressional Medal of Honor Foundation. The memorial was funded by private donations, and $125,000 was provided by the Arkansas General Assembly by Act 510 of 1999. The Medal of Honor Memorial, which honors men from the Civil War through the Vietnam War, was dedicated on November 18, 2000. There is a military tradition that dictates all uniformed members of the service render a salute to Medal of Honor awardees regardless of rank this is one of the unique customs and courtesies associated with the medal. The memorial is located on the southeast lawn of the Arkansas State Capitol. Noted local artist John Deering designed the memorial, which consists of a bronze eagle surrounded by a circle of bronze plaques dedicated to each recipient. to each person who while an officer or enlisted person. The Arkansas General Assembly created a commission that began in 1996 to develop plans for construction of a memorial honoring these soldiers. The Medal of Honor was established during the American Civil War. In fact, with the exception of the War or Terror, a Tennessean has received the Medal of Honor in every conflict since it was first created in 1861. Originally presented for both combat and non-combat heroism, it is today presented to a member of the military who “distinguishes himself or herself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States.”
John Henry Pruitt, a World War I Marine from Newton County, is just one of nineteen soldiers to have been awarded the medal twice. Of those, twenty-five have Arkansas connections. Since the medal was first presented in 1863, 3,468 individuals have been honored. In addition to being the 10th living service member to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in. Congress and presented by the president of the United States it is commonly known as the Congressional Medal of Honor, though this is not its proper name. Fellow Medal of Honor recipients attend Capt. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest honor presented to military personnel for actions above and beyond the call of duty.