Honor the Sacrifice, Inspire the Future
This is the motto of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society
Amid the hustle and bustle, the fun and games, the work and play today, hopefully we all set aside a few minutes today to honor the 3528 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest military award for valor.
March 25 is the day in March, Medal of Honor Month, when special ceremonies are held throughout the nation to honor both the living and deceased who are recipients of the Medal of Honor.
It is the day when many of the 61 living recipients of the Medal of Honor gather at the Tomb of the unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and honor the four Medal of Honor Unknown Soldiers who are recipients.
It is the day when special ceremonies and commemorative as well as educational events are held aboard the USS Yorktown , the home of the National Honor Society at Patriots Point South Carolina.
The Society is comprised of those who wear the Medal of Honor, and through the Society’s Outreach, Education and History initiatives, the Medal of Honor recipients continue their service to the nation.
This year, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society recognizes American Airlines as the key sponsor of its Medal of Honor March 2025 tributes . As a longtime partner to the Society, American Airlines has played a vital role in ensuring the legacy of the Medal of Honor reaches every corner of the country. Its dedication is best exhibited through Flagship Valor, a specially designed Airbus A321 , a visual tribute to Medal of Honor recipients.
Flagship Valor is also a resource for Medal recipients, and this year has delivered many of them to Washington, D.C., for the Presidential Inauguration, to New York City for the Foundation’s 17th Circle of Honor Dinner at the New York Stock Exchange, and once again to Washington today for the annual Citizen Honors Awards and National Medal of Honor Day activities.
Here in New Jersey, let us remember and pause to thank all of our military, but especially the 88 New Jerseyans who have fought and received the Medal in every war from the Civil War to the present, from Jedh Barker to Jay Zeamer, from John Toffey in the Civil War to Father Charles Watters in Vietnam, all New Jersey Medal of Honor recipients.
In this part of Monmouth County, let us also remember in a special way Middletown’s Horace Thorne, Freehold’s Pvt. Thomas Fallon, and Highlands’ Robert Blume, representatives of the heroism and gallantry so many of our courageous military display as they face unknown dangers in their efforts to bring peace to the world.
