March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 45 F

Medal of Honor recipients hold convention in Annapolis

Nearly 40 of the 72 living recipients the Congressional Medal of Honor recently gathered in the Capitol Ballroom of the Westin Annapolis to kick off the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention. Hundreds of active and retired members of the military, Naval Academy Midshipmen, and civilians from around the U.S., lined up to meet recipients of the country’s highest military honor and thank them for their heroic service.

During the event, Congressional Medal of Honor recipients including Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter, the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient, and former Lt. Thomas R. Norris of Silver Spring, Maryland, greeted lines of attendees with a handshake and signed autograph books, copies of Medal of Honor books and even scraps of paper as they humbly recounted their stories and offered words of encouragement to nervous Naval Academy plebes.

This is the first year that the annual convention has taken place near the nation’s capital, in Annapolis, Md. It is also the first time the convention has been held in conjunction with a U.S. Service Academy. The Patriot Award Gala, the signature closing event of the convention, was held Friday evening at Dahlgren Hall on the United States Naval Academy. During the event, the Society presented awards to Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Senator Susan Collins, FOX News Sunday host Chris Wallace and Jay Leno. In addition, this year, the convention paid tribute to the victims of the Capital Gazette shooting.

Photos: Shmulik Almany

The living recipients of our nation’s highest award for valor gather each year to perpetuate their Society’s mission, further the brotherhood amongst one another and honor and remember those who have passed away within the year. The convention co-chairs include Phebe Novakovic, Chairman and CEO of General Dynamics, and Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, Retired. Robert J. Monahan serves as the convention’s  president and CEO.

The four-day Annapolis convention consisted of public and private activities for Medal of Honor recipients, including dinners, a Naval Academy football game, a town hall forum moderated by the host of FOX News Sunday, Chris Wallace, and the Patriot Award Dinner.

As part of the convention, Medal of Honor recipients visited Anne Arundel County Public Schools that participate in the Society’s Character Development Program. This program educates students about the core values rooted in the Medal of Honor: courage, commitment, sacrifice, citizenship, integrity and patriotism.

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