Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor Day
Beth Volpert
Veteran’s Day, Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day are among the more well-known commemorative dates that honor our military both living and gone, but the Medal of Honor Day is gaining some new notoriety. March 25th is the nationally and officially designated day to honor the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor with events planned from Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery to hometowns across America.
Locally, The Hilliard A. Wilbanks Foundation and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society seek to increase public awareness of the Medal of Honor and educate our future generations about the history and unique aspects of the award.
Born and raised in Cornelia, GA, Air Force Capt. Hilliard A. Wilbanks was assigned to the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron at Nha Trang during the Vietnam War. By February 24, 1967, Captain Wilbanks had flown 487 combat missions. He had survived nearly 11 months of dangerous combat and was looking forward to coming home to his wife and four children. On that day, under fire, Capt. Wilbanks had to make a decision that would not only change the lives of his own family, but also the lives of the families of the many men he saved with his heroic actions during an enemy ambush. The prestigious MOH award was posthumously awarded to Captain Wilbanks on January 24, 1968. For his actions in combat, Captain Wilbanks had become a hometown hero, but left a family behind.
To date, there are 21 Georgia recipients who share the honor of the highest award for heroism in military action which this nation can bestow on a member of its Armed Forces. (Retrieved from: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil). In 1861, Iowa Senator James W. Grimes began to lobby for the creation of a medal to honor such heroism. The award has undergone updates as dictated by the situations created by changes in our military. Originally a naval award, The Medal of Honor now has three distinct types: the original simple star shape established in 1861 which the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have retained; a wreath version designed in 1904 for the Army; and an altered wreath version for the Air Force, designed in 1963 and adopted in 1965. (Retrieved from: http://www.cmohs.org).
Since its inception in 1861, this country has honored those who have given selflessly with gallantry in action regardless of rank. The 2013 Medal of Honor celebrations will not only include the laying of a wreath at Arlington, but also the ringing of the closing bell on Wall Street and a black-tie gala in New York. Celebrating both the living and the lost who have gone well above the call of duty is among the simplest forms of gratitude a country can and should express. On March 25th, our country will honor and remember those who risked everything.
Educating future generations about true sacrifice and the legacy that it can leave behind is just one aspect of The Hilliard Wilbanks Foundation. To read more about that legacy check out www.hillardwilbanksfoundation.com
FreelanceBeth 