Military

Biden Green-Lights Medal of Honor Memorial in Washington DC

January 5, 2022Richard Sisk, Military.com
Medal of Honor

President Joe Biden signed a bill Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, to build a monument in tribute to recipients of the Medal of Honor in Washington. Composite by Coffee or Die.

This article was originally published on Military.com Dec. 27, 2021. Follow Military.com on Twitter.


President Joe Biden signed a bill Monday to build a monument in tribute to recipients of the Medal of Honor in Washington, D.C.


In a brief statement, the White House said Biden authorized the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation in Arlington, Texas, “to establish a commemorative work to honor Medal of Honor recipients” and the values they represent somewhere in the District of Columbia. The specific site has yet to be determined.


Medal of Honor
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. presents the Medal of Honor to U.S. Army Master Sgt. Earl D. Plumlee during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., Dec. 16, 2021. Master Sgt. Plumlee was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions of valor during Operation Enduring Freedom while serving as a weapon’s sergeant with Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), near Ghazni, Afghanistan, Aug. 28, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Laura Buchta.

In an interview last week, retired Navy Capt. Chris Cassidy, president of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, said the authorization would not permit a Medal of Honor memorial site on the “Reserve” of the National Mall, now home to the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.


Cassidy said he hoped for a site “in the vicinity of the Mall but not on the Reserve.” A former Navy SEAL and astronaut, Cassidy projected a budget of about $60 million for the Medal of Honor memorial, which he said was “purely an estimate, but that’s what our target is for fundraising.”


Nearly 4,000 Americans have received the Medal of Honor since it was established during the Civil War, and currently there are 66 living recipients. The MOH is presented by the president and is awarded to service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor “above and beyond” the call of duty.



Biden separately signed the annual defense policy bill, which included approval for a Global War On Terrorism memorial to be built at a prime spot on the National Mall.


The GWOT memorial was included as part of the massive National Defense Authorization Act also signed by Biden on Monday while the MOH monument was in stand-alone legislation passed unanimously by the House and Senate.


In a press release, the GWOT Memorial Foundation said: “The Memorial will honor all who have served and sacrificed in the ongoing international military campaign launched by the U.S. government following the September 11th attacks in an effort to defeat terrorists intending to harm our country and its citizens.”


Medal of Honor
Retired US Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 4 Hershel “Woody” Williams is the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient of the Battle of Iwo Jima. US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alexa M. Hernandez.

The authorization for the estimated $40 million GWOT Memorial gave approval for a site that’s part of the Reserve on the Mall.


Biden’s authorizations for a GWOT Memorial and an MOH monument set off a lengthy and painstaking process involving several agencies, including the National Capital Planning Commission and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, to gain approval for site selection and design for both projects.


Under terms of the authorizations, funding for the GWOT Memorial and the MOH monument will rely solely on private donations and will not involve any taxpayer money. The eventual designs for the two projects would come from an arts competition.


Read Next: 5 Medal of Honor Upgrades From Vietnam and Korea Approved With 4 DSCs for Mogadishu 



Richard Sisk, Military.com
Richard Sisk, Military.com

Richard Sisk has more than 45 years of journalism experience in reporting and editing in the U.S. and abroad for United Press International, the N.Y. Daily News and for Military.com

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
dear jack mandaville
Dear Jack: Which Historic Battle Would You Want To Witness?

Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.

west point time capsule
West Point Time Capsule Yields Centuries-Old Coins

A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.

Ouija Board aircraft carrier
Low-Tech ‘Ouija Boards’ Have Helped Aircraft Carriers Operate for Decades

Since the 1920s, a low-tech tabletop replica of an aircraft carrier’s flight deck has been an essential tool in coordinating air operations.

Army vs. Navy mascot
The Navy Goat vs. the Army Mule: Mascot Origin Stories

For nearly as long as the Army-Navy football rivalry, the academies’ hoofed mascots have stared each other down from the sidelines. Here are their stories.

ukraine long-range weapon
Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Has Developed a Long-Range Weapon, a Day After Strike Deep Inside Russia

Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel the weapon was produced by Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries but gave no other details.

ambush
7 of the Best Movie Ambush Scenes of All Time

Ambushes make for great action scenes. Here are seven of the best to ever grace the big screen.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, with his daughter, center right, reportedly named Ju Ae, review the honor guard during their visit to the navy headquarter in North Korea
North Korea Launches Missile Toward Sea After US Flies Bomber During Drills

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the launch occurred Wednesday but gave no further details, such as how far the missile flew.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
Contact Us
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved