A ceremonial groundbreaking took place on the grounds of the state capitol last week, which marked the start of building a memorial to the Minnesotan Medal of Honor recipients.
The ground is broken today so Minnesotans can pay tribute to those who put themselves in the thick of the fight, declared the adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard, Major General Richard Nash.
The ceremony occurred simultaneously with the annual meeting of existing Medal of Honor winners, held this year in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Seven Medal of Honor recipients were present, including Harvey Barnum Jr. who received the medal while serving in the Vietnam War, Kare11 reported.
When he was awarded the honor, there were nearly 300 people who possessed the medal. Now only 77 remain, and now he’s one of the older men, he said.
Forty-two of the living Medal of Honor winners were expected at the reunion. Over many decades 72 recipients of the award have had ties to Minnesota. Among them is Bill Bianchi of New Ulm, who died in the Philippines during World War II after receiving his medal.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military honor in the United Stats of America. It is awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty in the U.S. Military by the president, in the name of the U.S. Congress.
Up to today 3,515 Medals of Honor have been awarded to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen since the decoration was created, almost 50% of them were awarded during the American Civil War.