A drone, light, and fireworks show helped mark the opening of the National Medal of Honor museum [Video still: NMOHM]
The National Medal of Honor Museum opens officially Tuesday, but a public celebration and ribbon cutting was held Saturday, attended by 32 Medal of Honor recipients, national and military leaders, celebrities, and musical guests.
Following the ribbon cutting Saturday, the “Mission to Inspire Spectacular” lit up the sky with fireworks and drones, accompanied by video and a variety of musical arrangements to commemorate the milestone in a 360-degree storytelling marvel.
“In an evening filled with fireworks, nothing will shine brighter than the Medal of Honor recipients,” NMOHMF President and CEO Chris Cassidy said in a statement before Saturday’s event. “It’s because of their service and sacrifice that we can gather for celebrations like these. I’m so proud to open our doors and share their stories of courage, commitment and selflessness with the nation. At the National Medal of Honor Museum, we are stewards of their legacy and vow to uphold the values represented by the medal,”.
32 Medal of Honor recipients helped former President George Bush and Laura Bush cut the ribbon at the Medal of Honor museum Saturday. [Video still: NMOHM]
Preserving and sharing Medal of Honor values
Saturday’s event was the culmination of a three-year construction effort for the museum.
“Cutting the ribbon to open the National Medal of Honor Museum will be the realization of a long-awaited moment,” U.S. Army Major Gen. (Ret.) Patrick H. Brady, Medal of Honor recipient and member of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation board of directors, said in a statement before Saturday’s event.
“After decades of dreams, the Medal of Honor and its recipients will now have a proper home, where the values of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism will be preserved and shared with future generations of Americans,” “This medal—and this museum—are for those I served with, especially the ones who never came home. I hope that visitors will learn from our stories and see that they too have it within themselves to do something great for others and make a positive impact on our country.”
Photo: The National Medal of Honor Museum
Only 61 Medal of Honor recipients are alive today
Fewer than 4,000 or of the 40 million Americans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces have earned the Medal of Honor. Of those, only 61 are living today.
Saturday’s guests included 32 Medal of Honor Recipients; NBC TODAY Show anchor Savannah Guthrie, who emceed a dinner for recipients and supporters prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony; musician Lee Greenwood, who performed his hit song “God Bless the USA”; Gary Sinise, an Academy Award-nominated actor known for his role as Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump”; Tricia Lucas, the widow of country music superstar Toby Keith, who granted the museum rights to a live recording of her husband’s patriotic hit “American Soldier” for inclusion in the event programming; Dallas Cowboys’ stars Dak Prescott and Jake Ferguson, as well as recently retired Cowboys legend Zack Martin; and senior leaders of prominent museum corporate partners including American Airlines, Anheuser Busch, AT&T, Bank of America, Carnival Cruise Line, Dallas Cowboys, Lockheed Martin, Lucas Oil, JPMorgan, Texas Rangers, and others; members of Congress, and dozens of current and former national, state and local elected officials.
A fully restored Bell UH-1 “Huey” helicopter is a centerpiece of the museum’s exhibits. [Photo: The National Medal of Honor Museum]
‘Culmination of years of effort’
The National Medal of Honor Museum is unique in that it is neither a war memorial nor a military museum but instead values- and biography-based, taking visitors on a narrative journey through the lives of ordinary people who did something extraordinary in service to others.
The museum said visitors will learn that courage is not contained to the battlefield and having a sense of duty is not demarcated by a uniform.
The museum’s elevated exhibit deck, held aloft by five concrete mega-columns representing branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, features 31,000 square feet of artifacts, interviews, lives, and legacies of those who have received our country’s highest award for valor in combat, the museum said. The exhibits’ highlights include a fully restored Bell UH-1 “Huey” Iroquois helicopter modeled after the one flown by Brady and “Conversations: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives” where guests can use innovative technology to interview a virtual Medal of Honor recipient.
In total, the museum has more than 100,000 square feet of space, including areas for classrooms, meetings, memorials, and ceremonies. It is home to the National Medal of Honor Griffin Institute, a leadership institute named after business leader and philanthropist Kenneth C. Griffin dedicated to inspiring, equipping, and connecting people to live the values of the Medal of Honor.
Leading the way for the museum’s grand opening was a team including Foundation Board Chairman Charlotte Jones, chief brand officer and co-owner of the Dallas Cowboys; Cassidy, a former NASA astronaut and retired Navy SEAL; as well as five recipients of the Medal of Honor who also serve on the foundation’s board. The museum has the support of three of our nation’s living former presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama—all of whom are honorary directors.
“I take such inspiration from our Medal of Honor recipients, and I know that all Americans will as well once they visit this landmark Museum,” Charlotte Jones said. “None of it would be possible without our dedicated team and generous supporters.”
A recording of Saturday’s celebration can be viewed at the museum’s website. The grand opening celebrations were underwritten by museum partners The City of Arlington, American Airlines, and Boeing.
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