A contingent of Medal of Honor recipients gathered at Arlington National Cemetery March 23 to salute civilians who earned the 2012 Citizen Service Before Self Honors and the American Spirit Award.
The award ceremony was arranged by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, an organization comprised of only MOH recipients.
Close to a dozen and a half Medal of Honor recipients took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which preceded the award program. The awards event included words and remarks regarding courage, sacrifice, patriotism and the 150th anniversary of the highest honor a servicemember can achieve.
"What is very extraordinary is as we recognize the 150th anniversary of the Medal of Honor, that the recipients today have chosen to recognize other Americans - ordinary Americans - who have demonstrated courage and have given service before self," said speaker Dennis Muilenburg.
Those civilians honored included Montell Mixon of St. Paul, Minn., Brandon Wemhoff of Lincoln, Neb., and James McCormick of New Haven, W. Va., who all were awarded with 2012 Citizen Service Before Self Honors. Eagle Scout Spencer Zimmerman of Gilbert, Ariz. who was named the recipient of the 2012 American Spirit Award.
McCormick is an advocate for homeless veterans in finding housing and employment while Mixon and Wemhoff turned dangerous situations into courageous rescues. Mixon saved a woman from a burning home while Wemhoff protected pharmacy patrons during a robbery.
"There is a spirit here of others giving more than themselves; they gave for the benefit of others," said 89-year-old Medal of Honor recipient Joe Jackson who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. "We are proud of them -- so proud of them that we give them this honor today."
The ceremony marked the fifth year the CMOH Foundation awards were presented near the Tomb of the Unknowns. Maj. Gen. Michael S. Linnington, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and Military District of Washington commander, was also in attendance for the award presentations and sat in the front row with the medal recipients.
"To be in the presence of so many Medal of Honor [recipients] is an extraordinary opportunity for me and a great honor," the general said. "The fact that they awarded these distinguished citizen awards here at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier really goes to their hearts in what they hold so special. This is a group of amazing patriots."
In all, nearly a quarter of all the living Medal of Honor recipients were in attendance at the MOH Day ceremony at the cemetery. Eighty one MOH recipients are alive today.
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