Medal of Honor Recipients to Recognize Ordinary Americans for Heroism

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Congressional Medal of Honor Society

Sep 10, 2021, 10:00 ET

BOSTON, Sept. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Medal of Honor Recipients are recognizing ordinary Americans today as part of its Citizen Honors Awards for Valor and Service. Launched in 2007, the awards program is just one of numerous ways that the Congressional Medal of Honor Society (the Society) carries out its mission to promote the values embodied by the Medal: courage, sacrifice, integrity, commitment, patriotism, and citizenship.

The awards event is taking place during the Society's annual convention week and will be attended by nearly half of the 67 living Medal of Honor Recipients. The week's agenda includes a variety of outreach activities to veterans and students, meetings, a memorial service, and a ceremony at the South Boston Vietnam Memorial to mark the 40th anniversary of its dedication.

"Medal of Honor Recipients come together each year to recognize service and commitment beyond the call of duty, not only on the battlefield, but also at home in the course of everyday life," said Drew Dix, President of the Society.

Today's awards honor individuals who put the Medal of Honor values into action by a single act of valor and includes both 2020 and 2021 honorees since last year's ceremony was postponed. The 2020 and 2021 Awards for Service, which recognizes individuals and organizations making a positive impact on their communities, were presented this summer in Charleston, South Carolina, located across the harbor from the Society's headquarters on the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

The 2020 Citizen Honors Awardees for Valor are:

Singular Act of Heroism: Riley Howell (Waynesville, North Carolina)
Riley Howell was selected for his singular act of heroism on April 30, 2019, when he protected fellow students from a gunman in his classroom on the University of North Carolina, Charlotte campus. Though Howell succumbed from injuries related to the incident, he is credited with saving the lives of countless other students and faculty members.

Singular Act of Heroism: Keanon Lowe (Portland, Oregon)
Keanon Lowe was selected for his courageous act on May 17, 2019, when he successfully wrested a gun from a student before a shot was fired at Parkrose High School in Portland, Oregon. Lowe has been hailed as a hero for quickly analyzing and controlling the situation, while showing extreme empathy for the gunman. Lowe took the gun, spoke with the student, and guided him out of the classroom.

Young Hero Award: Christian Garcia (Santa Fe, Texas)
Christian Riley Garcia was selected for his courageous act on May 18, 2018, when he secured a classroom door to protect his fellow classmates and teacher during an active shooter incident at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas. Christian saved many lives that day, though he succumbed to his injuries sustained during his act of heroism.

Young Hero Award: Cody Runyon (Rochester, Minnesota)
Cody Runyon was selected for his courageous act on June 6, 2018, when he saved the life of a fellow swimmer at his neighborhood pool in Rochester, Minnesota. Runyon, then 13, pulled another boy from the bottom of a pool and saved his life.

2021 Citizen Honors Awardees for Valor are:

Singular Act of Heroism: David Dorn (St. Louis, Missouri)
David Dorn was selected for his singular act of heroism on June 2, 2020, when he left his home to try to save his friend's livelihood and protect his community during riots and looting in St. Louis, Missouri. During his act of heroism, a gunman fired at Dorn, mortally wounding him. Dorn was a 38-year veteran police officer and considered a pillar of his community.

Singular Act of Heroism: Raina Neeland (Bagley, Minnesota)
Raina Neeland was selected for her singular act of heroism on Aug. 17, 2020, when she rescued three children after they were swept over the Clearwater Dam at Clearwater Lake, Sinclair Township, Minnesota. She saved the young cousins before succumbing to the currents herself.

Young Hero Award: Chris Stone (Santa Fe, Texas)
Chris Stone was selected for his singular act of heroism on May 18, 2018, when he acted as a human shield to secure a classroom and protect fellow classmates during an active shooter incident at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas. Though Stone succumbed to injuries related to the incident, he is attributed with saving the lives of many students.

About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society:
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor and its Recipients, inspiring Americans, and supporting the Recipients as they connect with communities across the country. Chartered by Congress in 1958, its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. There are 67 living Recipients.

The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education and preservation programs, including the Medal of Honor Museum, Congressional Medal of Honor Outreach Programs, the Congressional Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and the Congressional Medal of Honor Citizen Honors Awards for Valor and Service. The Society's programs and operations are funded by donations.

As part of Public Law 106-83, the Medal of the Honor Memorial Act, the Medal of Honor Museum, which is co-located with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's headquarters on board the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was designated as one of three national Medal of Honor sites.

Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's initiatives at https://www.cmohs.org.

Contact: Kristi Hellmuth
[email protected]

SOURCE Congressional Medal of Honor Society