Spads commemorate medal of honor museum groundbreaking

  • Published
  • By Captain Jessica Gross, 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
  • 301st Fighter Wing

Pilots assigned to the 457th Fighter Squadron, 301st Fighter Wing, performed a tribute flyover during the National Medal of Honor Museum groundbreaking ceremony on March 25.

With over 500 spectators, 14 living Medal of Honor recipients and 43rd United States President of the United States George W. Bush in attendance, multiple U.S. Air Force major commands provided ceremonial support that highlighted a total-force effort and commemorated a major benchmark for the National Medal of Honor Museum’s development.

“The groundbreaking is a significant milestone for the National Medal of Honor Museum project,” said Michael Caldwell, National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation chief of staff. “The Board of Directors and Staff have worked tirelessly over the last two years in fundraising and project design to get to this important stage.”

In addition to the groundbreaking ceremony, American Airlines hosted a gala on March 24 to celebrate the achievements in the museum’s construction and honor the sacrifices of all 3,465 Medal of Honor recipients, along with honoring their families.

Caldwell reflected on the foundation’s purpose that drove them to pursue an extensive journey that led to the museum’s long-awaited groundbreaking.

“The National Medal of Honor Museum will preserve the legacy of the Medal of Honor and the Recipients who have earned our nation’s highest award for valor in combat,” said Caldwell. “For that reason, we will remain focused over our 27-month construction schedule to ensure we can open a Museum in the fall of 2024 that will inspire America with the stories of the Medal of Honor.”

With the musical sounds of “America The Beautiful” written by Katherine Lee Bates filling the museum groundbreaking site, 2 F-16C Fighting Falcons of the 457th Fighter Squadron flew overhead to conclude the event and leaving a lasting impression on a global audience.

“We are grateful to the 301st Fighter Wing for their tremendous support of the groundbreaking ceremony for the National Medal of Honor Museum,” Caldwell said. “The Airmen of the 301st ensured we could have a world-class event worth of honoring the Recipients of the Medal of Honor.”

To find out more about the National Medal of Honor Museum visit: https://mohmuseum.org/

Referenced data source: https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/statistics.html

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