Virtual “Valor Trail” Map Of Medal Of Honor Actions Is Now Live

WASHINGTON--A new global map from the Medal of Honor Valor Trail™ — a joint initiative of the American Battlefield Trust and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society —allows users to virtually follow in the footsteps of Medal of Honor recipients by clicking on a location to learn more about the actions that led to their distinguished service and their personal histories.  

The Medal of Honor Valor Trail™ initiative spans the full lineage of the Medal of Honor, from its Civil War origins into the 21st century. It is designed to connect the places most deeply connected to the lives and legacies of recipients — from battlefields to burial places, memorials to museums, hometowns to namesake sites. By connecting the many venues that tell a portion of the Medal of Honor story, the Valor Trail is creating a community of sites that together illuminate the core values of service that spans centuries.  

“From Normandy’s Omaha Beach to the mountains of Afghanistan to Cemetery Ridge in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, more than 3,500 men — and one woman — have earned the Medal of Honor since the American Civil War. But their stories have rarely been told from the places where their heroics unfolded,” said David Duncan, president of the American Battlefield Trust.” He added, “At American Battlefield Trust, we believe deeply in in the power of place and the unique ability for landscapes to teach meaningful and compelling lessons. Medal of Honor recipients’ stories are among the most inspiring in all American history.”

Medal of Honor citations typically describe a single act of valor above and beyond the call of duty. Each is exceptional, but when viewed collectively through a map, they tell a much broader story that helps show the exceptional men and women who, generation after generation, have answered the nation’s call to service. Few Americans can visit Iwo Jima or other remote locations, but the Trust and the Society are committed to marrying history with the latest technology to allow anyone to get to know these patriots.

“The Medal of Honor represents the very best of what we aspire to be as Americans. By presenting these remarkable stories in this fresh way, we hope to capture the imagination anew and inspire the public to live up to our highest promise and purpose,” said Laura Jowdy, the Society’s Director of Archives, Collections and Museum. 

The Medal of Honor Valor Trail™ is still in development and will connect on-site signage with the new innovative citation map to demonstrate the powerful combination of people and place, brought to the public by the historical experts at the Trust and Society. As more sites become active in the movement, the power of places and stories that make up a world of valor will become still more evident. 

About the 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 65 living Recipients.  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 cmohs.org. 

About the American Battlefield Trust 

From a grassroots organization started by historians 35 years ago, the American Battlefield Trust has grown into the nation’s most successful heritage land preservation organization. The Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 54,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War, representing more than 155 sites in 24 states. Its 350,000 members and supporters believe in the power of place and the continued relevance of history to a means to fully understand our rights and responsibilities as Americans. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.  

###