Dear Editor,
As a veteran, when I hear the words “Medal of Honor,” I think of those military men and women who have gone far beyond their expectations of duty, many giving their lives to save their fellow comrades or shipmates. Vermont has had a number of Medal of Honor recipients, 66 to be exact, that were born or enlisted in Vermont, with Vermont being the state so honored. Dating from the Civil War were the youngest recipient Willie Johnston, only 13 years of age, from Salem, now part of Derby, Vt., and remains the youngest to receive the Medal of Honor; to Henry Breault, the first submariner and only enlisted member of the submarine service to receive the award, which was presented by Calvin Coolidge, of course from Vermont!
Of the remaining Vermont recipients, time slowly washes away their heroic feats from memory of the public consciousness. In 1991, public law was signed by President Bush to establish March 25 as Medal of Honor Day. On March 25, 1863, the first Medal of Honor was awarded. The date of March 25 is to remind us of the importance of the valor, bravery, and unshakable courage displayed while in harm’s way, at the risk of the recipient’s very life.
Over 40 million men and women have served in the U.S. military, just over 3,500 have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Though all the Vermonters and their home town of birth or enlistment that received the Medal of Honor is too long to list here, I encourage you to visit these websites to learn more about those fellow veterans and Vermonters, and give a moment of pause to honor their service to our state and country. Website links are: www.cmohs.org, www.cmohs.org/recipients, www.mohhsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Vermont.pdf, and www.cmohs.org/news-events/blog/medal-of-honor-day-2024/.
Sincerely,
Bill Mattoon
Vermont Green Mountain Base
United States Submarine Veterans Inc.