Twin Cities to host Medal of Honor convention

MINNEAPOLIS - The Congressional Medal of Honor Society (CMOHS) has selected Minneapolis-St. Paul as the host community for the 2016 Medal of Honor Convention, scheduled for October 4-8.

“We are proud to call the Twin Cities home to our 2016 Medal of Honor Convention,” said Thomas G. Kelley, president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. “The people of this great state have already been so welcoming and we look forward to a special and uniquely Minnesota experience.”

The Medal of Honor Convention is an annual gathering of Medal of Honor recipients. Recipients have been recognized for their heroism with our nation’s highest award for military valor.

“As a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and currently a member of congress who participates in the Congressional Medal of Honor award process, it is an honor and a privilege to welcome these heroes to my home state,” said John Kline, U.S. representative. “I look forward to celebrating their stories of bravery when they meet here this fall.”

The convention will offer a wide range of events including several opportunities for the Twin Cities community to interact with and honor the recipients. Highlights of the week will include the official public welcome, autograph session, school visits and the black-tie Patriot Awards Gala.

The Medal of Honor is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against the enemy of the United States.” The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest and rarest military decoration. Since 1861, when the Medal of Honor was created by President Abraham Lincoln, 3,496 individuals have received the medal. There are currently 77 living recipients.

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