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 the honor being credited to Vermont.
Dating from the Civil War, when the Medal of Honor was established, Vermont holds some unique recipients, such as Willie Johnston, only 13 years of age, from Salem, now part of Derby, Vt., who remains the youngest individual to receive the Medal of Honor; and the first submariner and only enlisted submariner, Henry Breault, of Grand Isle, whose Medal of Honor was presented by President Calvin Coolidge, also of course from Vermont. Of only eight submariners to receive the Medal of Honor, two of those were credited to Vermont.
Of the remaining Vermont recipients, time slowly washes away their heroic feats from memory and from the public consciousness. In 1991, President George Bush signed a law to establish March 25 as Medal of Honor Day. March 25, 1863, is when the first Medal of Honor was awarded, and thus 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 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 Vermont-credited Medals of Honor are too long to list here, I encourage you to visit the website below to learn more about those fellow veterans and Vermonters, and give a moment of pause to honor their service to our state and country.
For information on the Medal of Honor and its history and recipients, visit www.cmohs.org, and www.vermonthistory.org/medal-of-honor-civil-war-military-vermont-history.
Every day, America’s service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice.
On March 25, at approximately 10 a.m., there will be a legislature resolution to honor the Vermont Medal of Honor recipients. All veterans able to attend this reading are encouraged to attend at the State House, in Montpelier, Vt.
Sincerely,
Bill Mattoon
Vermont Green Mountain Base
United States Submarine Veterans Inc. (USSVI)