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BOSTON
- January 22, 2021 - The Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Mayor
Martin J. Walsh announced today that the Society will hold its annual
convention and Patriot Award Dinner in Boston for an unprecedented fourth
time in September 2021.
Many
of the nation's 69 living Medal of Honor Recipients will be in Boston from
September 7-11.
"Our
great city is honored to host our nation's most brave and valiant heroes
and the recipients of our country's highest honor for an unprecedented
fourth time,'' said Mayor Walsh. "Like the hundreds of thousands of
Bostonians who have served our country, from the Revolutionary War to the
present, these Medal of Honor Recipients are shining examples of courage,
bravery and sacrifice. Their selfless dedication and service are the
foundation of the liberties and freedoms we enjoy today.''
The
Medal of Honor Convention is expected to be a modest gathering of 50 to 60
living Medal of Honor Recipients and their guests, for about 100 to 150
people total. Organizers are prepared to adapt their plans for the fall
depending on the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic as the event nears. The
convention could be pushed to a later date or scaled back if gathering
restrictions remain in place.
The
Medal of Honor Recipients held their first Boston convention in October
2001 a month after postponing the event because of the September 11
terrorist attacks. The Medal of Honor Society was the first organization to
reschedule their Boston convention following 9/11.
The
Medal of Honor Recipients returned to Boston in 2006 and were again
welcomed warmly by the city. Their 2015 convention marked the first time
the Medal of Honor Recipients held their convention three times in the same
city. The Boston 2021 visit will be an unprecedented fourth visit by the
Medal of Honor Society.
"These
Medal of Honor Recipients have formed a strong bond with the city and
people of Boston and to be able to honor them here for the fourth time in
20 years is unprecedented in the history of the Congressional Medal of
Honor Society,'' said Thomas J. Lyons, Chairman of the Boston Congressional
Medal of Honor Society Host Committee. "The duties and sacrifices they
have made on behalf of the nation, and their unwavering support for our men
and women in uniform, is awe inspiring and we intend to host their
convention in a manner that will truly honor and celebrate these incredible
heroes.''
While
in Boston, the Recipients will be involved in several public events and
will also be visiting area schools.
"The
Medal of Honor recipients are thrilled to be coming back to Boston,'' said
Thomas G. Kelley of Massachusetts, a retired Navy Captain who was awarded
the Medal of Honor for his gallant and courageous actions in Vietnam on June 15,
1969. "The outpouring of warmth we experienced in our
previous conventions in Boston left an indelible impression on all of
us."
"We
are excited that my fellow Recipients will return to Boston this September
and once again enjoy all that the city has to offer and the warm reception
we are likely to receive again by the greater Boston community,'' said
Medal of Honor Recipient Ryan M. Pitts, a Lowell native who now resides in
New Hampshire, and who received the Medal of Honor for his gallant and
courageous actions as an Army Sergeant in Afghanistan on July 13,
2008. "We don't consider ourselves to be heroes. The heroes are
the ones who did not come home. We wear the medal to honor them, as well as
all the men and women who have served and continue to serve.''
The
2021 convention will culminate with the Congressional Medal of Honor
Society's Patriot Award Dinner on Sept. 11 at the Seaport Hotel Boston
where the Recipients will present several awards to honorees who have shown
exceptional service to the country and for their commitment to our veterans
and men and women currently serving in the Armed Forces.
For
more information about the 2021 Medal of Honor Society Convention please
visit www.mohboston.com, @mohboston on Twitter and Boston Medal of Honor Convention
on Facebook.
About the Medal of Honor
Created
in 1861 by President Abraham Lincoln, the Medal of Honor is our nation's
highest and rarest military decoration. It is bestowed by the President of
the United States, in the name of Congress, upon a member of the United
States Armed Forces who distinguishes himself or herself 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." Fewer than 3,500 individuals have
received the Medal, half of which have been awarded posthumously. There are
currently only 69 living recipients, one of the lowest numbers in history.
About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society
In
1958, the United States Congress chartered the Congressional Medal of Honor
Society. The purpose of the Society, among other things, is to perpetuate
the legacy of the Medal of Honor. The living recipients of the Medal of
Honor constitute the members of the Society. These recipients meet annually
for their national Medal of Honor Convention. | 
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