CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (January 2020) – The Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center (Heritage Center) today announced its opening exhibit titled, “Honoring the Sacrifice: Medals of Honor Through Time,” which will launch at the Grand Opening of the Heritage Center on February 22, 2020, and will run until May 13 of this year.
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The exhibit is designed to showcase a large collection of Medals of Honor and to highlight the individual backgrounds and stories behind the Medal of Honor recipients, from the Civil War to Vietnam. Each of the recipient sections will include a biography, pictures of the recipient, the actual medal and various objects that belonged to the individual and represent their service.
“We are borrowing objects from institutions and individuals all over the country in order to bring this very large collection to the Heritage Center,” said Molly Randolph, curator for the Heritage Center. “Our hope is that visitors will be inspired by these extraordinary acts of valor by ordinary individuals and that they can connect these same character traits to their day-to-day lives.”
The exhibit will officially open to the public at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2020. The public is invited to join at least 15 visiting Medal of Honor recipients and numerous national, state and local dignitaries at 10:00 a.m. that day for a special celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony that will culminate a three-year campaign to build the new National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga – the heart of where the Medal’s heritage started nearly 158 years ago. Because of its Tennessee roots, the Heritage Center will feature a large number of Tennessee Medals of Honor and recipients in this and subsequent exhibits, which will rotate three-to-five times a year.
Self-guided tours of the Heritage Center will be offered from 1:00-6:00 p.m. on Saturday and 12:00-6:00 p.m. on Sunday, during Grand Opening weekend. Tour tickets are required and may be purchased in advance. Special discounts are offered to military and senior citizens and group rates are available.
For more information about the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, please visit www.mohhc.org or call 423-877-2525.