American Veterans Hall of Honor
Eras covered:
- 1776-1850 - Revolutionary to Pre-Civil War
- 1850-1915 - Pre-Civil War to World War I
- 1915-1960 - World War II to Vietnam
- 1960-present - Vietnam to Current
Although numerous other Halls of Fame and Halls of Honor celebrate achievement in a broad selection of industries and endeavors, there is no such national facility to honor those who protect and defend America’s freedoms. Indeed, a real void exists when it comes to the preservation and promotion of individual veteran achievement and veteran personal histories & life lessons as they relate to the enrichment of society. There is also a pervasive lack of understanding among the non-veteran, non-military population as to the historic value of military training and the substantial contributions of veterans throughout American history. This lack of understanding continues to grow as fewer Americans are actively involved in the military. The following points underscore the need for a Veterans Hall of Honor, as well as a Veterans Research Library:
- As the concept of a “draft” has receded from the American consciousness, so has the average citizen’s intimate knowledge of the military. There is no longer a chance that anyone could wind up in uniform. As a result, many segments of the population have no grasp of how military service shapes an individual or how it benefits a society.
- Many fine facilities preserve military history: the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the West Point Museum, the Naval Air Museum at Pensacola, the Military Vehicle Museum, numerous regional military museums, state veterans halls of fame, and a myriad of historic facilities that preserve unit, regiment, wing and squadron histories. There are fabulous “living history” projects that preserve “snapshots” in time and personal recollections. But there is no national “Hall of Honor” facility that inducts individuals and seeks to preserve their colorful, compelling and inspirational life achievements, before, during and after military service.
- Every combat veteran has a story to tell. Many tell their stories through the written word, often self-publishing a memoir or sometimes simply putting the words on paper but never bothering to seek out a publisher. Frequently, these men and women have journals, letters, diaries or audio/video tapes kept during combat and military service. As the veteran ages or dies, his or her family members don’t know what to do with these documents, and don’t always see the historic value of them. But these veterans’ stories represent the rich tapestry of America’s military history as seen through the eyes of those who lived it. By preserving and cataloging these recollections, future historians will be able to paint a picture of what we believed in, how we fought for it, and why. The Hall of Honor project will include a research library specializing in veteran memoirs, self-published and limited distribution books, unpublished manuscripts, letters, journals, audio tapes, videos and related documents and images that can be used by contemporary researchers and preserved for future generations.
- America is currently engaged in a war on terror that promises to be a lengthy, if not permanent, conflict. It is unlike any war we have ever fought and the implications to American society are staggering. Having learned the lessons of Vietnam, America currently celebrates its soldiers and welcomes them home. But it is often a knee-jerk response that could just as easily flip the other way as the war drags on and the lessons of Vietnam fade into the history books. As an antidote to future anti-military sentiment, AVI seeks to work with an existing facility to create a national Veterans Hall of Honor that spotlights the courage and achievement of America’s veterans, thus promoting the concept of our GIs as individuals who have enriched society before, during and after their military service.
AVHOH Background:
The concept of the American Veterans Hall of Honor was developed by the founders of the American Veterans Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization organized in 2004 by Mike Jackson and Tara Dixon-Engel, long-time veterans’ advocates national chairmen for the Operation Welcome Home project, honoring the service and sacrifice of America’s Vietnam veterans. The AVI objective has always been to partner with another veteran-oriented organization to make the Hall of Honor dream a reality. Few facilities offer more synergy and unity of purpose than the National Military History Center. Therefore, it is an ideal concept for AVI to offer its Hall of Honor vision to the NMHC, where the concept can be developed and shared by millions of visitors.
AVI’s goal for the Hall of Honor and Veterans Library project was very simple: to portray and preserve the individuality of the American GI, to honor our veterans for their dedication to preserving liberty, but also to underscore that essential American component of individual initiative that has long set our citizens apart from all other societies on the planet.
Those honored by this initiative will constitute a true snapshot of America. They will come from all ethnicities, geographies, religions and philosophies. They will be men and women of courage and conviction. They will be mavericks, dreamers and doers; people who understood the importance of military structure and discipline, but also knew when to veer onto “the road less taken” for the good of their troops or their country. These veteran stories, which will span the individual’s military and civilian endeavors, can and must be preserved so that America understands the dynamic forces and individuals that shaped this country and its defenses.
An annual “Honors Ceremony” will recognize and install veterans in a variety of categories. Their personal histories will then be preserved and promoted by the “Hall of Honor” via the Research Library component. The Hall of Honor can and should be part of a physical facility such as the NMHC but it can also initially exist as part of the “Webseum” concept, a virtual facility that is accessible to everyone in America with a web browser. In fact, properly developed, the awards ceremony could and should be televised, as well as streamed onto the NMHC web site.
Awards will include:
- Community Service;
- Valor in Uniform;
- Lifetime Achievement;
- Business Leader;
- Advocate of the Year;
- Bob Hope Military Entertainer of the Year;
- Role Model for Young People;
- Unsung Heroes;
- Legacy (a tribute to military families);
- Sharing the Vision (memoir recognition); and more…
Other Awards presented by the Hall of Honor would include:
- An annual "American Eagle" Award to an organization that best represents the interests of veterans by supporting them, celebrating them or advocating on their behalf.
- Likewise, the annual "Corporate Legion of Honor" Award will go to a company that historically supports the American military, its service people and its veterans, and personifies the patriotism, achievement and work ethic of the American GI/veterans.
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