The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, also known as The Society, will award the Medal of Honor to three civilian American heroes this month at the National Medal of Honor Day in Washington D.C. The Society, which is made up of living recipients of the Medal of Honor, gave the awards out under the Citizen Service Before Self Honors for acts of courage and selflessness in their daily lives. This medal is given out for both single acts and ongoing acts of service.
The recipients were selected from a pool of twenty finalists, which were in turn selected from hundreds of nominations across the Country by friends, colleagues and community members. Michael Landsberry and Connor Stotts received an award for single acts of service. Landsberry, who is a middle school mathematics teacher in Nevada protected students from an armed attack at Sparks Middle School on October 21, 2013. It is reported that after seeing the 12-year-old gunman, Landsberry attempted to talk the student into giving him the gun, but was fatally shot during the negotiation. He is remembered by friends, family and colleagues for this single act of heroism and his devotion to his family and community. Landsberry was a former Marine and a member of the Nevada Air National Guard. After serving for two tours in Afghanistan he left the military to take a role teaching in middle school. His sacrifice protected the lives of innocent young people and reflects the courage and integrity he carried throughout his life and work.
Similarly, Scott Connor Farland Stotts, who is an Eagle Scout, received the award for rescuing three of his friends who were in danger of drowning. On July 31, 2013 his friends were pulled out to sea by a strong rip tide and he managed to save all three of them individually. His exemplary courage was an inspirational act of devotion and set an example for leaders in the community of Oceanside.
Lastly, Troy Yocum, a veteran of the Iraq war, has dedicated his life to supporting fellow soldiers who are experiencing PTSD and depression following deployment. In 2009, he began his work through a 7,880 mile hike across America called Hike for Heroes, which raised $1.3 million to support over 1,800 military families. His work later developed into a 501(c)3 charitable organization called Active Heroes, which includes lifetime assistance for wounded veterans, fitness team building, and healing programs for military families.
The awards will be given to the three recipients on March 25th in a special ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns. The public ceremony will take place from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST and can be found online at http://cmohfoundation.org/citizen-honors/ceremony-info/.
