| 10 | | - | Whereas, on December 21, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed Public |
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| 11 | | - | Resolution 82, the original Medal of Honor legislation, providing for a Navy Medal of |
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| 12 | | - | Valor, which Senator James W. Grimes of Iowa had introduced, and in 1862, President |
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| 13 | | - | Abraham Lincoln extended its eligibility to U.S. Army personnel, and |
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| 14 | | - | Whereas, the first recipients of the Medal of Honor were a group of soldiers known as |
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| 15 | | - | Andrews’ Raiders, who led a daunting mission to cross Confederate lines and steal a |
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| 16 | | - | train, and six of those soldiers were honored on March 25, 1863, and |
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| 17 | | - | Whereas, during the Civil War, approximately 60 Vermonters were Medal of Honor |
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| 18 | | - | recipients, and |
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| 19 | | - | Whereas, the most unusual recipient was Willie Johnston, a young resident of the |
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| 20 | | - | Northeast Kingdom community of Salem, now Derby, who, despite being only 11 years |
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| 21 | | - | of age when he enlisted, was accepted as a drummer in Company D of the 3rd Vermont |
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| 22 | | - | Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and |
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| 23 | | - | Whereas, during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, when Union forces failed to invade |
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| 24 | | - | the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, and were forced to flee down the Virginia |
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| 25 | | - | peninsula, young Johnston proved to be the only drummer in his division to retain his |
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| 26 | | - | instrument through the harrowing ordeal, and |
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| 27 | | - | Whereas, on September 16, 1863, when Willie Johnston was only 13 years of age, |
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| 28 | | - | U.S. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton presented him with this special medal, and he |
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| 29 | | - | remains the youngest recipient to this day, and |
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| 30 | | - | Whereas, other Vermonters have been awarded the Medal of Honor for their military |
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| 31 | | - | valor, including during the Indian Wars (1), the Philippines Campaign (1), interim |
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| 32 | | - | periods (2), World War II (3), and the Vietnam War (1), and |
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| 33 | | - | Whereas, Congress established National Medal of Honor Day, which was first |
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| 34 | | - | observed in 1991, “to foster public appreciation and recognition of Medal of Honor |
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| 35 | | - | recipients,” now therefore be it |
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| 8 | + | HouseconcurrentresolutionrecognizingMarch25,2025asNationalMedalofHonorDayinVermont |
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| 9 | + | Whereas,onDecember21,1861,PresidentAbrahamLincolnsignedPublicResolution82,theoriginal |
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| 10 | + | MedalofHonorlegislation,providingforaNavyMedalofValor,whichSenatorJamesW.GrimesofIowahad |
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| 11 | + | introduced,andin1862,PresidentAbrahamLincolnextendeditseligibilitytoU.S.Armypersonnel, and |
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| 12 | + | Whereas,thefirstrecipientsoftheMedalofHonorwereagroupofsoldiersknownasAndrews’Raiders, |
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| 13 | + | wholedadauntingmissiontocrossConfederatelinesandstealatrain,andsixofthosesoldierswerehonored |
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| 14 | + | onMarch25,1863, and |
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| 15 | + | Whereas,duringtheCivilWar,approximately60VermonterswereMedalofHonorrecipients, and |
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| 16 | + | Whereas,themostunusualrecipientwasWillieJohnston,ayoungresidentoftheNortheastKingdom |
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| 17 | + | communityofSalem,nowDerby,who,despitebeingonly11yearsofagewhenheenlisted,wasacceptedasa |
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| 18 | + | drummerinCompanyDofthe3rdVermontVolunteerInfantryRegiment, and |
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| 19 | + | Whereas,duringthe1862PeninsulaCampaign,whenUnionforcesfailedtoinvadetheConfederatecapital |
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| 20 | + | ofRichmond,Virginia,andwereforcedtofleedowntheVirginiapeninsula,youngJohnstonprovedtobethe |
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| 21 | + | onlydrummerinhisdivisiontoretainhisinstrumentthroughtheharrowingordeal, and |
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| 22 | + | Whereas,onSeptember16,1863,whenWillieJohnstonwasonly13yearsofage,U.S.SecretaryofWar |
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| 23 | + | EdwinStantonpresentedhimwiththisspecialmedal,andheremainstheyoungestrecipienttothisday, and |
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| 24 | + | Whereas,otherVermontershavebeenawardedtheMedalofHonorfortheirmilitaryvalor,includingduring |
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| 25 | + | theIndianWars(1),thePhilippinesCampaign(1),interimperiods(2),WorldWarII(3),andtheVietnamWar |
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| 26 | + | (1), and |
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| 27 | + | Whereas,CongressestablishedNationalMedalofHonorDay,whichwasfirstobservedin1991,“tofoster |
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| 28 | + | publicappreciationandrecognitionofMedalofHonorrecipients,”nowthereforebeit |
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