Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center

06/20/2026

🌕💫 Here at the Heritage Center, we share the of Medal of Honor and Space Medal of Honor Recipients. We proudly display Commander Dick Scobee's Space Medal of Honor and introduce campers to the other six Challenger crew members who embraced curiosity and set their sights on the stars.

As part of our space field excursion, our friends over at the UTC Challenger STEM Learning Center took our campers on a "Lunar Quest" yesterday, and their commitment to their roles resulted in a successful mission!

Back at the Heritage Center, campers designed and engineered water rockets and readied them for the launchpad. T-minus 10...9...8... Rain delayed the launch, but this crew had plenty to do to round out the day!

SPECIAL THANKS TO
🙌 "Firefighter Haynes" for popping in and offering our campers a safety briefing!

06/19/2026

This week, three American warriors were recognized with our nation’s highest award for valor. Their stories span decades of service and sacrifice, yet each reflects the same willingness to place the lives of others above their own. Maj. James Capers Jr., Maj. Nicholas Dockery, and Col. John Ripley demonstrated the kind of leadership and selflessness that embody the values represented by the Medal of Honor. (AP News)

At the Medal of Honor Heritage Center, we believe these stories matter because they remind us that courage is not confined to a single generation. It is a timeless example of what ordinary people can do when confronted with extraordinary circumstances.

Read the full story and learn more about these remarkable heroes:

Vietnam to Afghanistan: Three Warriors Honored with the Nation’s Highest Award for Valor On June 18, 2026, President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to three veterans whose actions in combat span generations of American military service. Major James Capers, Jr. (USMC, Ret), Colonel John W....

06/19/2026

On Juneteenth, we commemorate the day freedom finally reached those who had been denied it, and we reflect on the long journey of a nation striving to live up to its founding ideals.

One story that embodies that journey is that of George Jordan.

Born into slavery in Tennessee in 1847, Jordan gained his freedom and later enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Buffalo Soldier.

During the Indian Wars, he displayed extraordinary courage under fire, helping defend his position against overwhelming odds. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

His life tells a uniquely American story. A man born without freedom rose through service, character, and courage to earn the nation’s highest award for valor.

Juneteenth reminds us that America has never been perfect, but throughout our history, we have worked to confront our shortcomings and move closer to the principles of liberty, equality, and opportunity for all.

Today, we honor George Jordan, the Buffalo Soldiers, and all those whose perseverance helped shape a more perfect union.

06/19/2026

Medal of Honor Recipient Spotlight: Corporal Fred B. McGee

On June 16, 1952, during fierce fighting on Hill 528 near Tang-Wan-Ni, Korea, Corporal Fred B. McGee faced a choice that would define his legacy.

As a machine gunner with Company K, 17th Infantry Regiment, McGee provided covering fire for advancing American soldiers from a position exposed to relentless enemy machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire.

When his squad leader was wounded, McGee took command.

When his machine gunner was mortally wounded, McGee took over the gun himself.

As the battle intensified, he repeatedly moved his squad forward into increasingly dangerous positions to suppress enemy fire and protect fellow soldiers pinned down by devastating attacks.

Then came the order to withdraw.

Corporal McGee stayed behind.

He volunteered to help recover the wounded and the fallen.

Wounded in the face and under a storm of enemy fire, he stood upright in the open while attempting to recover the body of a fellow soldier. When that became impossible, he turned his attention to saving the living, helping evacuate wounded comrades through intense mortar and artillery barrages.

Again and again, Fred McGee chose service over safety.

More than seventy years after his actions in Korea, the nation formally recognized his extraordinary courage when he was awarded the Medal of Honor on January 3, 2025.

His story reminds us that heroism is often found not in advancing toward glory, but in refusing to leave others behind.

06/19/2026

MOHHC Docent Terry Johnson is often here at the Heritage Center leading adult tours or tinkering on something in need of attention. Like many of our volunteers and docents, he gives so freely of his time and talents to support our efforts in sharing the of Medal of Honor and Space Medal of Honor Recipients.

Earlier this month, he led a tour for a group of educators. When asked what they enjoyed most about the tour, they shared the following:

"He did great. Enjoyed his info"

"Hearing more detail and background about the exhibits
the energy of the tour guide--very engaging"

"Terry was so fun! He said he wasn't knowledgeable about history but I definitely learned a lot and it was that much more impactful because of his own lived experiences."

"He’s humorous and entertaining, a great story-teller! A model I hope to emulate in my classroom."

"He was so adaptive and really brought the stories to life!"

"He has such a passion for the Medal of Honor Heritage Center! He has great stories and big energy in telling those stories!"

"Terry was passionate and bright to life the stories of these heroes. He made it personable and as if I was there."

"Knowledgeable. His sense of humor was great. The proposal was just a fun little addition to an already great experience."

"I loved how informative it was! I had little prior knowledge of this before attending today and left feeling like I have gained so much!"

"Loved his energy and the additional information he could provide"

"He was very humorous and knowledgeable"

"Mr. Johnson was the best part of the tour. He made the history come alive with his stories and enthusiasm."

"His stories and excitement."

"Quite knowledgeable about each era/recipient focus; even learned a few new facts not previously aware of after numerous visits/field trips here"

From all of us here at the Heritage Center, thank you, Terry, for all you do and the you bring to your tours!

06/18/2026

Honor Dad This Father’s Day

Put His Name Where Nearly One Million Visitors Will See It Each Year.

A permanent tribute at the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.

Buy a Brick at the link in the comments.

06/18/2026

This afternoon at 4:00 PM, retired Marine Major James Capers Jr. will be awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House, nearly 60 years after his extraordinary acts of heroism in Vietnam.

Severely wounded while leading his reconnaissance team through an ambush, Capers refused to abandon his men and helped ensure every member of his team made it home. Today, a grateful nation recognizes a legacy of courage, leadership, and selfless sacrifice.

President Donald Trump will award retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. the Medal of Honor on June 18, a White House official confirmed.

06/18/2026

Living. Learning. Laughing. Setting records. These WEEK 2 campers are on 🔥!

WEEK 2 campers built their periscopes and morse code kits and took a crash course in drone piloting and tank operation yesterday morning. To the WWI trenches they went with their knowledge yesterday afternoon where a new drone record was set. Conner tallied four hoops!

SPECIAL THANKS TO
🙌 General (Ret.) B.B. Bell, again, for carving out some time to share your leadership insights with our campers!
🙌 Werner Nowak, again, for helping our campers learn fundamentals of drone piloting and tank operation!

06/18/2026

This is the story of a Tennessee hero whose actions on a battlefield nearly six decades ago continue to echo through history.

Fifty-eight years ago today, on June 18, 1968, then-Captain Larry Taylor flew into one of the most dangerous situations imaginable.

Under intense enemy fire in Vietnam, Taylor made the extraordinary decision to land his lightly armed AH-1G Cobra gunship and rescue a four-man reconnaissance team that was surrounded and facing almost certain death. Despite overwhelming risk to himself, he successfully extracted all four soldiers and brought them home alive.

For that act of courage, Larry Taylor was awarded the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military decoration.

If you’d like to learn more about Larry Taylor’s remarkable life, service, and legacy, we invite you to visit the exhibit honoring his actions at the heritage center or to read more online at mohhc.org.

58 years later, we still remember. We still honor. And we are grateful.

One of the most extraordinary acts of courage in the Vietnam War....

06/17/2026

🇺🇸 America 250 | "The Spirit of Service"

Earlier this month and in collaboration with WTCI-TV, we hosted a screening of clips from Ken Burns's The American Revolution and a community conversation centered on "the spirit of service" here at the Heritage Center.

Moderated by Chattanooga–Hamilton County Historian Linda Moss Mines, the panel included Medal of Honor Recipient Dwight Birdwell, Dr. Chris Magra from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Alan Taylor (via Zoom) who consulted on and was featured in Ken Burns's The American Revolution.

As our nation's history reflects, individual acts of service can make a .