Military Appreciation month is a time to honor America’s bravest heroes

First established in 1999 by Congress, Military Appreciation Month is a time for all Americans to come together and give thanks to the brave men and women who have served our country in uniform. Every American should take this moment to say thank you to the service members and veterans who are their neighbors, their colleagues, their family, or friends.

Approximately 40 million brave individuals have served in the United States Armed Forces since the Civil War. Fewer than 4,000 have received the Medal of Honor.

As chairman of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, I am delighted Congress has chosen Military Appreciation Month to consider the National Medal of Honor Monument Act. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) as well as Reps. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and Blake Moore (R-Utah) have been champions of this project. We are deeply grateful for their bipartisan leadership. This important piece of legislation will authorize a monument on or near the National Mall to recognize our country’s Medal of Honor recipients, but also to celebrate the values the Medal of Honor represents.

I’ve had the privilege to meet many Medal of Honor recipients. Each comes from a different walk of life and different geographic regions. They are true reflections of American diversity representing different races, religions, political beliefs, and even different branches of the military. While each are different, they have so much in common including the strongly held position they wear the Medal not for themselves, but for those whom they served beside and for the values it represents.

The values of the Medal of Honor are ones we all hold dear as Americans: courage, sacrifice, patriotism, citizenship, integrity and commitment. They are exemplified by all those we celebrate this month — men and women who put on the uniform in service.

I am humbled to be part of the historic National Medal of Honor Museum and Monument projects. This museum and monument will give all Americans places to learn from, remember, and celebrate those who gave so much for our safety and freedom. Our mission is to ensure the legacies of our heroes in the United States Armed Forces will live on for generations. Likewise, we hope to inspire future generations of patriots and leaders.

Today, there are only 67 living Medal of Honor recipients. Time is of the essence to preserve their extraordinary stories of heroism and build these tributes. This year alone, we are deeply saddened to have lost three recipients: Specialist Fourth Class Charles C. Hagemeister, Private First Class Ernest West and Technical Sergeant Charles Coolidge. Hagemeister saved the lives of many in his platoon when they were attacked while trying to secure a village in Vietnam; West served in the Korean War, losing an eye while rescuing several other wounded soldiers under heavy fire; and Coolidge was one of only two remaining recipients from World War II.

We owe these brave service members so much, and it is time we honor the service and sacrifice of those who represent the best our country has to offer. I encourage lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and patriots from all across our country to support this unifying project and ask Congress to swiftly pass the National Medal of Honor Monument Act.

This Military Appreciation Month, while we honor all those who have served, we also continue the important work of making the National Medal of Honor Museum and Monument a reality.

Charlotte Jones serves as Chairman of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, and is executive vice president and chief brand officer for the Dallas Cowboys.