ARLINGTON (WBAP/KLIF) – The City of Arlington could soon be named the home of the national ‘Medal of Honor Museum.’
The National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation today announced this week that following a national search Denver, Colorado, and Arlington, Texas, have been selected by the Foundation’s Board of Directors as finalists for the future home of the National Medal of Honor Museum.
According to the foundation, the search launched in October 2018, and has the goal of ensuring the newly created museum will have the highest impact on the largest number of people possible.
The Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest and most prestigious military honor, has been awarded to more than 3,500 military service members since the first medal was presented in 1863. The National Medal of Honor Museum will offer an experience that draws personal and emotional connections to Medal of Honor recipients and their inspiring stories, while shedding light on the wars in which they fought and the ideals that the Medal of Honor represents.
“Arlington and Denver are two exceptional cities, and we have been overwhelmed by the response we have received from their state and local officials about this important undertaking,” said President and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, Joe Daniels. “Public and private leaders from both cities have expressed a strong desire to help the museum in its mission to further unite us all around what it means to be patriotic, to inspire us to find the hero within ourselves, and to preserve the stories of our nation’s Medal of Honor recipients for future generations. We are deeply grateful.”
The museum also announced that it will work with Congress to create the first-ever monument in Washington, D.C., dedicated to honoring the more than 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients.
“The National Medal of Honor Museum is the caretaker of a legacy defined by sacrifice,” said Medal of Honor recipient Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt Slabinski. “The service and patriotism of my fellow Medal of Honor recipients and those we served with should be told on a national stage. The National Medal of Honor museum will protect and project that legacy by building a museum in America’s heartland, Denver or Arlington, and a Medal of Honor monument on the national mall in our nation’s capital. This will create additional opportunities for millions of visitors to experience and learn those stories”.
The Arlington metropolitan region is fourth largest in the nation with more 7.4 million people. In 2017, the Dallas region saw more than 27 million tourists who spent nearly $5 billion. Located in or near Arlington is the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Kimbell Art Museum, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, and the Arlington Museum of Art. The Arlington region is home to major sports teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, the Dallas Stars, the Dallas Mavericks and FC Dallas. The two largest employers in the Arlington region are American Airlines in Fort Worth which employs 24,700 and Bank of America in Dallas which employs 20,000.
The National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation is evaluating a range of factors in its search and is expected to make a decision in September.
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