The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton will continue its Date with History series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, with a program on our Nation’s highest award for valor in combat, the Medal of Honor.
The presentation is both in person and online. Registration is not required for the in-person program at the Cantigny Park Visitors Center, which is free with $5 parking. Online viewers must register at FDMuseum.org to receive a Zoom link.
The Medal of Honor is the United States Armed Forces’ highest and most prestigious military decoration that may be awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians, and coast guardsmen, who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. A total of 3,534 Medals of Honor have been awarded since the decoration’s establishment in 1861.
Guest speaker Javier Martinez will discuss the Medal of Honor’s rich history, including how it came into being. He will share the remarkable stories of several notable recipients and explain the Medal’s connection to Cantigny and the Army’s 1st Infantry Division. A member of the First Division Museum’s education team will participate in the program.
Martinez, a Marine Corps veteran, earned his commission through the NROTC program at the University of Notre Dame. For the last 15 years, he has taught U.S. and military history at Kaneland High School in Kane County. Martinez is a national trainer for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Character Development Program (CDP), which uses the stories of our Nation’s Medal of Honor recipients to teach youth about what it means to live the core values of courage, commitment, citizenship, sacrifice, integrity and patriotism. The CDP is used in schools across the country in classrooms ranging from elementary to high school. Most recently, he has joined the Programs and Education Team at Cantigny.
The First Division Museum, 1 S. 151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Admission is free with paid parking of $5. per car. Please visit FDMuseum.org for additional details, including a calendar of upcoming events.
—First Division Museum at Cantigny Park