20 | March 2019 | Real Hero Report
Medal of Honor recipients
at the Memorial Wall, Clay
National Guard Center. Front
row, L-R: Kyle Carpenter;
Ron Shurer; James Taylor;
Melvin Morris; Gary Beikirch.
Back Row L-R: Commanding
General to the GA Army
National Guard Brig. General
Randall Simmons; James
McCloughan; Joe Marm; Gary
Littrell; Doc Ballard; Mike
Fitzmaurice; Don Jenkins;
94th Airlift Wing Commander
Brig. General Richard
Kemble.
Medal of Honor
Recipients Visit
Clay National Guard
Center and Dobbins
ARB
The Georgia National Guard Joint Force Headquarters and
the U.S. Air Force Reserve 94th Airlift Wing hosted 11
Medal of Honor recipients on base during Super Bowl LIII
weekend, February 1–3, 2019.
A dinner was held at the Dobbins Air Reserve Base
Consolidated Club for the Medal of Honor recipients. The
recipients, along with local military and community leaders,
enjoyed a night of camaraderie, music and Super Bowl Trivia.
Saturday’s reception at Clay National Guard Center, sponsored
by the Minneapolis, Minn.-based Medal of Honor Twin Cities
and the National Football League Foundation, highlights
the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation’s Character
Development Program. The program prompts students, athletes,
stronger communities.
“We bring teachers in, and we train them to take Medal of
Honor character development training into the schools,” said
Gary L. Littrell, Medal of Honor recipient. “We want to instill
into the youth of America the six pillars of character we represent:
citizenship.”
Over 200 active duty, reserve and National Guard personnel
welcomed the recipients with a two-minute standing ovation upon
their entrance. Brig. Gen. Randall Simmons, commander of the
Ga. ARNG, welcomed the MOH recipients to the Clay National
Guard Center.
Medal of Honor recipients Gary Littrell and Gary Beikirch enjoyed
conversation with Chief Master Sergeant Imelda Johnson at the reception
event at the Dobbins ARB Club.
Six Medal of Honor recipients visited members of the U.S. Air
Thunderbirds at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta, Georgia, on
Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the singing of the National Anthem at
Super Bowl LIII.