Our Vision
The Medal of Honor Valor Trail is a physical and digital manifestation of the places most deeply connected with Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War through the 21st century – battlefields, birth and burial places, namesake sites, monuments and museums. Its goal is to connect powerful stories to tangible places, creating meaningful connections to the past.
There is power in place, a unique ability for landscapes to teach meaningful and compelling lessons to those who follow in the footsteps of history. If well preserved and interpreted, Medal of Honor sites can be living memorials, pilgrim places, where honor and respect are paid to those who sacrificed on our behalf. Few Americans have the opportunity to visit Omaha Beach or the mountains of Afghanistan, but those who sacrificed in such remote places are nonetheless in their thoughts at the sites accessible to them.
Both the American Battlefield Trust and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society are committed to marrying history with the latest technology, making the past compelling and resonant. With interactive maps, recipient reflections and parallel stories designed to highlight the brotherhood of service across centuries, the The Medal of Honor Valor Trail™ website and newly launched iOS and Android app bring the past to life and history to life by allowing users to explore the extraordinary stories of Medal of Honor recipients through an interactive, location-based experience.
Chartered by Congress in 1958, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's membership is comprised of those who wear our nation's highest military award for valor. Recipients are committed to serving our country in peace as they did in war by championing the values of courage, sacrifice, integrity, commitment, patriotism, and citizenship. The nonprofit Society preserves their stories and shares their values through Outreach and Education initiatives. By serving, remembering, supporting, and honoring the sacrifice of the Recipients, by sharing the stories and values inherent in them, we understand the responsibility and potential within each one of us to impact the world.
From a grassroots organization started by historians 30 years ago, the American Battlefield Trust has grown into one of the most successful nonprofit, heritage land preservation organizations in the nation. The Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 54,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War, representing more than 150 sites in 24 states. Its 350,000 members and supporters believe in the power of place and the continued relevance of history to a means to fully understand our rights and responsibilities as Americans.