James M. Tolbert, Sgt. 1st Class, was added to the list of Bronze Star recipients and Michael Raeder, Sgt., was added to the list of those who had received a Purple Heart. Their names are the first to be inscribed on the new placard.

Also, during the ceremony, VFW 2769 Post Commander D.A. Bower read the account of John Haight, a Westfield native who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valor during the Civil War.

March 25 became Medal of Honor Day when President George H. W. Bush signed it into law in 1990. The federal observance was created to honor the “heroism and sacrifice of Medal of Honor recipients for the United States.”

Marine Master Sgt. Robert McIntosh described the Medal of Honor, noting that it is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force. “The deed of the recipient must be so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish him from his comrades and the action must involve risk of one’s life,” he said.

A new placard to bear the names of Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipients in Ripley was unveiled.

McIntosh said 3,473 Medals of Honor have been awarded to date, and only seven since the Vietnam War. He noted that there are 103 living recipients and there have been only 19 people who have received double Medals of Honor.

“It is the only award that is worn around the neck,” he said. “The rest are affixed to the uniform.”

McIntosh described the special provisions given to Medal of Honor recipients. Recipients receive an invitation to all future Presidential inaugurations and inaugural balls, he said. They receive a monthly pension above and beyond their military pension and they are given special entitlements to transportation, he added.

Recipients are also granted eligibility for internment at Arlington National Cemetery and qualified children of recipients are automatically appointed to any of the United States service academies, McIntosh said.

McIntosh also reviewed the requirements needed to be awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Bronze Star Medal recipients must demonstrate exceptional valor in combat, he said. The Purple Heart is given to those who served in combat and were wounded by enemy combatants or devices, he added.

Members of VFW post 2769 unveil a new placard on which the names of Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipients will be placed at the Veterans of Valor memorial in Ripley.

In observance of Medal of Honor Day, Bower related the story of Sgt. John Haight of Westfield who, with his brother George, enlisted in the Union Army on July 17, 1861.

The brothers who began as privates with Regiment G company, saw action at Bull Run and the Peninsula Campaign. They also served in the Army of the Potomac under General Joe Hooker in the defense of Washington, D.C.

John was severely wounded on April 5, 1862 while carrying a comrade to safety at Williamsburg. In Haight’s own words: “I was on skirmish, the firing of the enemy was so severe that we had to retreat. My captain called for someone to assist him in bringing Wilson off the field. The enemy had completely surrounded us. I was shot, fell and was taken prisoner, but I managed to return to my company.”

During the Seven Day Campaign, George was killed at Malvern Hill. John was promoted to Sergeant on august 27, 1862 for his actions at Second Bull Run where he saved the life of wounded comrades.

On March 1, 1863, Haight was honorably discharged and on June 8, 1888 he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He died on April 8, 1917 and is buried in East Ripley Cemetery.

While many at the ceremony noted that veterans should always be honored for their sacrifice and courage, one participant noted that “It’s good to have this day to remember those who have received this very prestigious award.”