Patriots Point celebrates Medal of Honor recipients

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - Families, Veterans, students and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps members joined Medal of Honor recipients for a day full of history on Medal of Honor Day.

The events began with a wreath-laying ceremony, followed by a flyover at the USS Yorktown. Multiple rounds of tours took people through the entire museum, and students got to have lunch with recipients and talk about their experiences.

Master Sgt. Leroy Petry is a Medal of Honor Recipient Army Veteran from the 2ND Ranger Battalion, 75th Regiment. He is also the President of the Medal of Honor Society. He says their main programs educate kids around the country on character development and honorable values.

“Spending time with these medal of honor recipients, the older ones that were my heroes, the younger ones that I consider family now as well,” Petry said. “Anytime we get together, it’s great for me. Being able to share the medal and what it represents with all the veterans, civilians, and military is an honor.”

Patriots Point Museum has a specific Medal of Honor Museum. It was a gathering place for recipients of the medal, some active military members and lots of students on Friday. Even the Congressional Medal of Honor Society set up a booth to explain how Charleston has a rich military history connected to the award.

“We’ve got Fort Sumter here, the start of the Civil War, the Medal of Honor started in the Civil War,” Laura Jowdy, archivist and historical collections manager, said. “We’re at Patriots Point, which is a larger military museum, so to be able to have the number of veterans that we have come through here, and even you know, to have touchpoints for their own experience.”

The Town of Mount Pleasant also honored the recipients with a ceremony and moment of silence at town hall. The afternoon wrapped up with a raising of the Medal of Honor Flag at Patriots Point.

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