• Celebrating the New National Medal of Honor Museum

Celebrating the New National Medal of Honor Museum

By Sara Shemin Cass, Co-Author of THE IVY HERO: The Brave Life of Sergeant William Shemin

On March 22, 2025 I attended the grand opening celebration of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington Texas.

It was a glorious night to be among so many of the living Medal of Honor (MOH) recipients as well as the families of so many heroes who have since passed away. There were about 30 living MOH recipients who attended the opening (out of a total of 61 living recipients). The total number of MOH recipients is only 3,528.

The evening included a cocktail reception, dinner, and then a ribbon cutting ceremony at the museum itself. The evening ended with an outdoor display of fireworks that was spectacular and included the use of drones to create images such as the American Flag.

The dinner included the following:

1) MOH recipient procession accompanied by the US Marine Chamber Orchestra

2) Invocation by Colonel Tammie Elfadili, Chaplain, US Army

3) Welcome from Charlotte Jones, Chairman, and Chris Cassidy CEO, National MOH Museum Foundation

4) America The Beautiful sung by Yolanda Adams

5) Saluting Valor, led by General James E. Rainey, Commanding General, Army Futures Command

6) God Bless the USA sung by Lee Greenwood, Grammy Award Winner

7) Celebratory Toast given by Kyle Carpenter, MOH recipient

The next day, I went to the Museum and saw the wonderful display that will be enjoyed by both children and adults. The 102,000 square foot landmark building is an unbelievable architectural achievement. The centerpiece of the museum is a 200-foot by 200-foot box that appears to hover 40 feet above the landscape. The box is supported by five monumental mega columns, each representing a branch of the US armed forces. Visitors enter the museum through a dramatic climb up spiral open-air stairs and glass elevators. The museum’s design symbolizes both the weight of the responsibility carried by MOH recipients and the inspirational virtues they embody – courage and sacrifice, commitment and integrity, citizenship and patriotism.

The Museum showcases numerous living and deceased recipients to highlight their heroic acts, accompanied by photos and memorabilia. The chief curator is Greg Waters who I met and who dedicated many years to collect and design the contents of the museum.

My grandfather, William Shemin, was among the MOH recipients that were highlighted. His glass encased exhibit includes his 1917 Stetson campaign hat he wore while serving in the 47th Infantry Regiment of the 4thDivision during World War I. The display also includes his case utility knife that was used at his nursery and landscape business that was established in the Bronx in the 1920s. He named the business the “Ivy Floral and Landscape Co” to honor the 4th Division where he served and whose nickname was “Ivy”, a play on words of the Roman Numeral IV or four.

There was also a quote of his on the wall: “War is not about medals. I love my country, I love my men. That’s all that counts.”

I left this event feeling proud to know there are people in the United States who exemplify such patriotism, , sacrifice, and courage and were able to be so brave at such important moments in our history. And of course, some of them even made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives for this country and all the democratic values of freedom, equality, and justice that it stands for.

It was an inspiring moment for me. I hope hundreds of thousands, and eventually millions of people will visit this new museum in Arlington, Texas, and have a similar experience as the one I was able to have on opening night.

Video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD1RZjzASso

Website for the National Medal of Honor Museum: https://mohmuseum.org/