The Medal of Honor Character Development Program (CDP) is a resource designed by teachers to provide students at grade level K-12 with opportunities to explore the important concepts of courage, commitment, sacrifice, patriotism, integrity and citizenship and how these values can be exemplified in daily life.

With the opportunity to see positive role models, the depth and breadth of our students’ insight and reflection after interacting with these materials teaches how we can all choose to be our personal best.

As a proud advocate of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, we hold this resource and opportunity for our youth in the highest regard.

To date we have helped accomplish the following:

• Completed 7 successful CDP teacher training sessions
• 18 school visits by one or more Medal of Honor recipients
• Helped create and launch the new national Elementary CDP, including 2 teacher writing workshops
• Over 300 teachers trained in the state from 80+ schools and districts
• Passed legislation amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.232, naming the MOH CDP as one the preferred character education programs in Minnesota.

For more information on the CDP please visit: https://www.cmohs.org/lessons/overview

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

The Medal of Honor Character Development Program (CDP) is a resource designed by teachers to provide students at grade level K-12 with opportunities to explore the important concepts of courage, commitment, sacrifice, patriotism, integrity and citizenship and how these values can be exemplified in daily life.

With the opportunity to see positive role models, the depth and breadth of our students’ insight and reflection after interacting with these materials teaches how we can all choose to be our personal best.

As a proud advocate of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, we hold this resource and opportunity for our youth in the highest regard.

To date we have helped accomplish the following:

• Completed 7 successful CDP teacher training sessions
• 18 school visits by one or more Medal of Honor recipients
• Helped create and launch the new national Elementary CDP, including 2 teacher writing workshops
• Over 300 teachers trained in the state from 80+ schools and districts
• Passed legislation amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.232, naming the MOH CDP as one the preferred character education programs in Minnesota.

For more information on the CDP please visit: https://www.cmohs.org/lessons/overview

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

@Jonathan Charpentier Photographe [C

• Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial Dedication – Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum

• Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial Dedication – Full Program – MNMOHMEM Board

  Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial unveiled outside State Capitol – WCCO 4

  Medal of Honor memorial dedicated at State Capitol – KSTP 5

  Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial dedication – KMSP FOX 9

  Dedication of the Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial – MN Senate Media

  Medal of Honor Memorial added to Capitol – KMSP FOX 9

  Planes fly over Minnesota State Capitol during Medal of Honor Memorial dedication – KMSP FOX 9

  Inside of B-25 Mitchell Bomber plane during Medal of Honor Memorial dedication – KMSP FOX 9

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• Design Provided by HGA

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  Looking from South (Entry)

  

  Looking from SW (Entry)

  
  

  

  Looking from South (Entry)

  

  Looking from NE

  
  

  

  Looking from North

  

  Arial View from NE

  Location

• The Memorial was approved by the 2016 Minnesota Legislature to be constructed under the Veteran’s Services Building at the main entrance of the Mall in prominent view of the Capitol. The Memorial design provides symbolic ties to the Medal itself and also the character virtues and values Medal of Honor recipients leave as their legacy to our youth. The Memorial will honor Medal of Honor and Medal of Valor recipients, veterans, our youth, and future generations.
• In 1931, Cass Gilbert’s third and last sketch of the approach to the Capitol Building featured a tall spire reflecting Gilbert’s vision and desire that there be a memorial tribute to veterans at the far south end of the Capitol Mall. After WWII, a decision was made to honor veterans with a building to provide necessary military veteran services, that now also provides a visual backdrop at the south end of the Capitol Mall. It is there that there is another circle of memorials and tributes to military veterans and wars, not unlike the circle of monuments that surround in close proximity the Capital Building. Also since WWII, a Court of Honor tribute to veterans has been added forming a circular area on the mall north of the Veteran Services Building with most recently a WWII War Memorial in the middle of that area. Also more recently and either side of the Court of Honor a Vietnam and Korean Memorial and a Military Family Tribute have been added.

• Shortly after WWII a reflecting pool and a statute within the pool was built immediately north of the Veteran Services Building that is referred to as the Promise of Youth. The monument has not generally been understood and has been discredited for not being relevant to veteran recognition or issues. Additionally, the Promise of Youth monument does not and has not functioned as intended as a reflecting pool nor does the mechanical statute operate.

  The Medal of Honor Memorial would occupy and be confined to the footprint of the existing reflecting pool and again function as originally intended as a functioning reflecting pool and operating mechanical statute along with being a Medal of Honor Memorial. A Medal of Honor Memorial within the footprint of the Promise of Youth reflecting pool would clearly and meaningfully convey the intended function of the Promise of Youth element that veterans in securing and maintaining our rights and freedoms have provided our youth with the means to fulfill the dreams and aspirations of all Americans.

  A Medal of Honor Memorial located at the south end of the mall and visibly in full view from the Capital Building would appropriately honor the most admired and respected of all of our veterans. The honorable service and sacrifice of the individual Minnesota veteran would also be reflective in varying degrees of the character attributes and actions of the Medal of Honor recipients and all recipients of medals of valor.

  

  Who is Cass Gilbert?

  Historical Significance- Why Minnesota?

  Minnesotans have faithfully served and sacrificed in all our nation’s wars. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Minnesota was the first state to offer soldiers to President Lincoln in defense of the Union. To the present day, Minnesotans have served our state and country with great distinction including awards of our Nation’s greatest honor, the Medal of Honor. A total of 72 Minnesotans has been awarded the Medal of Honor.

  Minnesotans have been awarded Medals of Honor in all wars and conflicts from the Civil War through Vietnam. Of the 72 Minnesotans awarded the Medal of Honor, 3 were awarded for actions not during a time of war including Charles Lindbergh, who made the first plane flight across the Atlantic to France in 1927.

  On the Minnesota State Capitol grounds, veterans are honored with memorials according to the wars in which they served. However, the Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial is the first memorial to recognize the valor of the individual veteran exemplified by the Minnesota Medal of Honor recipients.

  2013 marked the 150^th anniversary of the presentation of the first Medal of Honor by President Lincoln. It was in 1864 that the first Minnesotan was awarded the Medal of Honor.

May 31st, 2017: The Omnibus Legacy Finance bill allocating $250,000 for the Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial was passed by the Minnesota House and Senate along with Governor Dayton’s signature on May 31st, 2017.

Senator Carla Nelson, Bruce Anderson, Richard Cohen and Foung Hawj (SF 566) brought the bill to the Senate and Representative, Bob Dettmer, Bob Gunther, Leon Lillie and Mary Murphy (HF707)  brought the bill to the House with identical language. It reads as the following:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. APPROPRIATION; MINNESOTA MEDAL OF HONOR COMMEMORATIVE MEMORIAL.

$250,000 in the fiscal year 2018 is appropriated from the arts and cultural heritage fund to the commissioner of administration to complete design and construction of a memorial in the Capitol area to honor all Minnesota Medal of Honor recipients. This appropriation is not available until the commissioner determines that at least $250,000 is committed to the project from nonstate sources, and there are sufficient resources to complete the project, as required in Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.502, and Laws 2016, chapter 189, article 13, section 64.

MINNESOTA MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

72 Medals of Honor are Accredited to Minnesota, “For the Conspicuous Gallantry and Intrepidity in Action at the Risk of Life Above and Beyond the Call of Duty.”

See Minnesota Governor’s Proclamation  Honoring Leo Thorsness 

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 Memorial Board of Directors

About the Medal of Honor Memorial and the Promise of Youth 1/31/20

Producer/Moderator Shannon Loehrke – MN Senate Media Services 

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Memorial Ground Breaking 10/3/16

What an honor it was to have the Ground Breaking Event on the Capitol Mall on October 3rd, 2016. A very special thank you to all who helped contribute to this truly remarkable day. A special thank you to those who were a part of our program: Prelude: The Red Bull Band – 34th Infantry Division Narrator & Announcement of the Official Party: Col. Anthony Polashek Bugle Call “To the Colors”: Bill Crowder National Anthem: Soloist, Lt. Col. Tim Swanson (Ret) Flyover of C130’s: 934th Airlift Wing Invocation: Chaplain, Col. Gen Bloomstrom (Ret) Welcome Speaker: Commandant of Ceremony, MG Larry Shellito (Ret) Address: Adjutant General, MG Richard C. Nash Address: Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of AmericaSociety President, Capt. Thomas Kelley (Ret) Address: Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial Board Member, Tiffany Kovaleski Address: Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial Chairman, John Kraemer Ceremonial Cannon Firing: New Ulm Battery God Bless America: Soloist, Lt. Col. Tim Swanson (Ret) Flyover: Army Air Corps Armed Forces Medley: The Red Bull Band – 34th Infantry Division Benediction: Chaplain, Col. Gen Bloomstrom (Ret) Bugle call “Retreat”: Bill Crowder And a very special thank you to Col. Scotty Lene, Capt. Katherine Jenrette, Jerry Kyzer, Tim Wullmoth and everyone at the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs for all of their hard work helping run all of the elements behind the scene. The Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial also partnered with the Daughters of the American Revolution National Headquarters in MN to compile a book of all MN Medal of Honor recipients. This event would not be possible without the Medal of Honor Convention Twin Cities. We sincerely want to thank them for their participation and support, what a spectacular week it was to have our nation’s greatest heroes here in the great State of Minnesota!

See all photo’s on our   page!

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Publications

Jonathan Charpentier is the Memorial’s Official Photographer. For anyone looking for an amazing photographer, we highly recommend him! (612) 670-2264 or jc@jonathancharpentier.com.