University of Park Collaborates with Callsign Brewing on Progress Report for Valor Medals Examination Plan
The Valor Medals Review Project, an initiative by the George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War at Park University, is a focused research effort aimed at redressing discrepancies in the award of valor medals to minority World War I veterans.
The project, which was established by a resolution of the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission in June 2018 and included as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020, has been signed into legislation as part of the 2024 NDAA. This legislation extends the Robb Centre's research efforts until December 31, 2028.
The Valor Medals Review Project's research includes servicemembers who may have been worthy of a Medal of Honor but were downgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross/Navy Cross and/or a French Croix de Guerre with Palm and/or have an archived Medal of Honor recommendation. The project's focus is specifically on minority service members who may have been unjustly denied high-level valor awards due to race or religion.
As of now, researchers have identified 214 servicemembers for review, including 105 Jewish Americans, 73 African Americans, 24 Native Americans, 11 Hispanic Americans, and one Asian American.
The event to discuss the progress of the Valor Medals Review Project will take place at Callsign Brewing, 1340 Burlington St., North Kansas City, Mo. on June 25, starting at 6:30 p.m. The program will run from 7 to 8 p.m. and will include a presentation by Tim Westcott, Ph.D., director of the Robb Centre. Lorraine Moore, executive director of the Riverside (Mo.) Area Chamber of Commerce, will moderate the discussion.
Damon Grosvenor, a senior history major, and Martin Roberson, a junior secondary education/social science major, will also present at the event.
The extension of the Robb Centre's research efforts was signed into legislation by President Joe Biden in an undisclosed date in December 2023. The U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives approved the extension of the Robb Centre's research efforts through December 31, 2028, via the 2024 NDAA.
It's important to note that the Valor Medals Review Project is a separate initiative from any recent military personnel or award controversies unrelated to WWI or minority veterans. The project is a significant step towards acknowledging and correcting historical injustices in the awarding of valor medals to minority World War I veterans.
[1] Valor Medals Review Project
[2] NDAA 2024 includes extension of Valor Medals Review Project
[3] Military Leadership Review
[4] Award Exaggeration in the Military
[5] Controversies Surrounding Military Awards
[1] The Valor Medals Review Project, an initiative dedicated to education-and-self-development, seeks to redress discrepancies in the award of valor medals to minority World War I veterans.
[2] The NDAA 2024, which includes the extension of the Valor Medals Review Project, has been signed into legislation, extending its research efforts until December 31, 2028.
