Success of Pueblo’s Home of Heroes initiatives reflected in expanded Medal of Honor Memorial, exhibit hall
Doug Sterner has been a friend of TAH since the beginning. I still seek his help and guidance on cases from time to time. He and his wife have been fighting to preserve the valor those who have served in the military for a very long time.
It’s been 26 years since the region’s then-congressman Scott McInnis took to the House floor to declare Pueblo the Home of Heroes in recognition of its record four Medal of Honor recipients: Drew Dix and the now-deceased Jerry Murphy, Carl Sitter and Bill Crawford.
It’s been 19 years since Pueblo hosted its first of two Congressional Medal of Honor Society national conventions. Ninety-six surviving Medal recipients attended that 2000 event that drew state and national attention for its school assemblies, star-studded Patriots Award gala and the unveiling of the four bronze statues of Pueblo’s hometown heroes and bronze plaques listing the names of all of the nation’s Medal recipients since the Civil War.
The city’s first Home of Heroes initiatives began in the 1990s. Then came the successful bid for the 2000 Medal of Honor convention and the unveiling of the national memorial. The late Bob Rawlings, at the time the publisher of The Pueblo Chieftain, and his family’s foundation led the list of donors who funded the bronze statues and name plaques. After the convention, the activities and attractions kept coming as the community stayed focus on the Home of Heroes theme. (The convention center also features an interactive Medal of Honor display near the main ballroom that is scheduled to be relocated and expanded in the near future.)
“There were several communities in the nation that focused totally on veterans — San Antonio was one and Gainesboro, Texas, I think. … We really wanted to be right up there with them with the Home of Heroes,? said Stuart, who at the time was the marketing director for The Chieftain and helped organize the community’s formation of the nonprofit Home of Heroes Association and the staging of the 2000 convention.
A local couple, Doug and Pam Sterner, who came up with the Home of Heroes name and organized visits by smaller groups of Medal recipients, delved deeper into their work. Doug Sterner launched the HomeofHeroes.com website and became a military history researcher and author. Pam Sterner led the effort to craft and adopt the Stolen Valor Act signed by President George W. Bush to identify and punish fraudulent claims of military awards.
Doug Sterner is a prolific writer. Here is a link to a few of his publications. “Restoring Valor” is a must-read for anyone interested in Stolen Valor. He and Pam have been instrumental in so many projects over the years it has become impossible to track them all. Without their contribution to the Stolen Valor effort, we would still have a very long row to hoe. Their contributions to projects like the one in Pueblo are a shining example of their selfless dedication to veterans everywhere.
Pueblo was selected to again host the national Congressional Medal of Honor Society convention in 2017.
About 40 Medal recipients attended. Gary Sinise & The Lt. Dan Band performed. Also in attendance were that year’s recipients of the Medal of Honor Society’s annual Patriot Awards: former U.S. senator Ken Salazar, author Jeff Shaara, Fox News co-host and Colorado State University-Pueblo graduate Dana Perino and William Hybl, then chairman and CEO of El Pomar Foundation.
Meanwhile, the buzz generated by the first convention and its award recipients still echoes. That year’s award recipients were broadcaster Paul Harvey, newspaper cartoonist Bill Mauldin and sports greats Arnold Palmer, Brooks Robinson, David Robinson, Pat LaFontaine and Gene Fullmer. All of them made the trip.
I am proud and humbled to be his friend. You can read the entire article at the link below.
Category: Stolen Valor, Stolen Valor Act, Veterans in the news
BZ Mr & Mrs Sterner for their work. Great article Dave, we learn something new every day here. For years, I had ignored the bragging of what I considered blowhards and their tales of derring do. All of the true “combat heros” I had met before, during, and after my Army Service were very humble men who never talked much of their service. It was only after discovering MP and TAH that I realized how widespread the SV problem was. Too bad there isn’t more teeth in the SV Laws. I still think the punishment for the POSing embellishing, lying sacks of sh^t should be dropping them into a situation where they would have to perform the heroics they claim to have done. Better drop a case or two of Depends with them.
Doug has some excellent reference books on military medal recipients. I have many of them and they are a great resource.
Thanks for the article, Dave Hardin. Something positive is always welcome.
Thanks for the kind words Dave. It’s been a heck of a ride and I’m glad you have been on it with us. Keep on keeping on.
All four of those men are a credit to Pueblo. Already have some of them on the list for Valor Friday posts.
Thanks, Mason.
And thanks for all the hard work that went into making the Home of Heroes possible.
Bravo Zulu, Mr. & Mrs. Sterner.