Charles Harris (Morris); Robert Maxwell (Slabinski)Medal of Honor recipients Melvin Morris (left) and Britt Slabinski visit Civil War battlefields at Morris Island, South Carolina, and Fredericksburg, Virginia, as part of the Trust’s “Brothers in Valor” project.
Too often, we forget that those who lived through earlier eras and fought in America’s defining conflicts were individuals with hopes, dreams, and fears—just like us and the brave men and women in uniform today. And while a remarkable spirit unites military heroes past and present, our hallowed grounds play an important role in reminding the rest of us of the honor due for their service and sacrifice.
In a humbling and exciting new project, “Brothers in Valor,” the Trust traveled to preserved Civil War battlefields (at Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, and Morris Island) with three modern recipients of the Medal of Honor—our nation’s highest decoration for valor in combat—to walk in the footsteps of Civil War soldiers who also received the Medal of Honor for experiences parallel to their own. On these storied sites, the modern recipients explained to us the importance of battlefield preservation and what it means to our veterans.
Preserving America’s battlefields ensures that every service member’s story lives on, whether from the Civil War or conflicts before and after it. Our battlefields give people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of those who served, shaped, and defended our nation. These beautiful open spaces are living monuments and places of reflection where we can recognize the challenges faced, and bravery exhibited, by soldiers throughout our history.
Visiting these remarkable landscapes should be a source of inspiration for all Americans. Perhaps no one better conveys the essential role of preserved battlefields in modern life than Hershel “Woody” Williams, a great friend of the Trust and the last living Medal of Honor recipient from World War II’s Battle of Iwo Jima. On a special visit to Gettysburg, Woody reminded us, “Being at a battlefield where you know that individuals sacrificed their lives is a profound experience. We need these places to keep reminding us of those who gave more than any of us.”
Our battlefields are vital to understanding just what it took to forge our nation; preserving these places is a lasting and powerful way to recognize the profound courage displayed there and honor the lives of countless American soldiers across time. In the age of technology, the Trust has committed to honoring these heroes both on and off the battlefield. As part of the Brothers in Valor project, the Trust debuted a groundbreaking digital database that brings together biographical information on all 1,522 Civil War-era recipients of the Medal of Honor in a searchable format.
The American Battlefield Trust is proud to save our nation’s most hallowed grounds—and, in so doing, to remember and honor the sacrifice and service of those who fought for the very freedoms Americans hold dear. To learn more about the project, visit battlefields.org/learn/topics/brothers-valor.
O. James Lighthizer is president emeritus of the nonprofit, nonpartisan American Battlefield Trust, which is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds—Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War—and educating the public about their significance.
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