National Medal of Honor Museum

Signing the final structural beam for the National Medal of Honor Museum was an extraordinary moment.

A group of us gathered in Arlington, Texas, for the museum’s topping-out ceremony before the beam was lifted into place. The event marked a construction milestone, but it also represented the beginning of a place dedicated to preserving stories of uncommon courage.

At the time, 3,525 people had received the Medal of Honor in United States history. Only a small number of their stories could become principal museum exhibits, which makes every curatorial decision significant. The museum carries the responsibility of helping visitors understand not only what recipients did, but the circumstances, values, and sacrifices behind their actions.

My connection to that history is personal. My wife Rachael’s great-uncle, Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez, was a Medal of Honor recipient whose story is almost too extraordinary to believe.

Stories like his can become distant when reduced to a citation or a name. A museum can restore the human dimension by showing visitors the choices people made under extreme pressure and the lives connected to those choices.

Courage is often described as a quality someone possesses. These stories suggest that courage is also a decision made in a particular moment, frequently before a person has time to feel prepared.

Having the museum located near Fort Worth gives North Texas an important responsibility and opportunity. Students, families, veterans, and visitors can encounter examples of service that invite deeper conversations about character, duty, and sacrifice.

I was proud to sign the beam. The most meaningful part will be watching future visitors discover the people and choices that the building was created to honor.