Stories of Valor

Letter from the Editor

by Tim Holbert

Welcome to a very special edition of American Valor Quarterly.

As you know, this publication is America’s only magazine dedicated to sharing the stories of our veterans and active duty service members in their own words, and this issue is no exception. This past Veterans Day weekend, American heroes from World War II to today gathered in Washington, DC for the American Veterans Center’s 11th Annual Conference. In front of an audience of several hundred high school, college, and service academy students, as well as their fellow veterans, these men and women of the United States military shared their experiences and spoke on the value of service to God and country. Several of the panels were televised on C-SPAN.

The Annual Conference is a major part of the American Veterans Center’s mission to preserve the legacy of our veterans for future generations. In this issue, we share with you the stories told by several of the veteran panels at the conference.

In this issue you will hear from the Filthy Thirteen, the men who made up the real “Dirty Dozen.” The 11th Annual Conference was the first time the surviving four members have been together since their jump on D-Day. You will also find the story of the World War II intelligence facility known as P.O. Box 1142, which remained a secret for sixty years following the war.

Beyond the heroes of World War II, we include stories from veterans of more recent eras. Lt. General Julius W. Becton, Jr., one of our nation’s most respected general officers, saw his combat career begin in the hills of South Korea.
The men and women who served in Vietnam know well that honor and valor were common traits among that generation of serviceman. Here, we share the stories of three men who epitomized these qualities, and were awarded the Medal of Honor.

Perhaps the most important story in this issue is the last. While this magazine is dedicated to first-hand accounts, sadly, having fallen in battle, many of our greatest heroes are not able to share their own stories. In “The Medal of Honor Today: A New Generation of Valor,” five men who served alongside the five Medal of Honor recipients from Iraq and Afghanistan tell the stories of their comrades in arms.

Also in this issue you will find the citations for the American Veterans Center’s 2008 awardees, heroes from World War II to today whose dedication to service went above and beyond the call of duty.

Beyond these veterans, the conference featured a great many more panels, including the Doolittle Raiders, Major League Baseball players who served in World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen, discussions on Korea, Vietnam, and Somalia, as well as heroes of today. All of these panels were recorded, and video of each can be found on our website at www.americanveteranscenter.org.

None of our programs, from the annual conference to our documentary and oral history programs, the upcoming National Memorial Day Parade, and this magazine, could be possible without your support. As we continue to share with you these stories of valor, we wish to thank you once more for joining us in this invaluable mission.