Documentary premiere showcasing the review of Park University's Valor Medals scheduled for March 24
The George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War at Park University is spearheading a significant initiative, the Valor Medals Review Project, aimed at identifying minority veterans of World War I who may have been unjustly denied high-level valor awards due to racial or religious discrimination.
The project's goal is to uncover and document such cases where minority service members were overlooked for prestigious military honors, with the aim of providing them posthumous recognition and restoring historical accuracy regarding their bravery and contributions during WWI.
The Valor Medals Review Project is a systematic research effort that focuses on addressing injustices related to race or religion in valor award denials. Its ultimate goal is to identify and rectify historical inequities by recognizing valor previously unacknowledged.
The project has garnered attention and support, leading to the introduction of bipartisan bills in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in April 2019. These bills require the Department of Defense to carry out a systematic review of select members of the U.S. Armed Forces who may have been denied the Medal of Honor due to race.
The legislation also waives the statute of limitations associated with any cases identified by the review, authorizing the award of a Medal of Honor to any individuals identified by the DOD in the study. To be eligible for the review, a veteran must have received certain awards and be of a specific ethnicity, including African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, Jewish American, or Native American.
The documentary "More Than a Medal," produced by Lame Deer Films in cooperation with the George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War at Park University, will debut on March 24, 2022, at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Mo. The documentary interweaves efforts of researchers, heroic stories, and experiences of modern-day descendants.
A question-and-answer session with the producers and directors of the documentary will follow the premiere. Reservations for the event can be made through the website https://my.theworldwar.org/10720/10721 or via email.
Park University was the driving force behind the introduction of these bills, aiming to address the lack of review for World War I veterans who may have been unjustly denied awards due to race. To date, the systematic review has not occurred for World War I veterans.
As of now, a total of 214 servicemembers have qualified for review, including 105 Jewish Americans, 73 African Americans, 23 Native Americans, 12 Hispanic Americans, and one Asian American. Coincidentally, Medal of Honor Day, a U.S. federal observance, will be celebrated the day following the documentary premiere on March 25.
The Valor Medals Review Project at Park University is the focus of the documentary "More Than a Medal," offering a unique opportunity for the public to learn about this important historical endeavour. Admission to the event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.
- The Valor Medals Review Project at Park University, which aims to recognize the bravery of minority World War I veterans who were denied high-level valor awards due to discrimination, is also a significant learning opportunity for the public.
- As education-and-self-development continues, more people are learning about the Valor Medals Review Project, an initiative that seeks to rectify historical injustices in the military honors system for minority service members during World War I.
