Monumental Honor

At Monumental Honor, each of us are dedicated to this organization for different reasons. Our Vice President, Sharon Deane’s story started when she was a child. Her father, Army Lt. Col. William Deane went missing in action in Vietnam in 1973 after being shot down over Quang Tri Province. His remains were found in 1999, and his family finally received the closure they deserve. In September of this year, the Cemetery fixed this. Sharon was invited to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific to place a rosette next to her father’s name on the memorial. This is a small step, but this closure means the world for their families. This story stands out among our volunteers and is an example of what this organization means to each of us. The mission of Monumental Honor to honor the heroes of our city and use their stories to unite the city and empower our city’s future. There are inspiring stories all around us. https://lnkd.in/gTktA9VJ

At Monumental Honor, we want to ensure future leaders within the Richmond community have the tools they need to carry on Monumental Honor’s mission of uniting our city by honoring the city’s heroes. 2nd Lt. Ernest Dervishian is one of those heroes. 2nd Lt. Dervishian (then TSgt.) earned the nation’s highest award for his actions at the Battle of Anzio in Italy on May 23, 1944. Before the war, Dervishian had a successfully private law practice after graduating from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1938. In conjunction with the University Of Richmond, Troutman & Pepper Law firm and the Dervishian family, we are pleased to announce that at the UofR Military appreciation Day football game on the 2nd of November, we will be honoring 2nd Lt. Ernest Dervishian by presenting a $5,000 scholarship to a University of Richmond School of Law student! Our goal is to revive Dervishian Day and commemorate Ernest Dervishian and promote the values of the Medal of Honor: Courage, Integrity, Commitment, Sacrifice, Citizenship, and Patriotism. There is no better way to do that than ensuring the future leaders have the tools to succeed. #RVA #MonumentalHonor #MedalofHonor #UniversityofRichmond

At Monumental Honor, we want to ensure future leaders within the Richmond community have the tools they need to carry on Monumental Honor’s mission of uniting our city by honoring the city’s heroes. 2nd Lt. Ernest Dervishian is one of those heroes. 2nd Lt. Dervishian (then TSgt.) earned the nation’s highest award for his actions at the Battle of Anzio in Italy on May 23, 1944. Before the war, Dervishian had a successfully private law practice after graduating from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1938. In conjunction with the University Of Richmond, Troutman & Pepper Law firm and the Dervishian family, we are pleased to announce that at the UofR Military appreciation Day football game on the 2nd of November, we will be honoring 2nd Lt. Ernest Dervishian by presenting a $5,000 scholarship to a University of Richmond School of Law student! Our goal is to revive Dervishian Day and commemorate Ernest Dervishian and promote the values of the Medal of Honor: Courage, Integrity, Commitment, Sacrifice, Citizenship, and Patriotism. There is no better way to do that than ensuring the future leaders have the tools to succeed. #RVA #MonumentalHonor #MedalofHonor #UniversityofRichmond

It’s always a great day for Monumental Honor and our team when we can announce the addition of a member to our team! Today we are pleased to announce that we are adding Bill Martin to our team as an advisor! Bill has been the director the Valentine Museum, RVA’s oldest museum for almost 30 years! Bill also has a history of being an active participant of local institutions across Richmond! We are excited to have him on our team to advise and support our growing team as well as connecting us to other organizations throughout the community! #RVA #MonumentalHonor #MedalofHonor

Happy Juneteenth! Today, we celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. Three exceptional African American individuals from Richmond were awarded the Medal of Honor: First Sergeant Powhatan Beaty for his bravery during the Civil War, First Lieutenant Ruppert Leon Sargeant for his Valor in the Vietnam War, and Engineer’s Cook James Mifflin for his heroic actions during the Civil War. Their extraordinary sacrifices exemplify a profound dedication to freedom, justice, and equality. Their legacies inspire us to persist in our persuit of a more equitable and inclusive society, embodying resilience and unwavering determination for a better future for everyone. #RVA #Juneteenth #MedalofHonor #MonumentalHonor #

This is a big week at the Monumental Honor team. We are excited to announce that Chad Graham is also joining our team as an Ex Officio member of the Team! Chad is the new Executive Director of Congressional Medal of Honor Society! Chad brings a wealth of knowledge to the team. He served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Woody Williams Foundation from 2017 to 2024. Chad’s grandfather, CWO4 Hershel “Woody” Williams, USMC (Ret.) received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Iwo Jima during World War II, and Chad has continued his family’s tradition of serving the community around him. Monumental Honor is excited and humbled to have this partnership with Chad and The Congressional Medal of Honor Society. The Society strives to share the stories of the Recipients of the Medal and inspire Americans to live the values the Medal represents. This goes hand in hand with our Mission of sharing the stories of Richmond’s Medal of Honor Recipients to inspire and unite the city of Richmond!

Last weekend, coinciding with DDAY, our team hosted a successful art contest in cooperation with the Virginia War Memorial. The contest asked students to commemorate one or more Richmond Medal of Honor Recipients from World War II, while showcasing the values of courage, sacrifice, patriotism, and service. We received entries from three different school districts and awarded prizes, including a small jar of sand from Omaha Beach to each of the top four finishers! During the award ceremony, students explained their art, and the impact was clear, as all the students left us inspired by their reflections. We cannot wait to grow this next year! A special thanks to Carl Grunow who championed the idea, to our jurors, and to the students who gave thought and effort and really inspired us! This is all part of our three pronged approach - Honor Legacies, Unite Our Cities, and Develop Our Future Generations! #Medalofhonor #DDAY #RVA #HonorUniteDevelop

Monumental Honor would like to welcome Thomas Mundell, president and CEO of The National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership (NMOHLEC) as en Ex Officio member of our team! Tom’s wealth of knowledge through his years in the Air Force as well as his years working in senior executive positions with non-profit organizations will be a great value added to our team. The NMOHLEC’s mission of inspiring American Leadership through the values of the Medal of Honor aligns with our values and mission of Honoring the stories of Richmond’s local heroes who have displayed the Medal of Honor’s Values, as well as Uniting our city through community building, public arts, and community service.

Among these heroes, Jimmie Monteith, one of Richmond’s own, found himself on the beaches of Normandy 80 years ago this week. We hope you will help us share his story well in the Capital of Virginia. Find out how at MonumentalHonor.org

This will be a fantastic event that we are proud to join in on. Thankful for the great collaboration in and around the Richmond area for our veterans. See you there!