“Legend of Inheriting the Honor Medal: New York Little Service Dog Named ‘Honor'”

Recently, the “America’s VetDogs” based in Long Island, New York, held a heartwarming and unique recognition event to honor the sacrifices of living veterans who have received the highest honor in the United States. At the event, a 9-week-old Labrador puppy, who will eventually accompany a retired service member, was named “Honor” in tribute to recipients of the “Medal of Honor”.

On July 30th, Chad Graham, the CEO of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, attended the event and happily posed for photos with the little service dog “Honor.” He shared with attendees the profound impact of the association’s work and discussed their future plans.

John Miller, the President and CEO of America’s VetDogs, expressed in a statement that recognizing recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor through the ceremony highlighted the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of national heroes. The association is honored to acknowledge the contributions of military personnel and is delighted that the future service dog “Honor” will continue the tradition of American military heroes by serving retired service members or disabled first responders.

The Labrador puppy “Honor” will participate in the American Prison Puppy Program in Maryland, where it will interact with inmates and learn basic skills. After completing the training, “Honor” will be assigned to accompany retired service members or disabled first responders to help them live independently.

Founded in 2003, America’s VetDogs is dedicated to providing well-trained service dogs for veterans, active duty military personnel, and disabled first responders, helping them regain independence and improve their quality of life.

This spring, America’s VetDogs received the “2024 Community Service Citizen Award” from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for their outstanding service and commitment to improving the lives of veterans and disabled first responders.

The Medal of Honor is the highest honor exclusive to American military personnel, personally awarded by the President of the United States. Recipients of the Medal of Honor must have shown “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against an enemy force.”

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society is an organization exclusively for living recipients of the Medal of Honor, aiming to commemorate these military personnel, preserve their legacies and contributions to the nation for future generations, and inspire others.

Attendees at the July 30th event included Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine, New York Congressman Nick LaLota, CEO of the Medal of Honor Foundation John Shertzer, New York Senator Mario Mattera, and Smithtown Town Supervisor Edward R. Wehrheim.

Unfortunately, 2018 Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and former U.S. Navy SEAL officer Britt K. Slabinski, who was scheduled to speak at the event, was unable to attend due to a sudden incident.