Latest news with #MelvinMorris
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hundreds turn up for July 4th parades in Melbourne, Merritt Island
MELBOURNE — Hundreds of people turned out Friday for Fourth of July parades in Brevard County, with holiday revelers lining up on New Haven Avenue in Melbourne to cheer the patriotic procession. Elsewhere in the county, hundreds more congregated on Courtenay Parkway in Merritt Island waving flags and dressed in red, white and blue as Brevard County Sheriff's Office deputies honored Vietnam War veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Melvin Morris. Morris was shot three times in 1969 after rescuing a fallen comrade near Chi Lang in Vietnam. In the process, he single-handedly destroyed an enemy force that had pinned down his battalion, the U.S. Army said. More: Does Disney World do special fireworks for Fourth of July? See events at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT More: Will rain damper Fourth of July plans in Brevard? We'll let you know the forecast It wasn't until 2014, after he'd retired to Cocoa, that Morris received the Medal of Honor for his heroism overseas. He served as the grand marshal of Friday's Merritt Island parade. Merritt Island's parade was organized by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office while Melbourne's event was sponsored by the Space Coast Young Republicans. The daytime parades preceded multiple fireworks shows and other events scheduled for the evening around the county. Those such as the "Symphony Under the Stars" and fireworks show in Cocoa Village and the Drone Light Show Spectacular in Cocoa Beach were expected to draw large crowds. Jacqueline and Peter McCullough of Palm Bay brought their two children out to watch the Melbourne parade as it made its way down New Haven Avenue. They waved and cheered as a train of jeeps blasting patriotic tunes lumbered past. Even as the morning sun grew more powerful, the family was unfazed by the heat. 'We're just thankful it didn't rain,' Jacqueline said. 'It's nice to get the day off to celebrate. Growing up, I never missed the Fourth of July, so it's nice to share that with my family now.' For U.S. Army veteran Andrew Farthing, the day was as much about duty as about festivity. 'I will always celebrate America,' Farthing said. 'No matter what's going on in the world, this is our country, and we owe it to ourselves and our children to love her even when that's difficult, or we're not sure how to.' Tyler Vazquez is the Brevard County Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@ Twitter: @tyler_vazquez This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Hundreds gather for July 4th parades in Melbourne, Merritt Island
CBS News
25-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
National Medal of Honor Museum to open in Arlington, honoring heroes
Tuesday's opening of the National Medal of Honor Museum to the public marks three years since construction began. Many hands have touched this inspiring place - situated in Arlington's entertainment district, near the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium and the Texas Rangers' Globe Life Field - that will open its doors to celebrate the human spirit. It is said that the Medal of Honor, our nation's highest honor for valor in combat, is a medal nobody wants because it represents the worst day of your life. Everywhere you look, there are personal stories of ordinary people who took extraordinary action. Like Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Melvin Morris. "We had two guys bleeding to death, and these were my guys," Morris said. The displays are filled with deeply personal items. "Some of the pictures that you see, predominately around in large spaces, may not have been publicly accessible pictures," said Chris Cassidy, CEO and president of the Medal of Honor Museum. You may feel pride when you see a naval hero's dress whites. Or perhaps the pain, when you see the battle-worn helmet of Army Sgt. Major and Medal of Honor recipient Roy Benavidez. "Each person is going to have something that triggers you to be drawn to one story or another, that's just human nature, right?" Cassidy said. Patrick Brady Hall is an expansive event space, already booked for 80 events this year alone, and the Griffin Institute is home to an educational outreach program focused on teaching the values of pride, responsibility, fortitude, and strength. "The program that we've designed to be facilitated by teachers in schools is called Moments That Matter," said Ellyn Metcalf, vice president of education for the Medal of Honor Foundation. "For local districts, the culminating moment when you complete the program is to come on a field trip to the museum. Next year, we hope to have almost 8,000 students come to the museum after completing the... program from this North Texas area." At the center of the museum is a circular wall of recipients, including the most decorated combat soldier of World War II, Audie Murphy. It's also where living history comes alive, in a powerful video that will educate, inspire, and speak to the burden our heroes can carry. That burden is a hallmark of the museum's design. The heavy steel square at the top represents the burden of the Medal of Honor. But it's supported by five columns, representing the five branches of our military, the men and women in uniform who stand in support every day. Visitors enter and leave through the Rotunda of Honor. The names of Medal of Honor recipients shine under a perpetual light. The gateway to incredible stories of courage and sacrifice. An inspiration to those who will be next, on the values behind the valor. The lower rotunda will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is free to enter. The museum on the second level is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. During this grand opening week, all veterans' tickets are free. You'll need a valid ID at the entrance to get your free ticket.
