Senators Mike Braun, Jon Tester, and Sherrod Brown introduced the Mark Our Place Act, which amends current law to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a headstone, marker, or medallion for Medal of Honor recipients, regardless of their date of death. Currently, this is only available to Medal of Honor recipients that served after 1917.
Representative Luttrell introduced the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to those who have served and sacrificed to protect our freedom. The Medal of Honor represents exceptional service and it should be permanently and distinctly memorialized for all recipients, regardless of their dates of service.” — Sen. Mike Braun
“We need to honor the heroism of our brave servicemembers who performed far beyond the call to duty—no matter when they served. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation makes sure we’re doing that by rightfully recognizing all Medal of Honor recipients, including those who served prior to 1917, for their incredible sacrifice and service to our country.”—Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee
“The Medal of Honor is awarded to those who went above and beyond the call of duty, risking their own lives to save others. All recipients deserve to have their legacy preserved and their memories honored. We will never forget the debt we owe our veterans, and we’re humbled by their commitment to service.”—Sen. Sherrod Brown
“I’d like to thank everybody involved in the Mark Our Place Act. This is a great bill to recognize the recipients of America’s highest medal for valor, the Medal of Honor, and I fully support it.” – Sergeant First Class Sammy Davis, Medal of Honor recipient 1968
