FORTY MIDDLE-AGED MEN SAT ON METAL CHAIRS ON THE CAPITOL STEPS IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, THAT JANUARY DAY, IN 1984, WHICH INCLUDED JIMMY DOOLITTLE, PAPPY BOYINGTON, AND WILLIAM STOCKDALE.
B. ALL FORTY MEN RECEIVED: A AUTOMOBILE LICENSE STAMPED WITH FOUR DISTINCTIVE WORDS, "CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR".
C. THE OLDEST RECIPIENT, NINETY-SIX-YEAR-OLD PHILIP KATZ, WHO RECEIVED THE FIRST PLATE FOR SAVING A WOUNDED COMRADE WHILE UNDER MACHINE GUN FIRE IN 1918 AND THE YOUNGEST WAS, THIRTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD RICHARD PENRY, WHO WON HIS MEDAL IN VIETNAM, WHEN AS A CORPSMAN, HE SAVED THE LIFE OF SIX MEN WHILE HE HELD OFF OVER 100 N.V.A., WHO OVER RAN THEIR BASE CAMP.
1. DOZENS OF FLAGS SNAPPED IN THE CHILLY BREEZE, AS THE MEN LISTENED TO A RECITATION OF THEIR BRAVERY.
D. SADNESS ALSO FILLED THE AIR, BECAUSE THESE FORTY MEN KNEW THAT MILLIONS OF OTHER MEN AND WOMEN, WHOSE BRAVERY WAS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THEIRS; WENT UNHERALDED THAT DAY.
E. MILLIONS OF BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN RECEIVED NOTHING THAT DAY, EVEN THOUGH THEY SERVED SACRIFICIALLY, QUIETLY AND FAITHFULLY FROM LOVE AND DUTY, WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE PRIZE ENOUGH.
F. IN THE SAME WAY, MILLIONS OF GOD’S PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE COMMENDED, FOR THEIR SERVICE HERE ON EARTH, BUT THEY WILL CERTAINLY RECEIVE REWARDS, IN HEAVEN, AFTER THE LORD’S RETURN AND NOT ONE OF THEM WILL BE FORGOTTEN