Medal Of Honor Convention Coming To Louisville

The recipients of America's highest military honor will hold their annual gathering in Louisville in 2011.The Congressional Medal of Honor Committee has chosen Louisville for its 2011 convention. Medal recipients and their families will gather here in late fall for a celebration. About 500 visitors are expected to come, generating roughly 300 thousand dollars in economic activity. But Mayor Jerry Abramson says the city is not hosting the convention for the money, but rather for the chance to bring honored veterans to the city."What's so exciting is that the individuals coming will have an opportunity to engage with high school students and college students in hopes of instilling in them an understanding of patriotism and the importance of being engaged as good citizens of this country," he says. "The unfortunate thing about many young kids is they understand their rights and privileges. But they seem to not understand as well their duties and responsibilities as citizens of this great country."42 of the nearly 35 hundred medal recipients have been from the commonwealth. Of the 97 living recipients, three are Kentuckians.