As anyone who has read a few of my posts knows, I’m a huge fan of remembering those who have gone before – the patriots of our nation, from colonial days to the present, who have sacrificed themselves, whether in life or in death, for the priceless treasure of freedom.

I firmly believe it’s important that we remember these men and women, not just on patriotic holidays but every day. And I believe it’s equally important that we make a focused effort to learn about these Americans. Who were (and are) they, these champions of courage and heroism?

It’s virtually impossible to “meet” them all in one lifetime, but I’d like to issue a challenge. Military Times has created an online Hall of Valor that, to date, has 48,610 valor award citations of men and women from the U.S. military.

These citations cover every major (and multiple lesser-known) war and conflict from the Civil War to the present day, and they include some 25 honors such as the Silver Star, the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, and the Medal of Honor.

The Hall is searchable by conflict, award, military branch, name, and keyword. For example, with no specific end in mind, I clicked on ‘Coast Guard’ and scrolled down to Clifford F. Bennett, an Ordinary Seaman who was awarded the Navy Cross “for extraordinary heroism on the occasion of the explosion of the Gillespie shell-loading plant on 4 and 5 October [1918].”  According to the citation, “While the explosions were still continuing, Ordinary Seaman Bennett drove a motor car on trip after trip through a barrage of flying shell splinters, carrying out the wounded and dead and carrying in guards. Although the door of his car was blown off and the car riddled, he persisted in his work throughout the night.”

Have you ever heard of Clifford F. Bennett? Neither had I. But he was someone’s son, perhaps someone’s brother, or husband, or father. And it is acts of heroism like his that cover the pages of our nation’s history.

But how often do we make a concerted effort to remember? Not just generally but specifically?

My challenge is this: Start a journey down the Hall of Valor. Every day, meet a new hero. Come face to face with courage in the face of indescribable terror. And appreciate a bit more each day the cost at which our freedom came.

Perhaps we’ll never make it through the entire hall. But even if we don’t, it’s a journey well worth starting.

Military Times Hall of Valor

(If you know a name that should be in the Hall of Valor, you can submit the name along with supporting documentation. Just click on the link above and follow the directions.)