In order to be given a Medal of Honor, soldiers have to put their life on the line like few others have ever done, and plans are in motion to honor their sacrifice even further. Officials in South Carolina recently announced their intentions to build a museum dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients, The Associated Press reports.
The $100 million museum will be built in Mount Pleasant and on the land shared by the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum currently. While the museum is the heart of the development, it will include much more than that. Organizers expect the Medal of Honor museum to be joined by a hotel and conference center. The hopes are that the new museum will bring 200,000 additional visitors to the area.
The museum will be completed in five years, and the announcement of its construction comes as the Department of Defense launched an online medals database last week. The website lists only Medal of Honor recipients since September 11, 2011, but it is a step in the right direction, some advocates say, according to The News Journal. The issue got thrust into the spotlight recently when the Supreme Court ruled that the Stolen Valor Act was unconstitutional.