Gainesville marks 25th Medal of Honor Week honoring nine recipients

GAINESVILLE, Texas — Nine of the nation's most decorated military heroes spent four days in Gainesville last week as the city marked a quarter-century as America's only official Medal of Honor Host City. The 25th annual Medal of Honor Week kicked off Wednesday, April 15, with a more-than-500-vehicle motorcade that escorted recipients from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Tractor Bob's on Interstate 35 in Gainesville. The roughly nine-mile-long procession — made up of police cars, fire trucks, ambulances and hundreds of motorcycles representing more than 40 law enforcement and first responder agencies — arrived shortly after 5:15 p.m. to crowds lining overpasses and the interstate with American flags. "It's just an honor to be in their presence and have them here," Mayor Tommy Moore told KXII after greeting the recipients at Tractor Bob's. Moore said the host city designation carries a responsibility the community takes seriously, and that the goal is to make recipients feel like part of the Gainesville family. The nine recipients attending this year were COL Paris D. Davis, CSM Kenneth J. David, COL Walter J. "Joe" Marm Jr., SSG Melvin Morris, MAJ Alfred V. Rascon, SP5 Dwight W. Birdwell and SGM James A. Taylor, all U.S. Army, along with MCPO Donald E. "Doc" Ballard and HM3 Robert R. Ingram, both U.S. Navy. Ballard, a Vietnam veteran, told the station that visiting local schools remains his favorite part of the week and described the Medal of Honor as the most prestigious military decoration. Events throughout the week included a tree dedication along the Home-Grown Hero Walking Trail, visits to Gainesville ISD campuses, a luncheon at North Central Texas College and a community blood drive. The ticketed annual banquet filled the Gainesville Civic Center on Friday evening, April 17. The week culminated Saturday, April 18, with the annual Medal of Honor Parade down California Street through historic downtown Gainesville at 10 a.m. To mark the 25th anniversary, organizers also debuted an inaugural Medal of Honor 5K Run/Walk earlier that morning at 7:30 a.m. The parade was followed by a public book signing and a new Veteran Resource Fair at the Civic Center from noon to 2 p.m. Since the program launched in 2001, Gainesville has hosted 59 of the 61 living Medal of Honor recipients. Organizers continue to sum up the community's quarter-century of dedication with the program's longtime rallying cry: "It's What We Do." For more information on the Medal of Honor Host City Program, visit medalofhonorhostcity.com.