Lockheed Martin Corporation Signs On As Sponsor Of Congressional Medal Of Honor Society Initiative “Above & Beyond Citizen Honors”
New York, N.Y., 12/04/2007 --
Honorary Co-Chairs Include Former Presidents Clinton, Bush & Carter General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.)
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, comprised of the 107 living Medal of Honor Recipients, has announced that technology and aerospace leader Lockheed Martin Corporation has become a sponsor of their new Above & Beyond Public Service initiative, which will feature the presentation of the Above & Beyond Citizen Honors – the nation's most prestigious civilian awards. The non-partisan Above & Beyond Citizen Honors, initiative honors the men and women in uniform, and also identifies and honors ordinary Americans who have become extraordinary through their acts of selflessness.
We are honored to join with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society in support of Above & Beyond said Bob Stevens, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. At Lockheed Martin, we believe that creating a better world starts with selfless acts within our own communities. And what better way to recognize these noble, individual deeds than with this unique award.
After a nationwide nomination process by the American public to identify the heroes in our midst for the Above & Beyond Citizen Honors, through online balloting at www.aboveandbeyond365.com, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society will select 50 Finalists to represent their respective states. From these remarkable Americans, the Society will announce three Above & Beyond Citizen Honors recipients at the National Medal of Honor Day ceremony in March, 2008, and their remarkable stories of hope and courage will be broadcast to the nation and to the men and women in uniform serving around the world from Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
Honorary Co-Chairs of Above & Beyond Citizen Honors include former Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, and General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.).
We are delighted to have the Lockheed Martin Corporation as a sponsor of the Above & Beyond initiative, said Paul Bucha, a Medal of Honor recipient and Above & Beyond designate from the Society. Lockheed Martin has a tradition of working together to build and support the best products and technology that represent our nation. And now they are stepping forward to support the best among us, celebrating unsung heroes throughout the nation, who go above and beyond for others.
Above & Beyond, co-created by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and EPOP International, is historic, as it is the first time all of the living Medal of Honor recipients have banded together to create a national platform to promote Service before Self. The Above & Beyond Citizen Honors are unique, because they are presented to unsung heroes by our nations most honored heroes, all of the living Medal of Honor recipients. Lockheed Martin joins the TriWest Healthcare Alliance as a sponsor of Above & Beyond. For more information, visit www.aboveandbeyond365.com.
Media Contacts:
PRESS CONTACTS:ABOUT LOCKHEED MARTINFor Above & Beyond / 107 Medal of Honor Recipients
Rubenstein Communications, Inc.
Tom Chiodo 212-843-8289 tchiodo@rubenstein.com
Andrew Shearer 212-843-8061 ashearer@rubenstein.comFor Lockheed Martin
Scott Lusk, (301) 897-6934, scott.lusk@lmco.com
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.
ABOUT TRIWEST HEALTHCARE ALLIANCE
Above & Beyond supporter and Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Board member David McIntyre, is the President and CEO of TriWest Healthcare Alliance. TriWest is a Phoenix-based corporation that partners with the Department of Defense to provide access to cost-effective, high-quality health care for 2.7 million members of America's military family in the 21-state TRICARE West Region, which is comprised of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and western Texas. For more information visit www.triwest.com
ABOUT THE MEDAL OF HONOR
Created by Abraham Lincoln in 1861, the Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force, which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the United States Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. To receive this rare honor, the President of the United States must approve it after a long and rigorous consideration process, and then presents it personally to the recipient in the name of Congress. -Since the birth of our nation, over 40 million Americans have faced combat, yet only 3,463 have received our nations highest honor for combat - the Medal of Honor.
The Congressional Medal Of Honor Society is chartered by Congress, and regarded as the most exclusive organization in our country, as its membership is solely made up of living Medal of Honor recipients. Today there are only 109 members, who come from all social classes, race and economic levels. They range in age from 57 to 97, and live in all areas of our Country. No amount of money, power or influence can buy one's rite of passage to this exclusive circle, and unlike almost any other organization, this group's members hope that there will be no more inductees. Beyond this attitude towards recruitment, about also share a passionate love for the United States of America and have the distinct honor of wearing our Nation's highest award for military valor, The Medal of Honor. For more information, visit www.cmohs.org
ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR FOUNDATION
The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to perpetuate the Medal of Honor's legacy of courage, sacrifice and patriotism. The Foundation supports the objectives, activities and programs of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and raises funds for initiatives such as Above & Beyond, that promote what the Medal of Honor represents. For more information, visit www.cmohfoundation.org
ABOUT EPOP INTERNATIONAL
Above & Beyond Co-creator and Executive Producer David Clark founded EPOP in 2000. EPOP is unique, as it is solely dedicated to creating and producing cause-related properties. In 2002, EPOP worked with President Nelson Mandela to create the 46664 HIV/AIDS concert in South Africa. Globally broadcast on MTV, the event featured performances by Bono, Beyonce and Peter Gabriel. In 2005 EPOP created the Anne Frank 75th Birthday Tribute with Anne's cousin and only living family member Buddy Elias. Event Chairs included Miep Gies, 97, the remarkable woman who hid the Frank family for over two years and later found Anne's diary, President's Clinton and Carter, as well as Senator's Clinton, Obama and Dole. Performers included Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Gere, Natalie Portman, Cindy Lauper, Lou Reed, Laura Linney and more. For more info visit: www.epopinternational.com
