The Medal of Honor is the United States’ most prestigious personal military decoration one can receive. Very few people have been able to obtain this award in their lifetime. One of the few Medal of Honor recipients still living, Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha, was the honored guest speaker at the Celebration of Valor Luncheon on Wednesday, August 21. Central JROTC students were able to attend the luncheon and were abl to meet and talk with Romesha.

After Romesha finished speaking, he started passing around his medal for the students to hold. It was an honorable and exciting experience for the students in attendance, encouraging them to be brave in the face of danger, no matter how little or big that danger is.

Only five of Central’s JROTC students were able to attend the event: Tyler Mullins, Zach Defur, Airicka Richardson, Hyatt Green, and Jacob Sylman. Major David Spencer accompanied the students at the luncheon as well.

Romesha detailed about his personal life at the luncheon, but tended to talk lightly about his experience that earned him the medal. He also made sure to make note of another Medal of Honor story that was not related to his award, but, instead, was about someone else who received the honor while he was a young adult.

“He did not talk much about how he earned [the Medal of Honor]. I guess it must have brought back bad memories,” said Senior Tyler Mullins.

As a young adult, Romesha and some of his friends had got chance to meet a Medal of Honor recipient, much like the JROTC students met him. Romesha recalls heavily drinking at a bar before the event and getting kicked out of it early. Eventually, Romesha redeemed himself by becoming a Medal of Honor recipient himself.

“I really admire how he was able to express how he felt about receiving the Medal of Honor and what was going on in his mind as he was receiving it. I also really like how he was able to joke around, but he was still able to be serious at the same time,” stated Sophomore Airicka Richardson.

Experiences like these can help shape people into better citizens as a whole, whether it strengthens their courage or inspires them to do more with their lives. People like Romesha not only make the world a better place, but encourage others to make it even better.