iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
The Medal of Honor Celebration Committee announced that former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley will accept the Patriot Award, the highest individual award bestowed by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, in person at the upcoming Medal of Honor Celebration in Knoxville in September 2022.
In addition to the Patriot Award, the Bob Hope Award for Entertainment will be presented to actor Dennis Quaid and the Distinguished Citizen Award to Dr. Timothy Miller at the Patriot Award Gala on September 10.
“To understand the heart and soul of our country, look no further than the service and sacrifice of our military men and women,” said Ambassador Nikki Haley. “Now, more than ever, we should honor these Medal of Honor Recipients for representing the best of America. I’m proud and humbled to join them this year at the Patriot Award Gala to honor their service.”
Haley was the first female governor of South Carolina. She was also the first female Asian American governor, and the first Indian American in a presidential cabinet, serving as the US ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018.
The Patriot Award is reserved for people who have distinguished themselves as Americans, dedicated to freedom and the ideals represented by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
The Medal of Honor Celebration is an annual gathering for recipients of the United States’ highest military award for valor. September will mark the second time the event has been held in Knoxville — a two-time host city designation shared only with Boston. Knoxville last welcomed recipients in 2014. Actor and director Gary Sinise, who played the character of Lt. Dan in the iconic 1994 film Forrest Gump, will once again serve as master of ceremonies for the Patriot Award Gala in Knoxville.