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54 living Medal of Honor recipients gather

Two sergeants awarded the Medal of Honor this year for bravery in Afghanistan were in Louisville, Ky., recently for a convention honoring all recipients of the military’s highest honor.

Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer and Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry are two of the three living recipients awarded the medal for fighting in Afghanistan. Meyer visited the White House earlier this month and had a highly publicized beer with President Obama the day before his award ceremony. Petry received his medal in August.

Organizers said 54 of the 85 living Medal of Honor winners attended the 2011 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention in Louisville from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, a rare gathering for many of the bravest troops as the nation marks the 150th anniversary of the award.

According to the military, Medals of Honor “are awarded sparingly and are bestowed only to the bravest of the brave.” More than 3,465 medals have been awarded since the honor was first authorized in 1861.

The most recent recipient, Meyer, brought a wave of national news coverage to the award, with appearances on TV shows, at sporting events and in parades.

“It’s been crazy. I’ve been going constantly,” he said. “It’s tough. Everybody wants to know about the worst day of your life.”