Celebrate Harvard's Medal of Honor Recipients & Meet the Stone Carver Who Will Create the Memorial

The master stone carver, Nick Benson, is also the recipient of a 2010 MacArthur 'Genius Grant.'

 

   

The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military decoration, awarded by the President in the name of Congress to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through conspicuous gallantry and at the risk of their lives above and beyond the call of duty.  Harvard has the highest number of Medal of Honor recipients (17) among its alumni of any university in the world, behind only the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.

The Harvard Veterans Alumni Organization, a recognized Shared Interest Group (SIG) of the Harvard Alumni Association, invites you to join them to introduce their organization to the many Harvard Veterans and Military who work and live in the area, and to raise awareness of the completion of the Memorial to Harvard's 17 Medal of Honor recipients. This updated hand-carved and gilded stone tablet will be placed in the sanctuary of The Memorial Church in Harvard Yard later this year.

A special guest and presenter at this event will be Nicholas Benson, who is the proprietor of the John Stevens Shop in Newport, RI and a third generation master stone carver. In addition to this memorial tablet, he and his staff have worked on other projects at Harvard as well as national monuments in DC, including various war memorials and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, which is soon to be dedicated. Nick is also the recipient of a 2010 'Genius Grant' from the MacArthur Foundation.

Also on view at this event, as part of the Society of the Cincinnati’s exhibition “New Hampshire in the American Revolution,” is one of the only surviving original Purple Hearts -- the Badge of Military Merit of the Continental Army. In addition, the Society's library will present a display of treasures from its 18th-century art-of-war collection.

The evening will conclude with a gala reception featuring food, wine, beer and soft drinks. All are welcome to attend.
  
The event will be held beginning at 6 pm at Anderson House, Headquarters of the Society of the Cincinnati, the oldest veterans organization and first patriotic organization, founded in 1783. The address is 2118 Mass. Ave., NW conveniently located 1.5 blocks west of the Dupont Circle Metro's Q Street exit north.
About the Harvard Veterans Alumni Organization

The Harvard Veterans Alumni Organization, an incorporated 501(c)(19) non-profit organization, is open to all members of the Harvard Community, students, alumni, faculty and staff who have served, or are serving, in the United States Military. It also welcomes "Friends of HVAO." Its basic mission is three-fold: to remember and honor more than 1,200 Harvard men and women who died in uniform; to research and educate about the long, proud service and sacrifice of Harvard men and women over more than 10 generations; and to promote collegiality and support among the University's thousands of living Veterans/Military. Read more about it at www.harvardveterans.org. 
*DRESS CODE FOR THIS EVENT:
Active Military: Service Dress if possible.
Reserve and Retired Military: Also welcome in Service Dress.
Others: Business attire, with ribbons and/or miniatures as desired.
$0.00-Harvard Cadets and Midshipmen
$35.00-Harvard Club Members 
$45.00-Non members of the Harvard Club

Click here to buy tickets!!!

 

Having difficulty signing up for this event? 

For Harvard Alumni, Associates and Students: Log in using your HAA (post.harvard) username and password.

  • If you have not created your HAA username and password, please see the registration page.
  • If you do not remember your HAA username and password, you can retrieve them using the login retrieval page.
  • If you cannot retrieve your post.harvard login, please email the HAA help desk at haa_alumnihelp@harvard.edu or call 800-823-2478 or 617-496-0559.
Non-alumni (including non-alumni Club members and other guests): you will need to sign in as a Non-Alumni Guest.

 

For all other questions or to register over the phone for this event, please contact the Harvard Club of  Washington, DC at 202-337-1300 or webmaster@harvard-dc.org