Medal of Honor recipients connect with Knoxville

Welcome to "Your Week in Knoxville," a weekly note for subscribers from Knox News editor Joel Christopher. Five of our top stories from the week are always highlighted at the bottom of this newsletter.

I don't often write specifically about our print edition in this newsletter, but I'm compelled to mention this week the Medal of Honor Premium Edition that's part of today's edition for subscribers.

The 12-page section that appears in every Sunday newspaper across the USA TODAY Network was produced by the Knox News staff, and we were honored to take on the project. Reporter Tyler Whetstone worked for months on the anchor piece, the story of Calvin John Ward, an East Tennessee boy whose courage on the battlefield in World War I earned him a Medal of Honor but saddled him with a lifetime of struggles with his mental health.

Today, Ward likely would have received a great deal more help in his recovery from the traumas of war, and there were efforts decades later to make right the wrongs done to him by a military that hadn't yet learned the crushing burdens of post-traumatic stress disorder. But they were symbolic, too late to help the man Ward grew up to be, one haunted by his combat experiences.

Part of today's print section is devoted to the ways you can support the organizations endorsed by living Medal of Honor recipients, many of whom have devoted their post-service lives to making sure other veterans and their families receive the care and support they've earned.

On Sept. 6-10, Knoxville will host the Medal of Honor Celebration, and many Medal of Honor recipients will be here for the events. We'll cover the gathering extensively, and you'll get to know some of the men who gave tremendously to defend our country.

In the meantime, here are two interviews we've previously published about Medal of Honor recipients as part of our coverage leading up to the September event.

Hershel "Woody" Williams, 97, was the oldest living recipient of the Medal of Honor before his death in June. The decorated war veteran earned the award in 1945 for his heroic acts of bravery in the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima, and he talked with Knox News in September 2021 about his experiences in war and peace.

Medal of Honor recipient Leroy Petry received the medal from President Barack Obama in 2011 for his valor under fire in Afghanistan in 2008. Petry is heading the September celebration in Knoxville, and spoke to Knox News in May about his military experiences, his life since leaving the service and the value of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

I know you'll come away from these stories of commitment and courage with a deep appreciation for these men who have given so much, and I hope you'll continue to read about the Medal of Honor Celebration and the men it honors in the weeks to come.

Thank you for subscribing, and making possible work like our upcoming coverage of the Medal of Honor Celebration. Please feel free to reach me directly by email at joel.christopher@knoxnews.com or by phone at 865-342-6300.

All my best,

Joel Christopher, editor

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Medal of Honor recipients connect with Knoxville