Outlook Cloudy: Government Shutdown Update | Ideas for Showcasing History on Veterans Day
American Women Quarter Series | U.S. Mint's America 250 Coins
There isn’t any formal negotiating going on over the short-term budget bill that would keep the federal government operating after September 30, but there is a lot of back and forth in the media. Both sides appear to have locked in and it seems were are headed for a government shutdown. Hopefully it will be very short. The situation remains fluid and looming deadlines do have a way of driving last minute compromises.
As a former Girl Scout, I think it is important to be prepared. The Department of the Interior has not yet issued shutdown guidance but the New York Times reported today on a letter from more than 35 former National Park Superintendents have signed a letter urging Interior Secretary Burgum to close the parks if there is a shutdown.
Our friends at the National Parks Conservation Association have distributed talking points for gateway communities leaders on the impact of the government shutdown on national parks. The talking points are posted below.
Last week, I had the opportunity to present at an educational seminar for the Virginia Association of DMOs. It was a great group, a lively discussion and a good mix of experienced and curious tourism advocates. Virginia tourism leaders are doing a great job of ramping up for America 250. One of the things I talked about was leveraging programs like the Congressional Gold Medals and the American Women Quarter series to tell stories of remarkable people from their communities. I have spent the few years working on the Congressional Gold Medals, especially for WWI’s Harlem Hellfighters, an all-Black regiment out of New York, and telling these extraordinary stories. The families of the WW I Solider rallied the New York Congressional delegation to recognize the courage and selfless service of this storied regiment.
I was surprised to learn that one tourism leader has been following the Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal because they had a veteran of the unit from their community and wanted recognize him at the time the award ceremony. I am biased but I don’t think these ceremonies or the honorees get nearly enough attention. It can also a challenge to do something in conjunction with the ceremony in the U.S. Capitol because the medal design is a closely guarded secret and is not unveiled until the ceremony.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest expression of national appreciation, and it is given for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions.
There were three Congressional Gold Medal Ceremonies this year: WWI’s Harlem Hellfighters, WWII’s 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, and WWII’s Army Rangers. And as more communities look to spotlight their remarkable history and stories in the run up to America 250, Veterans Day provides a platform to highlight these histories.
The U.S. Mint produces the Gold Medal, which is usually given to the Smithsonian; bronze replicas are produced to be presented to any honorees or family members at the ceremony, and a small number of the medals are offered to sale to the general public. All three of the medals presented this year are available for sale.
The Harlem Hellfighters were predominantly from New York but they trained in Spartansburg, SC before shipping out to France. And has Winchester, VA has demonstrated, they retired to communities outside of New York. Also, PVT Henry Johnson, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor is also the namesake of Louisiana’s Fort Johnson. The Harlem Hellfighter story is extraordinary, not only were they recognized as fierce warfighters, they introduced jazz to Europe.
The Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal replica comes in two sizes: 1.5 inches for $20 and 3 inches for $160.
The Six Triple Eight was the only Black Women’s Army Corps unit to serve overseas during WWII. Their amazing story was told in a Tyler Perry movie last year starring Kerry Washington and Oprah Winfrey. Of the 855 women who served in the unit, only two were still alive at the time of the ceremony. Both were over 100 years old and neither was able to attend the ceremony but 300 family members and descendants were able to attend.
The Six Triple Eight Soldiers were drawn from across the country, and the non-profit organization that promotes story of the Six Triple Eight has posted a roster of the unit’s members by state.
The Six Triple Eight bronze replica is for sale in two sizes: 1.5 inches for $20 and 3 inches for $160.
It should also be noted that Fort Lee in Virginia was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams to honor in part, LTC Charity Adams, who commanded the Six Triple Eight. The National Park Service spotlights the story of both the Harlem Hellfighters and the Six Triple Eight at the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Ohio as both units had connections to Charles Young and the Buffalo Soldiers.
WWII’s Army Rangers were also honored this year. During World War II, the Army activated six Ranger battalions and one provisional battalion. All were volunteer units. The Rangers fought in North Africa, Europe and the Pacific and formed the backbone of the special operations teams for D-Day. The Rangers earned their motto, “Rangers lead the way!” as the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions took part in the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach.
Of the more than 6,500 men who served in the Army Rangers during WWII, five veterans are still alive and two were able to attend the ceremony.
The WWII Army Rangers bronze replica is for sale in two size: 1.5 inches for $20 and 3 inches for $160.
It generally takes two years from the legislation being signed to the award ceremony and in the pipeline for possible ceremonies in 2026 are: Emmitt Till and Mamie Till-Mobley, U.S. Army “Dustoff” Helicopter Crews of the Vietnam War, and WWI’s Hello Girls.
Tying this all together for a Veterans Day event, invite staff from local NPS or Forest Service site to your event to provide free lifetime America the Beautiful Passes to veterans and Gold Star Family members. Tourism leaders actively worked for this legislation and the first passes were distributed on Veterans Day 2023. We worked this so be sure to take credit.
Other commemorative effort to leverage this year include the American Women Quarters program, which I just learned about it late last year! Five remarkable women were honored this year, including Juliette Gordon Low, who founded the U.S. Girl Scouts, Ada B. Wells, and Althea Gibson. The coins are available for sale to the public.
Finally, the U.S. Mint will be producing special coins for America 250. The designed are expected to be unveiled in November. There may be opportunities to do some fun promotions and events with those coins. More information is available here.