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250 Great American Heroes

To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, Newsweek is honoring the brave Medal of Honor recipients who put their lives on the line for their country and their fellow soldiers.

250 Great American Heroes

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In partnership with the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas, we are highlighting 250 of their courageous and heroic stories. While this list only represents a fraction of those brave military actions, each serves as a reminder of the kinds of sacrifice that were required to build our country.

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What makes this an especially fitting subject for America’s 250th birthday is that the Medal of Honor captures both of the defining features of the American experiment. We speak of the first, individual liberty, constantly.

But there is a second essential element of the Declaration of Independence, which we frequently omit in the political quarrels that divide our nation: The American Revolution was not won by individuals, but by the citizens of 13 separate colonies who, against considerable odds and at great personal peril, chose to act as one to become the United States.

The stories of valor behind these Medal of Honor recipients are a powerful reminder that liberty is never won alone.

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