The Congressional Medal of Honor Society recently announced that five individuals and one nonprofit organization were recognized at the Citizen Honors Awards on March 25 for National Medal of Honor Day. The event is meant to recognize civilian courage, sacrifice, and selfless service.
Among those recognized was recently awarded Carnegie Hero Anderson Chase Childers, who died July 13, 2025, in an attempt to save a group of people from drowning near Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
Caught in a longshore current and a strong rip current in the Atlantic Ocean, several swimmers were stranded in the crosscurrent about 150 feet from the beach and bystanders overheard calls for help. No lifeguards were stationed near the beach, where Childers, 38, was with his wife and three young children. Childers immediately responded and ran into the ocean, swimming out and, ultimately, reaching a point beyond some people in the crosscurrent. Police concluded that Childers might have perceived another person was in danger. Another man, also left the beach and swam out, later reaching an unresponsive Childers. The man attempted to tow Childers, but they separated in rough surf. All of the struggling swimmers safely returned to shore, as did the man who had reached Childers. Childers was later found after he drifted a considerable distance from where he was last seen. He had drowned.
The Congressionally-chartered organization comprised of the 64 living Medal of Honor recipients created the Citizen Honors Awards to inspire future generations and demonstrate that the values represented by the Medal of Honor are relevant to all Americans, according to a press release on the announcement.
“This Citizen Honors Awards ceremony is a powerful reminder of why we, the 64 living Medal of Honor recipients, remain steadfast in championing the legacy and values of the medal across our nation,” stated Britt Slabinski, a Medal of Honor recipient serving as president of the society.
“The Medal of Honor is not just about war or the battlefield – it stands as proof that every individual holds the capacity for extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication in their own corner of the world. Whether at home, in school, in their communities, or at work, Americans must embody the values of the medal every day. The medal represents the best in all of us and we are honored to celebrate these remarkable individuals who have gone above and beyond in service to others, right where they are, she stated.
A panel assembled by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society reviewed the nominations and selected national finalists. From those finalists, the six entities were chosen to receive the Citizen Honors Awards by a second panel made up exclusively of Medal of Honor Recipients.
Launched in 2007, the Citizen Honors Awards program reflects the mission of Medal of Honor Recipients to show that the values associated with the Medal of Honor — : courage, sacrifice, integrity, commitment, patriotism, and citizenship — apply to all Americans. The tradition is also in keeping with the preference of recipients to shine a light on others rather than themselves as they believe that the Medals of Honor should be seen more broadly as a symbol of the sacrifices and service of others. Each year a nationwide search is conducted to select five U.S. citizens and one organization to receive the Citizen Honors Awards. The awards were created to encourage others to recognize acts of heroism and selfless service.
Childers was one of two posthumously honored for a single act of heroism Honoree. The other 2026 recipients include honorees in the categories of young hero, service act, youth service, and community service.