The Hometown Heroes (HTH) program was created to recognize ADM Alumni veterans and active duty personnel who have served their country with honor, valor, and distinction.

The ADM Alumni Association has recognized 1,144 alums who have served, or are serving, in the United States military.

Eligibility Criteria

Names are solicited to create a pool of candidates for recognition. They can be living or deceased.

To qualify, the alum must be an active duty service member or veteran and must have been awarded one or more of the following medals:

Top 10 Highest-Ranking U.S. Military Medals

1. Medal of Honor

There is no higher decoration in the United States military than the Congressional Medal of Honor. This medal has been handed out since the days of the Civil War to military members who “distinguish themselves through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life and above and beyond the call of duty,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense. 

Of the 40 million men and women who have served in the U.S. military since the Civil War, only 3,525 have received one of the following three versions of the Medal of Honor.

2. Crosses

The Cross is awarded to those who display “extraordinary heroism” amid military operations that involve either a foreign force that opposes the United States of America or in the service of a friendly foreign force “against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.” 

This second-highest of the top 10 military medals was first established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1918, the final year of World War I. The Cross also comes in three different versions.

3. Distinguished Service Medals

The Distinguished Service Medal is the third of the top 10 military medals. It’s bestowed upon those who “distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility, in combat or otherwise.” 

These medals were first established in 1918 for the U.S. Army. There are now four different versions, each correlating to the specific military branch in which the recipient has served.

4. Silver Star

The Silver Star is the first of the top 10 military medals awarded to all military branches. It is awarded to anyone who “is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States,” either while in military operations which involve conflict with an opposing foreign force or while in service of friendly foreign forces “against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.”

5. Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM)

President Gerald Ford established the Defense Superior Service Medal in 1976 to honor officers of the United States military who “perform exceptionally with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, special or outstanding command in a defense agency or any other joint activity designated by the secretary.” 

This award is awarded universally across all military branches and is most frequently bestowed upon flag officers, generals, and captains.

6. Legion of Merit Medal (LOM)

Established in 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Legion of Merit Medal is awarded to military members and certain foreign allies for “exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.” The award comes in four degrees: Chief Commander, Commander, Officer, and Legionnaire.

7. Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

The DFC is the only one of the top military medals that exclusively involves aerial flight. It is awarded to members of the military but also civilians and foreign allies. The award requires that the recipient display “heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.” 

This award doesn’t necessarily involve combat. It has been awarded to various astronauts who took part in groundbreaking missions and to innovators in the field of aeronautics.

8. Non-Conflict Heroism Medals

There are a few different non-combat medals awarded for heroism. Although these top military medals don’t require the recipient to have engaged directly in an active conflict, they are awarded only to those who have risked their own lives in the act of heroism.

9. Bronze Star Medal (BSM)

The Bronze Star Medal was established in 1944. It honors individuals similar to the Silver Star, even having nearly identical criteria. The only difference is that the standard of heroism for the Bronze Star is slightly less than that for the Silver Star.

10. Purple Heart Medal (PH)

This award’s history extends back further than any other, beginning as the Badge of Military Merit in the earliest days of the American military. 

The Purple Heart is awarded to individuals wounded or killed “as result of an act of any opposing armed force, as a result of an international terrorist attack or as a result of military operations while serving as part of a peacekeeping force.”

 

How to Submit a Nomination

If you have been awarded one or more of these medals, you are eligible for recognition.

Nominees will be recognized in two ways:

• Online on our Honored Military page, where their name, service details, and photo will be featured as a lasting tribute.

• In person on the Honored Military swinging panels, prominently displayed at the ADM High School building.

This recognition serves as a meaningful way for our alumni community to remember, celebrate, and thank those who have served.

To be recognized, please complete the online form and upload supporting documents.

Thank you for your service!