Published: June 08, 2009 01:47 pm      

Casino hosts events for recipients

For Medal of Honor (MOH) recipient Michael Thornton, Saturday was a solemn yet special day.

During a ceremony and concert held at WinStar Casino Saturday night to honor 10 of the fewer than 100 living MOH recipients, Thornton expressed his sentiments.

“These medals we wear around our necks with so much pride and yet none of us feel we deserve them,” he said. “But we all wear them for all of you.”

During his lifetime, Thornton said he has visited 73 countries and has come to realize that “there’s no place like America.”

Tom Carson, MC for the night, introduced each MOH recipient present. They included: Michael Thornton, James Taylor, Don ‘Doc’ Ballard, Kenneth Stumpf, Jon Cavaiani, John McGinty, Richard Pittman, Joe Marm, Thomas Norris and Roger Donlon.

Approximately 700 people attended the event which also featured a concert by country music star Ronnie Milsap. Following the show, a book signing was held to allow the MOH recipients to autograph attendees’ copies of “Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty,” by Nick Del Calzo and Peter Collier.

Members of the MOH Host City Program were present during the event and reported that they originally had 157 copies of the book for purchase. However by the end of the night, there were only six left. All proceeds from the event will go towards the MOH Host City Program.

The event, which was Thornton’s idea, also included a benefit golf tournament held earlier in the day at the WinStar Casino Golf Course. After the tournament an awards ceremony was held, along with a book signing and silent auction.

Gainesville is the only host city in the United States to welcome MOH recipients. A non-profit organization founded in 2001, the MOH Host City Program is compromised completely of volunteers and pays for the travel and most expenses as the MOH recipients and their spouse or companions visit Gainesville during the Medal of Honor Weekend held each year.

If you were unable to attend the event, but would like to make a donation to the Medal of Honor Host City program, contact 668-4530.