Grand Opening Ceremonies Are Saturday For Charles H. Coolidge National Medal Of Honor Center

The Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Center has its grand opening next Saturday. The 19,000-square-foot facility is downtown adjacent to the Tennessee Aquarium. 

 

A host of dignitaries will be on hand for the ceremony that will be held in a large tent next to the center.  Among those attending will be Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Retired Four Star Army General B.B.

Bell, Retired Army Major General Bill Raines, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, and Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke.   Mr. Raines heads up the Heritage Center board of directors.  

 

Hamilton County Trustee Bill Hullander is chairman of the grand opening event, which begins at 10 a.m.  Mr. Hullander will serve as master of ceremonies. He said the public is invited to join over 15 Medal of Honor recipients and their families for this very special occasion.  Many dignitaries have been invited from across the United States.  The center will officially open to the public at 1 p.m.  Tickets can be ordered at www.mohhc.org/tickets. The public can visit the center seven days a week. Special tours and group pricing are available.   Life memberships are also available.   

 

Executive Director Keith Hardison said The Heritage Center serves to memorialize the history of our nation’s highest military award for valor and features life-size exhibits and state of the art technology. Mr.  Hardison said the Heritage Center's goal is to educate, inspire, and invite people to re-live what recipients experienced on the battlefield. Mr. Hardison said the center has an education program designed to change the lives of young people for years to come. There are 14 permanent displays. The Heritage Center has two large classrooms and event space for visiting schools and organizations. 

 

The first Medal of Honor was presented to Private Jacob Parrott in 1863 for his part in The Great Locomotive Chase that ended just outside Chattanooga. Subsequently, 19 of the Andrews Raiders were awarded the Medal of Honor.  

  

Tennessee has 32 Medal of Honor recipients.  They include Army Corporal Paul Huff from Cleveland, Tn. Mr. Huff was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in World War II. A parkway in Cleveland is named after him. He died in 1994.  

 

Sergeant First Class Ray Eugene Duke from Whitwell was in the Army during the Korean War. Mr. Duke was wounded at least three times but remained in the battle defending his men. Mr.  Duke was captured by the enemy in 1951 and died as a prisoner of war. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. 

 

Army medic Desmond Doss lived In North Georgia. Mr. Doss was a combat medic and the only conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor. Mr. Doss saved 75 lives at the Battle of Okinawa. In 2016 Mel Gibson produced the movie “Hacksaw Ridge” based on Doss’ story. The center displays a miniature “Hacksaw Ridge”.  Mr. Doss died in 2006.

 

The Heritage Center is named for Army Tech Sergeant Charles Coolidge, who lives on Signal Mountain.  He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in World War II. Lt. Gen. Wade H. Haislip presented Mr. Coolidge the Medal of Honor at Dormstadt, Germany.  Coolidge received several other military honors.  Mr. Coolidge and his wife Francis were very involved in the Medal of Honor museum which was once located at 4th and Georgia Avenues.  The Coolidges also served on the Armed Forces Week committee for more than 50 years. A park in North Chattanooga is named after Mr. Coolidge. There are enlarged copies on display of newspaper stories about Coolidge’s arriving home from the war.  It should be noted that Francis Coolidge worked tirelessly to bring recognition promised her husband and other soldiers following the end of World War II. 

 

The Heritage Center has special displays featuring Mr. Doss and Mr. Coolidge. 

 

Board Chairman Major General Raines said there is now a national home that will preserve the heritage of the Medal of Honor and serve as a tribute to the best and bravest who served and sacrificed in defense of our nation.

 

After several delays, plans were announced three years ago to build the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center downtown on Aquarium Way.  

 

Here is the citation written for Mr. Coolidge:

 

Leading a section of heavy machine guns supported by 1 platoon of Company K, he took a position near Hill 623, east of Belmont sur Buttant, France, on 24 October 1944, with the mission of covering the right flank of the 3d Battalion and supporting its action. T/Sgt. Coolidge went forward with a sergeant of Company K to reconnoiter positions for coordinating the fires of the light and heavy machineguns. They ran into an enemy force in the woods estimated to be an infantry company. T/Sgt. Coolidge, attempting to bluff the Germans by a show of assurance and boldness called upon them to surrender, whereupon the enemy opened fire. With his carbine, T/Sgt. Coolidge wounded 2 of them. There being no officer present with the force, T/Sgt. Coolidge at once assumed command. Many of the men were replacements recently arrived; this was their first experience under fire. T/Sgt. Coolidge, unmindful of the enemy fire delivered at close range, walked along the position, calming and encouraging his men and directing their fire. The attack was thrown back. Through 25 and 26 October the enemy launched repeated attacks against the position of this combat group but each was repulsed due to T/Sgt. Coolidge's able leadership. On 27 October, German infantry, supported by 2 tanks, made a determined attack on the position. The area was swept by enemy small arms, machine gun, and tank fire. T/Sgt. Coolidge armed himself with a bazooka and advanced to within 25 yards of the tanks. His bazooka failed to function and he threw it aside. Securing all the hand grenades he could carry, he crawled forward and inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing enemy. Finally it became apparent that the enemy, in greatly superior force, supported by tanks, would overrun the position. T/Sgt. Coolidge, displaying great coolness and courage, directed and conducted an orderly withdrawal, being himself the last to leave the position. As a result of T/Sgt. Coolidge's heroic and superior leadership, the mission of this combat group was accomplished throughout 4 days of continuous fighting against numerically superior enemy troops in rain and cold and amid dense woods.