Medal of Honor Grove

The Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Generally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress. Learn more here

What is the Medal of Honor Grove?

The Medal of Honor Grove is the oldest living memorial to medal of honor recipients in the nation. It is located in Pennsylvania, is owned by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge and maintained by the Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove, a separate non-profit organization.

The Grove is natural woodland covering 42 acres of Freedoms Foundation’s 75-acre campus and is designed as a living memorial to more than the 3,500 recipients of our nation’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.  A section of the Grove is designated for each of the 50 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.  The Ancient Order of Hibernians erected a 53rd monument dedicated to more than 150 Recipients of the Medal of Honor who were not citizens, yet fought for our country and were awarded the medal. The 54th monument honors the 9 chaplains who received the Medal of Honor.

The land for the Grove was dedicated in 1964 with the first 4 states, California, Mississippi, Nevada and Ohio being dedicated on May 30, 1968. It took over 20 years for all the states and territories to be dedicated.

Each state area has a seven foot obelisk with the recipient accredited to that area inscribed on it and is centered on a square brick plaza. Each Medal of Honor Recipient is identified by a plaque on the obelisk and a stainless steel marker with the name and organization of each recipient as well as the date and location of the act of valor.

In June 2011 the Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove assumed the honor of maintaining this beautiful memorial park. New roads, mowing, tree removal, community cleanups and installing the yearly addition of recipients names are just some of the Friends’ tasks.

Medal of Honor Grove
Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge
1601 Valley Forge Rd (Rt 23)
Phoenixville, PA (for GPS)

In April 2017, Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge  entered into a conservation easement agreement with Schuylkill Township, Chester County, and Natural Lands Trust. This easement ensures that the Medal of Honor Grove will be preserved in perpetuity.

In February 2019, the Grove was approved for Level 1 arboretum accreditation through the ArNet program. The Grove has over 50 species of trees & shrubs. The Grove has also become an Audubon Bird Habitat.

The Grove is open daily from sunrise to sunset to pedestrians. The roadway is closed to all unauthorized vehicles.