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25th Anniversary of the Ellis Island Medal
of Honor Ceremony
Photos by Rob Rich © 2011
robwayne1@aol.com
The National Ethnic
Coalition of Organizations (NECO)
held its 25th annual Ellis Island Medal of Honor
ceremony followed by a black tie gala in The Great Hall on
Ellis Island. on Saturday night. All branches of the
military were represented in the patriotic and very
emotional ceremony that came the same week as the death of
Osama Bin Laden.
The newly designed
medal, created for the 25h anniversary, was designed by Dr.
Khavarani. In the new Medal, the red ribbon represents the
bloodshed in gaining and supporting our freedom, the blue
center is the world we share, the blazing torch is the gift
immigrants bring to America, the lone star represents the
individual while the fifty pyramids evoke the fifty states
that are connected at a base but radiate out to individual
points of brilliance.
NECO
was created on the principle that the diversity of its
people is what makes America great. Its mission is to honor
and preserve that diversity and to foster tolerance and
respect among people of differing religious, ethnic and
cultural backgrounds.
Each year NECO sponsors
the The Ellis Island Medals of Honor, which are recorded in
the Congressional Records,
to pay homage to the immigrant experience, as well as for
individual achievement. The honorees are remarkable
Americans who exemplify outstanding qualities in both their
personal and professional lives, while continuing to
preserve the richness of their particular heritage.
Past
Medalists include six Presidents, as well as Nobel Prize
winners and leaders of industry, education, the arts, sports
and government. The 2011 Medal of Honor recipients include:
Jerry Lewis, Doris Roberts, Sal
Cassano, James Comley, Ken Kendrick, Jr., Don Shula, John
O’Hurley, Admiral Bruce DeMars, Colonel Matthew Bogdanos,
and Captain Linda Fagan among others.
For more information on
NECO and The Ellis Island
Medal of Honor please visit:
www.neco.org
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