Home of Heroes

Four recipients of the nation's highest award for military bravery have called Pueblo, Colorado home. Because of the distinction, Congress in 1993 designated Pueblo the Home of Heroes.

When President Dwight D. Eisenhower placed the prestigious Medal of Honor around the neck of Raymond "Jerry" Murphy in 1953, he asked a good-natured question about Murphy’s hometown of Pueblo, Colo.

"What is it in the water out there?" Eisenhower wanted to know. "All you guys turn out to be heroes."

Indeed, four recipients of the nation’s highest award for military bravery have called Pueblo home. Because of the distinction, Congress in 1993 designated Pueblo the "Home of Heroes."

Seven years later, Pueblo hosted the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention, attended by 97 of the 147 living recipients of the award. During the convention, the names of more than 3,400 recipients were engraved on granite slabs on the town’s Medal of Honor Memorial outside Pueblo’s Convention Center.

Capping the convention was the dedication of Heroes Plaza with 8-foot bronze sculptures of Pueblo’s "fantastic four": World World II veteran William Crawford, Korean War veterans Raymond G. Murphy and Carl Sitter, and Vietnam War veteran Drew Dix.

Dix braved enemy fire for several days to rout occupying troops out of Chau Phu, Vietnam, and rescued more than a dozen civilians. He says seeing the statues unveiled was a humbling, bittersweet moment.

"Bill Crawford and Carl Sitter died a couple months before the ceremony," says Dix, 60, who now lives in Mimbres, N.M. "But all four of us got to see our statues completed, although the clay hadn’t been cast yet."

The other surviving hero, Murphy, who suffers from dementia, also lives in Pueblo.

Pueblo Sculptor David Dirrim worked with each veteran to personalize their likenesses and ensure their accuracy. For instance, the parka, scarf and mittens that Marine Capt. Sitter wore helped him withstand bitter Korean winters. The Colt .45 in his left hand that deflected an enemy bullet in World War II most likely saved his life. Army Pvt. Crawford carries an M-1 rifle, hand grenades and a small foxhole shovel on his back. Marine 2nd Lt. Murphy stands on a fortification of sandbags, one leaking from a bullet hole. Army Sgt. Dix, a Special Forces officer permitted to choose his weapons, carries a Swedish ‘K’ submachine gun and Buntline Special sidearm.

During the five-day convention, recipients autographed souvenir programs, honored deceased members and spoke at schools. "At the unveiling, a helicopter with a rappelling team brought in American flags," recalls Paulette Stuart, who chaired the convention.

In 2004, convention committee members organized the Family and Friends of the Congressional Medal of Honor to preserve the medal’s heritage and educate future generations about the award and the brave soldiers and sailors who earned it. Stuart also has seen a rise in patriotism in Pueblo, especially among youth. "The kids decided we needed an Armed Forces Day parade and they’re sending packages to our Iraq soldiers," she says.

In 1992, Pueblo resident Doug Sterner, a Vietnam veteran who’s earned two Bronze Star medals, began inviting Medal of Honor recipients to local July 4th celebrations. Today, the website he created—www.homeofheroes.com—is a leading information source on the Medal of Honor.

"Our town’s dedication to America’s heroes has given us a sense of pride that no matter what happens, we will find a way to rise above it," Sterner says.

In the mid-90s, Sterner’s son, Douglas, along with other Pueblo students, testified before the state Legislature, successfully lobbying for a bill authorizing Medal of Honor license plates. This year Congressman John Salazar, whose district includes Pueblo, introduced legislation to designate March 25 as National Medal of Honor Day.

So what is it about Pueblo? Is it something in the water?

It’s not so mysterious, Stuart says. "It’s a small-town ethic of needing to do what you have to do to get the job done. That’s one of the things common in all four of these men; it’s in their upbringings—that community spirit of not wanting to let anybody down. When you’re called on, you do it, and you do it the best you can. You do the right thing."

Karen Karvonen is a writer in Englewood, Colo.

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