Explore verified institutions preserving Medal of Honor exhibits, original medals, recipient artifacts, archival material, and substantial historical collections. Each profile is written for visitors and researchers, with evidence boundaries made explicit.
The permanent Wisconsin Medal of Honor Exhibit opened in August 2022 and interprets the stories of sixty-four Wisconsin recipients. On Lower Level II, visitors can select names at an interactive kiosk to watch and hear individual stories. This archive publishes one collective exhibit relationship rather than sixty-four inferred recipient links because the institution’s current public page provides the count and experience but not a controlled roster suitable for reliable recipient-by-recipient matching.
The institution’s Medal of Honor interpretation centers on Hershel “Woody” Williams. Its official collection record states that Williams presented his original Navy Medal of Honor to the Museum & Library and identifies that Medal as the centerpiece of the collection, while current admission and exhibit information notes that the larger permanent Medal of Honor Gallery is undergoing renovation and Williams material remains featured. The official Williams collection page now independently identifies his original Navy presentation medal and its 2010 museum donation; this enriches the already recorded original-medal relationship without creating a duplicate.
Original medalsRecipient exhibitsArchival collections
The U.S. Department of Defense separately identifies duplicate Medals of Honor for two local recipients, Marine Harold C. Agerholm and Army Air Forces Major John L. Jerstad, at the Racine Veterans Legacy Museum. The word duplicate is essential: neither documented display is sufficient evidence that Racine possesses the original medal awarded to the recipient.
Richard Ira Bong is a Medal of Honor recipient as well as the institution’s central biographical subject. The archive links directly to Bong’s recipient record because the museum documents and interprets his life, decorated combat service and legacy. Nothing in the available museum description warrants a separate claim that Bong’s original Medal of Honor is held or permanently displayed here.
Recipient exhibitsMilitary AviationVeterans History
Official recipient-location records identify the museum as the location of several original Medals of Honor associated with Wisconsin recipients. These relationships make the institution an important state-level repository for the material history of valor.
Original medalsArchival collectionsPersonal artifactsRecipient exhibits
