 I am so honored to be here with my family and friends. To the many distinguished leaders and guests, thank you for making this occasion so memorable. I'm here today because of my late husband's bravery years ago and because many people worked hard to get Murl the recognition he deserved. Our only child, Paul, his wife, Kathy, their four children and four grandchildren are all present. Murl would be so proud, he was really proud of his family. I'll always be grateful to Richard Chilton, Walden Haddick's, former U.S. congressman Ed Whitfield, Dennis Shepard, Luther Conner, and former Miss America Heather French Henry for relentless efforts over the last twenty-two years. To challenge the awards process, it has been a lengthy one and we somewhat understand why. It's the Medal of Honor, our nation's highest award for valor. It was not easy. We're identifying details and convincing various boards to review testimony and military records. But the story of my late husband, Murl, is fascinating and one for the history books. The truth is he never wanted notoriety and even resisted numerous attempts by his former commanding officer to seek the Medal of Honor for him. That commanding officer is the late Major General Lloyd Ramsey, who said Murl was deserving as a matter of record, but Murl made it clear that he was not interested. He said he didn't need another medal and his life's focus should be on living a faithful life in Kentucky and that he did. Kentucky is where we met and lived our lives. We stayed together through it all. In 1996, Richard Chilton, a man we'd never met, called from Wisconsin requesting a visit with Murl about the war and insights into heroic actions of Richard Zucco, who also served with my husband. Though Murl was in poor health and spent most of his time in bed, he accepted the visit. I was surprised, but Murl thought he could help a fellow soldier. Weeks later, I was able to move Murl to a wheelchair and before Richard arrived, he stayed with Murl for a good part of the day, talking about the horrors of war. Some of it I heard, some of it I didn't. I did, however, bring out Murl's records. It was then that Richard learned Murl, my husband, was worthy of the medal of honor. The conversation led to Murl giving permission to seek the medal as appropriate by the records. Appropriate and by the records. We did it, Murl. No more regrets. You see, later in Murl's life, he wondered if he did the right thing by rejecting the idea of a potential upgrade. After Richard's visit, I remember pulling dusty boxes out of the closets. After Murl passed, I became more aware of his heroic military actions. There was so much I didn't know. I came across notes from Major General Ramsey, Stephen Ambrose, and many others stating that Murl was worthy of the medal of honor. And as it turns out, they were right after all. Murl was not about awards, though he was proud of the many he and others earned. He was about service to our country and living a good, faithful life. Our beautiful life together was simple. Our calling was having a family, building a home and a farm and helping family and friends, especially veterans who returned home with hardships. Veterans were so special to Murl. He helped them update records and get benefits over the years. I was his secretary. We met hundreds, maybe thousands. From 15 counties, Murl encouraged each to get their records straight. That said, Murl reflected on why he didn't finish getting his records straight. He and I had many discussions about why he refused going through the medal upgrade process. As the years went by, he expressed regret. I am amazed. He was so brave and a hero, a Horek battlefield. I never spoke much of it. He was an humble man and is still my hero. I loved him very much. We met in 1945 at a home front celebration in Clinton County. 1945, and I'd never seen a parade. I was 15. Mom and dad put together a horse-drawn wagon for the whole family to see a guy by the name of Alvin C. York, a World War I hero and recipient of the Medal of Honor, and a more recent local war hero returning from Europe by the name of First Lieutenant Garland Murlconner. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, among other awards for action in the Second World War. I was all about seeing a hero, a war hero. Again, I was 15, soon to be 16. I could not believe my eyes. I saw Murl for the first time and said to Mama, my goodness, that man could not have done all they said he did. I was expecting a giant. Murl was only five feet, six inches tall, and weighed approximately 120 pounds. A few weeks later, I met him at a church revival, and much to my mother's dismay, about two weeks later, we eloped into Georgia, where parental consent was not required. We grew up together, stayed true to our faith, and had a beautiful boy, Paul, who managed to take over the farm and raise great children. I love them all so much. There is so much to our story. Thank you again for being with our family and friends today to honor the service of my late husband, First Lieutenant Garland Murlconner. His service record speaks volumes on 24th of January, 1945, with the Third Infantry Division. Murl kept going despite being surrounded by the enemy. He was so brave. Continue learning more about Murl's story and others, reminding us the spirit of the American soldier never dies. He would want me to recognize his six brothers and four sisters. They were proud of one another, and very proud of the men and women wearing the uniform. Four brothers fought in World War II, and another brother fought in the Korean War. I challenge everyone to learn more about their family's military history, even if it takes you to some old dusty boxes stuck away in a dark closet somewhere. And this is what Murl would want me to say. God bless the United States of America. Thank you.