2024 Medal of Honor Convention Event Honoring CCHS Alumnus SSGT Bordelon '38

CMOHS SA '24 Letter from Henry Cisneros

From September 29th through October 5th of 2024, San Antonio will host the annual Congressional Medal of Honor Society Celebration for the first time. This gathering represents a singular opportunity to showcase Medal of Honor recipients and their families all San Antonio has to offer, both currently and historically. At the same time, we will show San Antonio to these true heroes and spend some very special time with them, individually and as a group. We are expecting to see between 35 – 40 Medal of Honor recipients, their spouses, family members, and guests.

On October 2, 2024, at Central Catholic High School's Kahlig-Cowie Convocation Center, a limited-seat event will bring the living Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and other dignitaries together in one place to learn about and view a short preview of a new documentary highlighting the life and heroism of 1938 CCHS alumnus, SSGT William J. Bordelon. To secure your tickets to the event, go to our page and reserve your spot beginning Saturday, September 14. (Two tickets per person. Limited number of seats available.)

SSGT Bordelon was killed in action at age 22 while serving as a member of an assault engineer platoon of the First Battalion, Eighteenth Marines, against the Japanese in the Battle of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands on November 20, 1943. He single-handedly destroyed four enemy pillboxes before he was fatally wounded.

Bordelon was awarded the Medal of Honor for his "valorous and gallant conduct above and beyond the call of duty" in leading his men while seriously wounded. He was the first U.S. Marine from Texas to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in World War II.

The Medal of Honor Convention will conclude on October 3, 2024, when the Congressional Medal of Honor Society will present four distinguished awards at the highly anticipated Patriot Awards Gala to honor selected individuals who, through their life’s work, promote and perpetuate the principles upon which our nation is founded and encourage the six core values of courage, commitment, integrity, sacrifice, citizenship, and patriotism.

This annual black-tie celebration will be held in the magnificent Stars at Night Ballroom at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, the largest ballroom in Texas. For tickets and sponsorship information, click here.

CMOH 2024 at CCHS