The Congressional Medal of Honor Society — the Congressionally chartered organization of the 63 living Medal of Honor recipients — recently held its annual Citizen Honors Awards in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, to recognize five U.S. citizens and one nonprofit organization for demonstrating Medal of Honor Values in 2023: courage, sacrifice, citizenship, integrity, commitment and patriotism.
Among the five recipients was Brandon Tsay of San Marino, who was a 2024 Single Act of Heroism Honoree. Tsay was chosen for the honor because of his solo act of heroism, when he disarmed the Monterey Park mass shooter at the Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio in Alhambra during Lunar New Year celebrations in January 2023.
The program is one of the ways the Congressional Medal of Honor Society conducts its mission to promote values and honor.
“I’m so proud of one of my heroes, Brandon Tsay, for being chosen as a Single Act of Heroism Honoree,” Rep. Judy Chu said in a post on social media platform X. “He bravely disarmed a mass shooter at Lai Lai Ballroom [and] his mental health advocacy continues to inspire us.”
At the March 25 event, which was emceed by NBC News Correspondent Courtney Kube, Medal of Honor recipients placed the Citizen Honors Award, a medallion hung from a ribbon, around the neck of the individual honorees, symbolizing the ceremony in which they were recognized with the country’s most prestigious award for valor in combat.
Some of the other honorees this year are credited with saving victims during the fires in Lahaina, Hawaii, and performing acts of service benefiting those with autism and veteran communities.
“Medal of Honor recipients know that there are many Americans who share the values we seek to promote through our outreach, and we think it is important to hold them up as role models for others,” Medal of Honor recipient and Society President Britt Slabinski said. “Their self-sacrifice embodies the American spirit and shows that the opportunity to serve others does not require a military uniform.”
Prior to the awards event, recipients participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
A panel assembled by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society reviewed the nominations and selected national finalists. From those finalists, the five individuals and organization were chosen to receive the Citizen Honors Awards by a second panel made up exclusively of Medal of Honor recipients, “Americans whose actions have truly defined the words ‘courage’ and ‘selfless service,’” stated the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
First published in the April 4 issue of the San Marino Tribune
