SUCCESSFUL SPRING CLEAN UP WEEK APRIL 21-26, 2026.
My sincere thanks to all involved.
PECO volunteers did a great job of getting the holes dug for new trees on Tuesday April 21, 2026.
On Friday April 24, 2026, Constellation Energy volunteers were able to plant all of the trees and fence most of them.
On our annual Spring clean up on Sunday April 26, 2026, Bank of America volunteers along with several other local volunteers were able get a lot of the branches chipped up and redo a lot of the fencing around some of the older trees planted. During those three days we were also able to remove some of the damaged plaques and fill in the holes left from their removal.
Special thanks to Tim Michel for heading up these volunteers days, to Kimberly for her work on the plaques, Rich Durachko, Joe Cresencz, Matt Kelly, Paul Carney, Wayne Makatche and Bruce Speck for coming out, pitching in helping to supervise the volunteers, and to Josh Lord and John Westerman Tree Service provided the chipping.
We could not have done it without you and all the other volunteers who took their time to come out.
With Gratitude,
Mark Ryan
Chairman of the Board
Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove
Medal of Honor Grove – Honoring Heroes, Preserving History, Inspiring the Future
Welcome to the Grove
The Medal of Honor Grove, located on the campus of Founding Forward in Valley Forge (formerly Freedoms Foundation), is a 52-acre natural woodland dedicated as a living memorial to over 3,500 recipients of the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military decoration.
Each state, U.S. territory, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia has a designated section in the Grove. Every Medal of Honor recipient is honored with a stainless steel marker displaying their name, military organization, and the date and location of their act of valor. The recipient’s name is also inscribed on the obelisk representing the state or territory where they entered service.
At the Grove’s entrance, visitors will find two additional memorials:
- The AOH Memorial, which honors over 150 immigrant Medal of Honor recipients who could not be recognized in a specific state because they were not U.S. citizens.
- The Chaplains Memorial, dedicated to the nine chaplains who were awarded the Medal of Honor.
In 2011, the Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove, a 501(c)(3) organization, assumed responsibility for the restoration, maintenance, and improvement of the Grove. Since then, the Friends have:
- Updated all recipients’ names to reflect their accredited state or territory.
- Re-paved the roadways throughout the Grove.
- Achieved Level-1 Arboretum status.
- Undertaken the removal of hundreds of dead or diseased trees to maintain the health of the woodland.
The Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove is a 100% volunteer organization, relying entirely on private donations to preserve this sacred space. Each year, over 800 volunteers participate in corporate and community service days to keep the Grove in its honorable condition.
Please consider donating to help our cause!
The Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove is a 501(c)3 non profit organization which assumed the restoration and maintenance of the Grove in 2011. Your donations are needed to keep this memorial in the honorable condition it is.
Memorial Tree Donation
The Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove invite you to dedicate a tree either in honor of, in memory of a loved one or special occasion. The tree will be planted on the grounds of the Medal of Honor Grove accompanied by a ground plaque to commemorate your loved one or special occasion. This is an acknowledgment that will last for generations to come as well as help our environment.
Our Valued Business Sponsors
The Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove thank our business sponsors for their generous support through donations, labor, and equipment. Their contributions help us preserve the Grove’s beauty, honor Medal of Honor recipients, and enhance visitor experiences.
We are grateful for their commitment to our mission and invite you to support the businesses that make our work possible.
Honoring Medal of Honor Chaplains: Their Heroic Service and Sacrifice
Honoring the Brave: Medal of Honor Chaplains Chaplains play a vital role in the U.S. military, providing spiritual guidance, comfort, and moral support to service
Honoring Sacrifice: Gold Star Spouses Day on April 5
Honoring Gold Star Spouses on April 5 Gold Star Spouses Day, observed annually on April 5, is a solemn occasion dedicated to honoring the husbands
Marching Forward: Honoring Women Medal of Honor Recipients
A Trailblazer in Uniform As we observe Women’s History Month, the Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove are proud to shine a light on
