Memorial History
The Florida Medal of Honor Memorial (FLMOHM) began in 1991 as the Medal of Honor Park, thanks to donations from Veteran organizations and others. The Highlands County Health Department building was named after local hero and Florida MOH recipient Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. Oak trees and bronze markers were placed for each Florida MOH recipient. In 2005, these were replaced by marble markers. In 2010, these were moved to the nearby, newly constructed Tranquility Garden by the Sebring Veteran Services Office.
From 2000 to 2008, DAV Chapter 49 Commander Harry Oakley spearheaded efforts to enhance the park with a structure and memorial. The Medal of Honor Park Foundation was established in 2011, and in 2014, it was renamed the Florida Medal of Honor Memorial. That year, the Highlands County Commissioners allocated 1.32 acres for the memorial near the Sebring Veteran Services Office.
A new challenge arose when it was discovered that the adjacent property housed protected gopher tortoises, making removal too costly. The solution was to use a alternate piece of property in downtown Sebring at the corner of Commerce and South Eucalyptus (the site of the Highlands County Girl Scout House), which required coordination with the City of Sebring, owner of the property.
State Representative Kaylee Tuck successfully pushed for a $250,000 state grant, finalized in 2022, despite previous setbacks from Hurricane Michael and the COVID pandemic. This provided the spark to begin the project in earnest.
After navigating various bureaucratic hurdles, final approvals were secured in November 2022. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on November 29, 2022. Without the overwhelming generous support of businesses and citizens of our community, the project would never have been realized. The memorial and visitors center were dedicated on 12 December 2024 by the sole living Florida recipient, Mr. Robert R. Ingram, Representative Kaylee Tuck, and Chairman of the Board Colonel (Ret) Michael R. Borders. We owe all our sponsors and supporters a deep debt of gratitude.
Medal of Honor Flag