Heroes Plaza - National Medal of Honor Memorial – Pueblo, Colorado

Heroes Plaza - National Medal of Honor Memorial Anthony Settipani (Atlas Obscura User)

Marine Lieutenant Raymond G. Murphy defied orders during the Korean War to lead his platoon on a dangerous rescue attempt in the wake of a failed Marine raid — taking numerous injuries and saving countless lives in the process. Anthony Settipani (Atlas Obscura User)

Staff Sergeant Drew Dix, an Army Green Beret, led his small unit through Vietnam's infamous Tet Offensive to not only survive, but also rescue more than a dozen civilians both American and Vietnamese. Anthony Settipani (Atlas Obscura User)

Though wounded multiple times fighting the Chinese in the Korean War, Captain Carl Sitter led his team of United States Marines to accomplish their objective of securing a tactical position in the Chosin Reservoir region of North Korea Anthony Settipani (Atlas Obscura User)

Private William Crawford was a United States Army scout who — armed with only his standard-issue M1 rifle and a few grenades — single-handedly destroyed three hidden German machine gun nests and subsequently survived nineteen months in a Nazi prison camp during World War II. Anthony Settipani (Atlas Obscura User)

breaingram (Atlas Obscura User)

Since 1993, the southern Colorado city of Pueblo has been known by another name, “The Home of Heroes.”

Pueblo, which boasts a modest population of just over 100,000 permanent residents, is also the hometown of four recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor; more honorees per capita than any other city in the United States. Upon presenting the Medal of Honor to Raymond G. Murphy, President Dwight D. Eisenhower famously remarked, “What is it…something in the water out there in Pueblo? All you guys turn out to be heroes!”

The newly-renovated Medal of Honor Plaza in downtown Pueblo is home to life-sized bronze statues of all four soldiers: William Crawford, Drew Dix, Carl Sitter, and Murphy. The installation also tells the stories of how each soldier came to be awarded the highest honor in the United States Armed Forces.

Flanking the larger-than-life squadron stands a half dozen black granite slabs listing the names of every soldier to receive the Medal of Honor since the award’s inception.

Know Before You Go

The Medal of Honor Plaza is free and open to the public all hours of the day, every day of the year. The accompanying indoor display, featuring the soldier’s uniforms and replicas of their medals, is located in the entryway of the Pueblo Convention Center.