Northland Hero Remembered with Special Ceremony

Medal of Honor Replica

Duluth, Minn., – A long deserved honor for a Northland military hero was given in a special ceremony today.

A replica of the Medal of Honor was awarded after death to Major Henry Courtney. It is now housed in the Veteran’s Memorial Hall at the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center.

Courtney, a Duluth native, served in Okinawa during World War II.

He was previously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1945 for his bravery and leadership.

Courtney’s nephew Courtney Storey explained the importance of having a replica in Duluth is to revive a slowly faded memory of Courtney’s legacy. Storey believes it is a very important to remember Courtney for his attribution to World War II.

Courtney’s original Medal of Honor was donated to the Freedoms Foundation in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Courtney’s nephew Bob Storey visited the Freedoms Foundation. Storey says the medal is stored in a vault. The family made several attempts to bring the medal back to Duluth, but were unsuccessful.

According to Courtney’s nephews, continuous efforts will be made to return the medal to Duluth. The replica will remain in the Veteran’s Memorial Hall until the original is brought back to the Northland.