March 25 is recognized as National Medal of Honor Day.  The Medal of Honor is the United States' highest award for military valor in action. Symbolized within each medal are the values each recipient displayed in the moments that mattered — bravery, courage, sacrifice and integrity, as well as a deep love of country and a desire to always do what is right.

The Medal is authorized for military service members who  risk their lives in combat above and beyond the call of duty.

Illinois has had the great privilege to honor over 200 brave recipients of the Medal of Honor from all branches and ranks of the military.

President Bill Clinton presented James Lewis Day, who served as a United States Marine Corps Major General during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, with the Medal of Honor on Jan. 20, 1998.

Corporal Day was born Oct. 5, 1925, in East St. Louis. He enlisted in the Marine Corps as part of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Marines, 6th Marine Division. He was presented with the Medal of Honor in recognition of his actions in combat on May 17, 1945 in Okinawa.

Long before motion pictures had sound and color, and even before Hollywood became the “film capital of the world,” Illinois has stood as a central hub for motion picture production. Throughout Illinois’ long film history, there have been a wide variety of motion pictures filmed throughout the entire state.

Charlie Chaplin, one of the most famous filmmakers in the history of cinema, produced and starred in films all across the globe. This includes a quick stop in Chicago to star in a short silent film called “His New Job,” filmed in 1915.

Fast forwarding to the 1950s, the American folk hero Davy Crockett had a successful run of film and television series releases. This included “Davy Crockett and the River Pirates,” a classic western shot at the Cave-in-Rock State Park just along the Ohio River.

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale has been designated a Research 1, or R1, in the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education. This is a prestigious accomplishment that only 187 schools have met. This represents less than 5% of the almost 4,000 classified educational institutions.

Research 1 Institutions are those that have allocated at least $50 million to research expenditures and grant at least 70 research doctorates. SIU-Carbondale cleared those requirements in 2023. SIU-Carbondale is just one of three public R1 universities in Illinois and the only one located in a rural area.

Feb. 1 is National Freedom Day! This day was founded to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as U.S. citizens, freedoms that we should never take for granted.

Specifically, the holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when President Abraham Lincoln signed what would later become the 13th Amendment. This amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as a punishment for crime.

On National Freedom Day, there is typically a wreath laying at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, the former U.S. capital. Those who observe the day see it as an opportunity to promote goodwill and social equality and to appreciate freedoms that are often taken for granted. Additionally, many people observe the day with a special ceremony, parade, or other event, along with speeches, performances and educational programs.

Lincoln did not live to see the 13th Amendment ratified, but there was a movement to see Feb. 1 celebrate freedom each year. National Freedom Day was the idea of former Georgia slave Richard Wright, who lobbied Congress to designate Feb. 1 as the day.

Freedom is one of the founding principles of the United States of America and this day was envisioned as a way for all citizens to take a moment to appreciate how lucky they are. We should all be thankful for the many freedoms we are afforded as citizens of this great country and state!

Southern Illinois native Laurie Metcalf can be seen on televisions across America. Whether you’re watching re-runs of “Roseanne” or “The Big Bang Theory,” this Illinois actress can be seen on many favorite shows, movies or Broadway.

Raised in Edwardsville, Metcalf lived with her mother, Libby, who was a librarian, and her father, James, who was the budget director at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. She attended Illinois State University, where she originally went to study German to be an interpreter, before realizing theater was her true passion.