February 3, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
For his heroic actions during the Spanish-American War, Charles P. Cantrell of DeKalb County received the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military’s highest award for valor.
Cantrell’s medal, which has been on display at Justin Potter Library since 1995, will be on loan to the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center of Chattanooga through May 13 for an exhibit titled “Honoring the Sacrifice: Medals of Honor Through Time”.
Members of the American Legion Post #122; Kathy Hendrixson, County Library Director at Justin Potter Library, and members of the DeKalb County Library Board formally presented the medal Monday afternoon to Molly Randolph, Curator of the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.
The exhibit, which will launch at the Grand Opening of the Heritage Center on February 22, is designed to showcase a large collection of Medals of Honor and to highlight the individual backgrounds and stories behind the Medal of Honor recipients, from the Civil War to Vietnam. Each of the recipient sections will include a biography, pictures of the recipient, the actual medal and various objects that belonged to the individual and represent their service.
Private Charles P. Cantrell was born 13 February 1874 in Smithville, TN, and entered the Army from Nashville, TN. He was sent to fight in the Spanish-American War with Company F, 10th U.S. Infantry, a unit that played a major role in the taking of San Juan Hill, a stronghold of the Spanish. In that battle at Santiago, Cuba on July 1, 1898, Cantrell, without regard for his own safety, gallantly assisted in the rescue of the wounded from in front of the lines and under heavy fire from the enemy and was cited for his bravery with the Medal of Honor. Private Cantrell died on August 3, 1948 and is buried at Nashville National Cemetery.
Cantrell’s grandson, Charles Thomas Cantrell presented the medal to the American Legion Post #122 in a formal ceremony on June 29, 1995 on the stage of the Fiddlers’ Jamboree during a special Tennessee Bicentennial Celebration. Since then Cantrell’s medal, binoculars, citation, and American flag have been kept on display at Justin Potter Library.
“We are borrowing objects from institutions and individuals all over the country in order to bring this very large collection to the Heritage Center, said Randolph. Our hope is that visitors will be inspired by these extraordinary acts of valor by ordinary individuals and that they can connect these same character traits to their day to day lives”.
The exhibit will officially open to the public at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 22. The public is invited to join at least 15 visiting Medal of Honor recipients and numerous national, state and local dignitaries at 10 a.m. that day for a special celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony that will culminate a three year campaign to build the new National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga, the heart of where the Medal’s heritage started nearly 158 years ago. Because of its Tennessee roots, the Heritage Center will feature a large number of Tennessee Medals of Honor and recipients in this and subsequent exhibits, which will rotate three to five times a year.
Self guided tours of the Heritage Center will be offered from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday and from noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday during Grand Opening weekend. Tour tickets are required and may be purchased in advance through www.MOHHC.org/Tickets. Special discounts are offered to military and senior citizens and group rates are available.
For more information about the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, please visit www.mohhc.org or call 423-877-2525.