The T. Boone Pickens Foundation focuses grants to organizations that operate in its core giving categories (see “About TBPF”). The current partner spotlight is the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and a project that celebrates the stories of everyday “heroes” in America – The Citizen Service Above Self Honors.

This special ceremony, held in the shadow of the Tomb of the Unknowns on March 25th (National Medal of Honor Day), recognizes three ordinary Americans who have accomplished extraordinary acts of service and bravery for the sake of others.

“People perform selfless acts in this country every day, and this program is a wonderful way to honor Americans who serve their fellow citizens in ways most of us may never hear about,” Pickens says. “This ceremony celebrates the best of what it means to be an American, and I am delighted to support it.”

The fewer than 100 living Medal of Honor recipients, who have been on the receiving end of countless accolades and respect from the American public for their extraordinary valor and selflessness, banded together in 2007 to create a national platform to promote “Service before Self.” At the heart of this initiative is the Citizen Honors, which recognizes and honors ordinary Americans who are extraordinary by going above and beyond on behalf of their fellow man either through a single act of heroism involving risk to one’s life or by demonstrating a profound long-term commitment to service above self. The theme is that every day in the United States, ordinary citizens perform extraordinary deeds.

The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, with the support of organizations like the T. Boone Pickens Foundation, is committed to working to change these perceptions by continuing to use our platforms to inspire and celebrate unsung acts of courage and self-sacrifice around the country.

“There are many ways to support our organization and what we stand for in this country, and we are lucky to be one of the many that the T. Boone Pickens Foundation chooses to support,” says W. Thomas Matthews, co-chairman of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. “Mr. Pickens has shown his love of country and true patriotism over these many years through his incredible generosity. The CMOHF board of directors, along with the recipients of the Medal of Honor, is most grateful for his belief in projects like Citizen Honors.”

The March 25, 2010, unsung heroes for this year’s Citizen Honors are:

Dylan Nelson of Madison, South Dakota, is recognized for sacrificing his own life while saving two others in Lake Madison on August 8, 2009. Nelson was swimming with his younger brother and cousin along a sandbar when a strong current pulled them under. After Nelson swam out of the strong current, he saw that his brother and cousin were still trapped. Nelson entered the current, saved his cousin, and brought him closer to shore, where a man with a Jet Ski picked the cousin up. Nelson then returned to rescue his brother, again taking him to the man with the Jet Ski. After that, Dylan went underwater and drowned. Dylan Nelson’s act of extraordinary selflessness and bravery continues to be an inspiration and a credit to the state of South Dakota and to his fellow Americans.

Jeffrey Michael Ross of Roseville, California, is recognized for rescuing a semiconscious woman from her sinking vehicle in the Folsom South Canal on July 12, 2009. After observing a demolished fence, Ross investigated further and found a woman trapped inside a sinking vehicle. He ran to the edge of the canal, dove into the murky water, and swam toward the vehicle. He opened the vehicle’s window, loosened the woman’s seatbelt, and removed her, freeing her out just as the vehicle slipped beneath the surface of the water. Ross, along with two other good Samaritans, pulled the woman to safety. Jeffrey Michael Ross’ act of extraordinary selflessness and bravery continues to be an inspiration and a credit to the state of California and to his fellow Americans.

Dr. Jordy Cox of Phoenix, Arizona is recognized for his extraordinary selflessness in volunteering his medical skill to perform surgeries that have saved many lives in Haiti, the Congo, and the Ivory Coast. Cox, a trauma surgeon, went to Haiti as part of a team of surgeons from Doctors Without Borders. He joined other medical professionals in treating hundreds who had been injured by a deadly earthquake. During several weeks working non-stop and caring for the injured of Haiti, he performed surgery in the streets with little resources and slept on the ground for short periods of time. Previously with Doctors without Borders, Cox provided medical care in 2008 in the Congo in the middle of a raging war. He worked non-stop for three weeks, never leaving the hospital, taking short naps between surgeries, and performing surgery as bombs exploded outside the operating room. Dr. Jordy Cox’s willingness to travel to other countries to help others and save many lives continues to be an inspiration and a credit to the state of Arizona and to his fellow Americans.

For more information about the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation/Society, visit www.citizenserviceaboveselfhonors.org, www.cmohfoundation.org, or www.cmohs.org.