We’re proud to share the program info for this year’s American Veterans Center’s annual broadcast special in honor of Veterans Day, American Valor: A Salute to Our Heroes. Be sure to tune in on Veterans Day 11/11 – check your local listings.
Emmy Award-nominated actor/comedian and veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Rob Riggle, will reprise his role as host for the evening, paying tribute to our servicemen and women spanning from World War II to the present day.
photo credit : Cherie Cullen
“I’m thrilled to be a part of this amazing event for another year,” said Riggle. “As always, I am looking forward to not only meeting these heroes, but also hearing their compelling stories.” Riggle joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of 19 and rose through the ranks, serving in various countries including Albania, Kosovo, Liberia, and Afghanistan. Lieutenant Colonel Riggle retired from the Marine Corps Reserve, having served 23 years total (9 years active duty, 14 years in the reserves) and earned more than 22 medals and ribbons.
American Valor will spotlight and honor stories of heroism from the last 75 years, including:
- The Heroes of D Day– Featuring the men who stormed the beaches and parachuted into Normandy, 75 years ago.
- The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion – The only battalion of all-African American women to deploy to Europe during WWII, serving in Britain and France. Represented by all seven known living women of the 6888th.
- Lt. Colonel James H. Harvey III – Tuskegee Airmen pilot, the first African American jet fighter pilot in Korea, and member of the winning team in the first “Top Gun” competition.
- Gene Kranz – Air Force fighter pilot and NASA legend, Chief Flight Director for the Apollo 11 landing 50 years ago, and led the effort to save Apollo 13.
- Colonel Cyril ‘Rick’ Rescorla – (Posthumous) Decorated veteran of the Battle of la Drang in Vietnam; credited with saving 2,700 lives on September 11th, 2001, before being killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center.
- Sergeant Rob Jones – Double-amputee Marine Corps veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan; recovered to become a Paralympian medalist, and run 31 marathons in 31 days.
- A Final Tribute to the Doolittle Raiders – Honoring the last of the 80 Doolittle Raiders, Lt Col. Richard E. Cole, following his passing in 2019.
“We are really looking forward to celebrating this year’s group of honorees,” said Tim Holbert, Executive Director of the American Veterans Center and Producer of American Valor. “Their heroic stories continue to inspire us all, and are a great reminder of the hard work, sacrifice and dedication that all armed service members put forward throughout their lives.”
Noted celebrities will lend their voices to tell the stories of service and valor, including Terry Crews, John Cena, Laurence Fishburne, Gary Sinise, Mike Rowe, Allison Janney, and Clint Eastwood. Joining American Valor as a presenter of these stories of service and sacrifice is Kyle Chandler, Ben Foster, Kellie Pickler, and Charlie Weber along with White House Correspondents Kyra Phillips (ABC News) and John Roberts (Fox News).
American Valor: A Salute to Our Heroes, presented by Northrop Grumman, will be nationally syndicated to over 100 million households on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox stations nationwide. In addition, it will be broadcast to U.S. troops serving around the world and on Navy ships at sea on American Forces Network. American Valor was filmed on October 26 in Washington, DC. For more information, visit AVCHonors.com.
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