The National Medal of Honor Museum opened Monday in Arlington. Visitors were lined up outside when the doors opened.
"We are finally here to get to see it to fruition to recognize these incredible men and one woman, the stories, who they are as individuals," says Charlotte Jones, chair of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation.
The Medal of Honor was first established in 1861. Since then, 40 million people have served in the armed forces. About 4,000 received the Medal of Honor.
Of those 4,000, 62 are living today and 32 attended a ribbon cutting Saturday night.
"Sometimes you get to thinking, 'Well, you served your life in the military and nobody cares," says Jim 'Doc' McLewin. "But this means somebody cares, and it just makes all of us feel better."
McLewin says the medal belongs to his entire unit.
"This medal isn't mine. This medal belongs to 89 guys who went through the Battle for Nui Yon Hill [in Vietnam] against 2,700 enemy soldiers," McLewin says. "I wear it for everybody who died in action. I wear it for the guy who did the same thing we did only nobody saw him do it."
Medal of Honor Recipient Florence Groberg says families visiting from other parts of the country might see someone from their hometown and feel a connection.
"A man is never dead until his name is no longer spoken," says "Because of this particular museum, everyone who has ever worn this will stay alive because their name will be spoken. This is going to make it so they will always be remembered."
But Groberg says he has not met another recipient who feels he deserves the medal.
"It's a hard award to really digest and understand the responsibility behind, but we're all so honored by it. We just want to make sure we're the right couriers, that we honor it, we honor the men and women we served with," he says.
The National Medal of Honor Museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm north of Choctaw Stadium in the Arlington Entertainment District.
"We are veteran proud," says Arlington Mayor Jim Ross. "We are so proud to tell the stories of these incredible recipients."
Tickets start at $30. At the opening Tuesday, Boeing announced it would donate enough money so veterans could see the museum free for the first week. Details are available here.
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