Michael Reagan to be Awarded Citizens Before Self Honor Medal
- Mar 9, 2015
- 1 min read
The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation announced its 2015 Citizen Honors Program honorees today. The three honorees, selected from 20 finalists for their acts of courage and selflessness, are: Alton Brieske, Jon Meis and Michael Reagan. The honorees will be recognized in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on National Medal of Honor Day, Wednesday, March 25, 2015. The ceremony is sponsored by The Boeing Company.
“Every day, all across America, ordinary citizens perform extraordinary acts of courage and service. The Citizen Honors Program was created by our Nation’s truest heroes, the Recipients of the Medal of Honor, to recognize and celebrate the amazing deeds of America’s citizen heroes,” said Ron Rand, President and CEO of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation.
The 2015 Honorees were selected for the following acts:
Alton Brieske of Port St. Lucie, Florida, was selected for his heroism on December 10, 2014 when he plunged into a snake and alligator infested canal to rescue and resuscitate an unresponsive driver from a submerged vehicle.
Jon Meis of Renton, Washington, was selected for his heroism on June 5, 2014 when he disarmed and subdued a shooter on the campus of Seattle Pacific University.
Michael G. Reagan, a Vietnam Veteran of Edmonds, Washington, was selected for his service in founding the non-profit Fallen Heroes Project, which provides hand-drawn portraits to the families of all servicemen and women who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Congratulations Michael, on this well-deserved recognition!


Recognition like the Citizens Before Self Honor Medal going to someone who has quietly dedicated years to serving others through art is the kind of award that restores your faith in how we define merit. Michael Reagan's work honoring fallen service members is not flashy or trending but carries a permanence that outlasts anything viral ever could. Mentioned this to the best ghostwriter in usa we work with because she has been documenting veteran stories for a client and she immediately wanted to learn more about his portrait process. Awards mean the most when they go to people who never chased them.