On Tuesday, an American hero turned 99 years old. To celebrate, two of his sons, the small staff at the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center and hundreds of admirers and supporters threw a birthday party in honor of one of Chattanooga’s most well-known sons.
Charles H. Coolidge could not be there for his 99th birthday party, but to commemorate the day, the center that bears his name after opening in February hosted a gathering to celebrate the life of Coolidge and his accomplishments.
Keith Hardison, executive director of the center, said officials had the idea to ask people around the nation to send in birthday cards for Coolidge. Hardison hoped to receive one for every year the war hero has been alive.
By Tuesday afternoon, the center had received more than 300.
“Charles, [and] all of these Medal of Honor recipients, were true heroes,” Hardison said. “They were all ordinary people who did extraordinary things in extreme situations. And he’s our homegrown hero.”