When the National Medal of Honor Museum named Arlington, Texas, as its future home in Oct. 2019, everyone throughout the city, region and state celebrated. Months of hard work paid off. Arlington would house not only a national museum but one that recognizes the heroes of our nation.

“To me, this was beyond just winning a site selection,” Michael Jacobson, President & CEO of the Greater Arlington Chamber, said. “This was an incredibly emotional win because of what the Medal of Honor represents. This place will house the stories of the recipients and impact generations of children in our community. For that to be centered in Arlington is powerful and emotional.”

In true Arlington fashion, the site selection was a team effort from then Mayor Jeff Williams  and the City of Arlington staff to Ray Davis and the Texas Rangers to the Jones Family and the Dallas Cowboys to Jacobson and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce to countless Arlington business leaders and community stakeholders.

It all started with a phone call in Feb. 2019.

When Medal of Honor recipient Doc Ballard told Sid Eppes, former chairman of the Airpower Foundation, the museum would not be coming to Texas, Eppes convinced them to stay one more day and look at Arlington. Eppes called Steve Cavender who called Mayor Williams. Immediately on board, Williams began making his own calls.

“I knew we needed Michael Jacobson and the Chamber,” Williams said. “Michael’s extensive experience in site selection and his ability to quickly forge relationships were essential for this opportunity. We may have had very little time to prepare, but we had the advantage of working together.”

After answering Williams’ call, Jacobson cleared his schedule to meet with the site selection team. The Arlington team made their pitch of what makes Arlington a ‘Can Do’ city by highlighting recently completed big projects Texas Live!, Live! by Loews and Globe Life Field.

Impressed by the Arlington story, the museum brought another group to Arlington, including Joe Daniels, the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation President & CEO at the time, and Monica Notzon, the museum’s Director of Development.

“It was at that point we were officially on the list,” Jacobson said.

With 10 cities being considered for the site, the Arlington team wanted to illustrate the support they could bring from the North Texas region with a reception at Globe Life Park. 

With an expertise in large, upscale events, the Chamber leapt into action to coordinate the reception in less than two weeks.

“Putting together events is one of our core strengths,” he said. “We leaned on that expertise and were happy to take on that responsibility.”

While Williams and Jacobson were recruiting a company to Arlington and out of the country, the Chamber’s Sherry Jackson, Chief Development Officer, and Britton Merritt, VP of Marketing and Communications, executed the behind-the-scenes effort to bring over 50 elected officials, civic leaders and business executives, including former Dallas Cowboys’ Super Bowl Champion Roger Staubach and Fort Worth attorney and philanthropist Dee Kelly.

During the June reception, Medal of Honor recipient Britt Slabinski gave a short speech about the overwhelming support of our community.

Arlington and Denver were named the two finalist cities a month later with the final selection scheduled for Oct. For their final courtship of the museum, the Arlington team diligently planned memorable moments. Jacobson felt several key moments played a critical part in securing the museum.

“We realized it wasn’t enough to win the numbers game,” he said. “This museum’s purpose is to tell the stories of our heroes, and we wanted to invoke those emotions throughout this process.” 

The museum’s site selection team rode a bus through AT&T Stadium’s tunnel, disembarked and began to walk towards the field. They began to hear patriotic music from Arlington ISD Martin High School choir and drum corps, and Mayor Williams stood on the star at the 50-yard line, welcoming them to Arlington.

“There was an awe to that moment,” Jacobson said.

Another key moment was a dinner hosted at Live! by Lowes for museum board members and Medal of Honor recipients. With the help of U.S. Army Veteran and Arlington resident Jeannie Deakyne, Williams brought six Arlington ISD students who shared their thoughts on the potential impact of the museum to the community and across America.

“To hear those students share what it would mean to them, it was emotional and brought tears to your eyes,” Jacobson said. 

The museum’s final visit before making their decision included a call from President George W. Bush and a visit to what would become the site of the museum.

“We needed to show them that while the Entertainment District was incredibly busy with sporting events, concerts and more, the location we were offering them could convey the solemn nature of the museum,” Jacobson said.

As the group approached the land, the sunset reflected over the pond and a bagpipe player serenaded them, connecting them to the site itself.

Throughout the process, the Arlington team strategized how they would set themselves apart from Denver.

“From a tourism standpoint, a wealth standpoint and a cultural standpoint, we had to demonstrate the difference between Arlington and Denver,” Jacobson said. “One thing that sets us apart is patriotism. You can’t find a more patriotic location than Arlington, Texas.”

Arlington hosts the largest Fourth of July parade in Texas, is home to one of top universities for veterans – the University of Texas at Arlington – and has a large veteran community.

Jacobson said it will be an emotional day when the museum opens its doors on March 25.

“The honor and privilege that it’s located in Arlington makes it one of the most important things I’ve ever been involved in,” Jacobson said. “To me, it’s different because it will demonstrate the values that make our nation different. It will demonstrate those values of honor and integrity and valor and courage that have been displayed by the recipients at the most crucial moments of time in the history of our nation. Where we are today, the freedom we have today, the bright future we have today is all possible because of the actions of the recipients.”

The National Medal of Honor Museum officially opens on March 25, with a Grand Opening Celebration on March 22. The celebration includes inspirational speeches from Medal of Honor recipients, live music and performances, fireworks and so much more. For more information on the museum, click here. To read more about the site selection process, click here.

The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce is committed to championing economic and community prosperity and is proud to have played our role in bringing the National Medal of Honor Museum to Arlington.