For his bravery in conditions unknown to the average American, risking his life from moment to moment under heavy enemy fire, and fighting for the freedoms Americans have, Charles Hagemeister was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, from an event in 1967 during Vietnam.
On Wednesday Hagemeister spoke to Hoisington High School students about that day when ammunition rained at close range and nearly surrounded his platoon, and the wounded he saved who lay directly in the line of withering enemy fire. The enemy was too close for air strikes.
He heroically went above and beyond the call of duty as a medic, rushing to administer life sustaining aid, firing a weapon when necessary, and finding additional assistance-all without injury. He was the only Medal of Honor recipient from Vietnam who did not receive a Purple Heart.
“The freedom we have is not free,” he told the students. “It was something that was earned for you.”
It was for this reason that Hagemeister was in Hoisington to speak about the importance of high character, including integrity, selflessness, and courage, which are all values needed in everyday life.
Hagemeister was born in Lincoln, Neb. and his father died when he was three. His mother showed him the rewards of hard work and honesty.
“I thought it was amazing,” said K.C. Stephens, HHS student. “There’s so much he’s done. It’s not every day you get to meet someone like that.”
Hoisington High School has actively developed projects about high character, and one of those projects has been the Medal of Honor project. Students studied last spring Medal of Honor recipients, and the character they showed to be selected for a Medal of Honor.
The students researched one of the 3500 recipients of the Medal of Honor, created a poster with pictures and a report, and did a video.
“It was a great honor to have somebody like this to come,” said Alyson Klug. She worked on the Medal of Honor project last spring.
Originally, “it was just another research project,” said Klug. Then it became much larger. “I wanted to learn more and more.”
Having Hagemeister come completed the project. “It’s awesome,” she said. “I think it meant a lot more to us.”
Principal Meg Wilson attended a Promising Practices last fall conference about integrating the Medal of Honor into the curriculum. For those who attended, they were able to invite a Medal of Honor recipient to speak to their school. The Medal of Honor Character Development program enabled Hagemeister to come to Hoisington at no cost to the school.
Hoisington USD 431 School District received two National Promising Practice Awards in Character Education, one for the Medal of Honor program, and  Wilson and business teacher Jennifer Steinert flew to Washington D.C. to receive those awards. The Medal of Honor project was selected as one of eight out of 315 to be recognized during the awards ceremony.