Peter C. Lemon is a surviving recipient of America’s highest award: The Congressional Medal of Honor. It was presented by the President of the United States in 1971. Vastly outnumbered in a fierce enemy attack in Vietnam, Mr. Lemon assisted in saving the lives of his team. From the official citation, although wounded numerous times, he refused to be evacuated until the enemy had retreated and his injured comrades were airlifted to safety.
Mr. Lemon dedicates his award and pays tribute to all those who served in his unit, most importantly the three comrades they lost in the battle for which he received the award: Casey Waller, Nathan Mann and Brent Street. Mr. Lemon believes, “..if it wasn’t for them, my E Company RECON team and all those on FSB Illingworth I certainly wouldn’t be alive today. For this I’m eternally grateful.”
Mr. Lemon is the only living Canadian born American Citizen to receive the Medal of Honor and the only living Vietnam recipient originally from the state of Michigan.
Mr. Lemon is a motivational speaker presenting to hundreds of corporate and non-profit clients nationally. He is also an author, sculptor and documentarian. An industry leader for thirty years, his companies provided business insurance to over three thousand restaurants nationwide and professional liability insurance for the 70,000 nurses of the National Organization of Health Care Professionals and as a commercial general contractor built convenience stores for Amoco, Exxon, Phillips, Conoco and Diamond Shamrock.
Author of Beyond the Medal, A Journey from Their Hearts to Yours and executive producer of the Emmy winning documentary Beyond the Medal of Honor, in conjunction with the Castle Rock & Perot Foundations respectively, Mr. Lemon donated his book to the 32,000 secondary schools in the United States and the documentary, with curriculum, to over 17,000 public and private high schools to inspire our youth to become worthy citizens.
Mr. Lemon graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelors Degree in Speech (79′) where he later was bestowed the honor Professor-in-Residence at the Monfort School of Excellence. He was conferred the Master of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Northern Colorado (81′) where he also received the ‘Humanitarian Alumni of the Year’ award in 1998. Mr. Lemon is an inductee in the elite special operations 75th Rangers ‘Ranger Hall of Fame’.
The President of the United States presented Mr. Lemon the prestigious ‘Outstanding American by Choice’ award in a 2009 White House ceremony recognizing his life of professional achievement and civic contribution. From the official White House Record, the President said, “…he (Mr. Lemon) encourages each and every one of us that the way to make the most of our talents is to make a difference in the lives of others…” In response to the occasion Mr. Lemon said, “America has provided me a special opportunity: the ‘freedom’ to choose my path in life. With that freedom comes enormous pride, and also a tremendous sense of debt. At the very core of my being, I understand America lives in me and I have an obligation to pay this debt during the course of my life by contributing, even in the smallest ways, to the greater good of this country and mankind.”
On May 25, 2015 the United States Postal Service issued a Vietnam War Medal of Honor Stamp Folio in which Lemon was featured along with forty-seven other living Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients. Responding to this honor Mr. Lemon said, “While the Medal of Honor stamp acknowledges America’s highest symbol of service before self, it’s really a reflection of all those who served in the military. And most importantly, it’s an acknowledgement of those who gave their life so that we could be fortunate enough to live ours. I hope when postal customers peel and place the stamp on their envelopes, they feel a sense of pride for our great nation and so too, indebtedness, as I do, for the sacrifice others have made for the privilege to live in America.”
Contact Peter C. Lemon
Email
peter@peterlemon.com
Mailing Address
Peter C. Lemon
6245 Viewfield Heights
Colorado Springs, CO 80919