Explore Chattanooga Fall 2025

Spotlight | WHAT TO SEE

Honoring Dwight Birdwell A New Exhibit at the Medal of Honor Heritage Center

T he Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga recently unveiled a powerful new exhibit celebrating the life, service, and legacy of Medal of Honor Recipient Dwight W. Birdwell. Birdwell, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, was born in 1948 in Amarillo, Texas, and raised in the Cherokee community of Bell, Oklahoma. Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1966, he served ten months in Korea before being deployed to Vietnam with the 25th Infantry Division. During the Tet Offensive on January 31, 1968, Birdwell displayed extraordinary heroism in the defense of Tan Son Nhut Air Base. After his tank commander was wounded, he took control of the tank, firing on the enemy until his ammunition was depleted. Even after being wounded

himself, Birdwell continued to fight— retrieving weapons and rallying his fellow soldiers under heavy fire. For his gallantry that day, Birdwell’s Silver Star was upgraded to the Medal of Honor, awarded by President Joe Biden in 2022. Birdwell’s story is remarkable not only for his battlefield courage but also for his lifelong service to his community and nation. After returning home in 1968, he earned a law degree from the University of Oklahoma and went on to serve as a Justice of the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court, as well as a practicing attorney. Today, he continues to mentor and inspire others through his work and example. The new exhibit highlights both his military heroism and his Cherokee heritage. Visitors will see Cherokee

A EUROPEAN ESCAPE IN CHATTANOOGA’S BLUFF VIEW ART DISTRICT

Fall 2025