Hi folks,

I hope all is well with everyone. Thomas Jefferson H.S. has the extremely unusual distinction of having two Medal of Honor recipients, Jimmie Monteith for bravery in WWII on Omaha Beach and Michael Folland for bravery in Long Khana Province, Vietnam. Both Jimmie and Michael received the Medal of Honor posthumously. Michael sacrificed his own life by covering an enemy grenades with his own body and saved the lives of his fellow soldiers.

Last February, Monumental Honor contacted me https://www.monumentalhonor.org/, an organization whose goal is to 'bring the incredible acts of Medal of Honor Recipients into the spotlight.  With 75% of Americans unaware of the significance of the Medal of Honor, Monumental Honor is on a mission to change that by sharing the stories of nine local heroes who received the Medal of Honor.

Last spring, Monumental Honor commissioned the painting of a mural at 1903 W. Main St. in Richmond to honor four (Jimmie Monteith, George Street, Powhatan Beatty, Ernest Dervishian) of the nine Medal of Honor recipients from Richmond. This year, we are honoring TJ Alum Michael Folland. To honor him, Monumental Honor will  award a $2,000 scholarship to a TJ student who:

1. Must be a junior or senior currently enrolled at TJHS  
2. Must demonstrate how their actions and/or examples align with the values represented by the Medal of Honor: courage, integrity, commitment, sacrifice, citizenship, and patriotism.

If you would like to take part in this effort to honor Michael Folland, please go to https://www.monumentalhonor.org/, click on HOME, and the donor button will pop up to make your donation. If you choose to donate by check, the postal address is Monumental Honor, PO Box 7958, Richmond, Va. 23223. Monumental Honor is a 501c3 charity, so donations are tax-deductible. The certificate that will be presented at the annual awards ceremony is posted below.  Please share this letter with your friends and classmates. Thank you,

Russell Flammia