Anchor and executive editor of Fox News' "The Story" Martha MacCallum was honored Thursday at The Patriot Awards Gala as the recipient of its Excellence in Journalism award for her distinguished career covering the military.
MacCallum received the John R. "Tex" Cray Award for Excellence in Journalism for her work covering military stories, at the gala emceed by actor Gary Sinise. The ceremony honored individuals who promote the core American principles of courage, commitment, integrity, sacrifice, citizenship and patriotism.
In accepting the award, MacCallum thanked attendees and the fellow award recipients, as well as the nation's finest.
"It has been one of the highest honors of my life to get to know these heroes, these men and women of valor and to tell their story, and the opportunity I have been given at Fox," she said. "I’m grateful also to my CEO Suzanne Scott and Fox News president Jay Wallace for saying yes when I came to them with these stories and asked for these assignments and for committing the resources that it took towards the goal of never forgetting the men and women who have fought and given so much for our freedom."
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MacCallum, who joined Fox News Channel in 2004, serves as anchor and executive editor of "The Story" on weekdays and also leads the network's special election and political coverage. She's the author of the New York Times bestseller, "Unknown Valor: A Story of Family, Courage, and Sacrifice from Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jima."
According to her biography page, her cousin Harry Gray, a Marine who died at the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, helped propel her interest in military veterans' stories. On the 80th anniversary of D-Day this year on June 6, 2024, she interviewed World War II veterans and U.S. Senators in a broadcast from the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society's membership solely comprises those who have been given the Medal of Honor, the highest American military decoration for those who have performed extraordinary acts of valor. The society was chartered by Congress in 1958 and seeks to preserve their stories and share their values through various initiatives and the Medal of Honor museum, according to its website.
The Gene and Jerry Jones family received the Patriot Award at the event for their lifetime work "dedicated to freedom and the ideals represented by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society."
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Actor Taylor Kitsch, who played Lt. Michael Murphy in the film "Lone Survivor," was honored with the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment for his extensive support of the military, and Navy veteran Richard M. "Tres" Kleberg III received the Distinguished Citizen Award.