---
kind: "section"
citation: "36 U.S.C. § 40502"
title: "36"
title_heading: "Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies, and Organizations"
number: "40502"
heading: "Purposes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/36/40502"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Patriotic and National Organizations"
  - "Part B — Organizations"
  - "Chapter 405 — Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of America"
---

# §40502. Purposes


The purposes of the [corporation](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-7) are—

- (1) to form a bond of friendship and comradeship among all holders of the Medal of Honor as presented by Congress;
- (2) to protect, uphold, and preserve the dignity and honor of the medal at all times and on all occasions;
- (3) to protect the name of the medal and individual holders of the medal from exploitation;
- (4) to provide appropriate aid to all persons to whom the medal has been awarded, their widows, or their children;
- (5) to serve our country in peace as in war;
- (6) to inspire and stimulate our youth to become worthy citizens of our country; and
- (7) to foster and perpetuate Americanism.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1333.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 40502 | 36:793. | Aug. 14, 1958, Pub. L. 85–642, § 3, 72 Stat. 598. |

Before clause (1), the word “objects” is omitted as included in “purposes”.

In clause (5), the words “we did” are omitted to avoid the grammatical construction using the first person.