Author Rita Lorraine Hubbard to debut children’s books profiling Medal of Honor Recipients
at the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in 2025
Before the infamous explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986 which claimed his life, Congressional Space Medal of Honor Recipient Dr. Ronald McNair shattered ceiling after ceiling by the ripe age of 35. He broke ground in the world of laser physics, was the second African-American in history to soar into space, and received several honorary doctorates, fellowships, and honors.
Yet, McNair was just like the millions who looked up to him then and now. He loved the saxophone and karate as a kid, for example.
“He was just like me and you,” said Rita Lorraine Hubbard, children’s author from Chattanooga, Tenn., who is working on a biography of McNair in partnership with the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center. “He loved sports, excelled in classes, played the saxophone, and was valedictorian. When people learn his whole story, they think, ‘This could be me.’”
Hubbard looks to focus on those very things that make McNair human in her book targeted toward elementary-level students. Anticipating a 2025 release, Hubbard’s book will be showcased in the Space Medal of Honor section of the Heritage Center. She is also working on a second children’s book highlighting six Medal of Honor Recipients as a continuation of the Heritage Center’s “The Making of a Hero” series, also targeting a 2025 release.
Hubbard and the Heritage Center hope to not only expose more young people to stories of the Medal of Honor and its Recipients through these new projects, but also show them that they have a lot in common with their heroes.
“We understand that every child will not grow up to serve on a battlefield, and in fact, every single child, and person for that matter, must navigate his or her own personal battlefield daily,” said Maranda Wilkinson, Director of Education and Public Programming for the Heritage Center. “We hope to show little ones that [Medal of Honor Recipients] are ordinary people just like them and that they, too, are capable of mustering enough courage to take one more step forward and to chase their own dreams like McNair.”
“There are so many amazing people you can cast your star on and say, ‘I want to be like that person.’ You’re not the only one going through things, because those people did, too. I hope, through my works, to give young people the preservation and determination to say, ‘I’m going to make it through.’”
Wilkinson came across Hubbard’s book, “Hammering from Freedom: The William Lewis Story,” two years ago at her local library in Chattanooga while in search for some historical information. Intrigued by what she saw, she decided to tap into the award-winning author to see if there were any opportunities to collaborate.
“I sent Ms. Rita a LinkedIn message right away and she responded within the same day, wanting to learn more,” said Wilkinson. “Eventually we got together and shared some ideas. And the rest was history.”
“This has been such an honor,” said Hubbard. “I’m looking at this with double vison because I’m a former teacher. I see all the things that Ronald did before he became an astronaut that tie into school life, early hopes, dreams, sports and saxophone … all those little things that he did. He was always wanting a little bit more, going outside his comfort zone, outside of the environment that he knew. And it’s been fun putting it into a format that children can understand.”
Hubbard’s second book will focus on Medal of Honor Recipients including Jacob Parrott who was the first-ever Recipient, Theodore Roosevelt, Joseph Adkison, Ralph Puckett Jr., and Chattanooga’s own, Larry Taylor. Wilkinson said the Heritage Center plans to bring in living historians and actors to read the books to children at the Center, ask them questions, and provide visual representations.
The Heritage Center’s mission to inspire and educate aligns with Hubbard’s passion for helping young ones. Hubbard has been writing books since the first grade, and out of high school, she realized she wanted to help children who are behind in classrooms or have disabilities.
Now retired after 20 years as a special education teacher, Hubbard still pours her love for helping students reach their potential into her writings.
“There are so many amazing people you can cast your star on and say, ‘I want to be like that person.’ You’re not the only one going through things, because those people did, too. I hope, through my works, to give young people the preservation and determination to say, ‘I’m going to make it through.’”
Similar to how the Medal of Honor holds values such as Courage, Sacrifice, Integrity, Commitment, Patriotism, and Citizenship, Hubbard said determination is a value that resonates with her as an author.
“You get turned down a lot, especially as a first-time writer,” she said. “You just have to keep going.”
The Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center memorializes the history of our nation’s highest military award for valor, from the first medals in 1863 to the present, and educates the next generation of Americans about the six character traits associated with the gallantry of Medal recipients. Located in Chattanooga, TN, learn more about this diverse experience at www.mohhc.org.
You can lead an impactful life by adopting the six core values of the Medal of Honor – Courage, Integrity, Commitment, Sacrifice, Citizenship, and Patriotism. To get started, visit the National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership’s website at www.mohcenterforleadership.org.
