The Medal of Honor has long been recognized as the nation’s highest award for military valor in action among veterans in the U.S. military.

The award was established in 1861, eight months after the start of the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation creating the award to recognize “non-commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other soldier-like qualities during the present insurrection.”

Since its inception, 3,547 Medals of Honor have been awarded.

Two years ago when Dick Tobiason called Miguel Dominic to help promote Tobiason’s effort to have U.S. Highway 20 designated the National Medal of Honor Highway, Dominic was all in.

Dominic served for almost 15 years in the U.S. Army and the National Guard and was awarded the Purple Heart in 2005 during a tour of duty in Iraq. Dominic currently is the resident historian at the Veterans Memorial Building in Pocatello.

“I said, ‘Well, what do you need done?’” Dominic recounted while sitting at a table at the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building. “And he says, ‘We want to establish a National Medal of Honor Highway, and I’d like you to build a map.’”

Though the two men have never met, they have a shared commitment to military service, combined with each one’s individual Purple Heart award — a rare bond forged among a relatively small and distinct group of service members.

Tobiason had heard from Ned Barker, commander of the Idaho branch of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, that Dominic had the necessary graphic design skills to help get this project completed.

Running a length of 3,365 miles, U.S. 20 is the longest highway in the United States. Starting from Boston, U.S. 20 winds its way through 12 states, terminating in Newport, Oregon.

Tobiason, of Bend, Oregon, had started the campaign years ago when he promised his friend and fellow Bend resident Bob Maxwell, a World War II veteran and Purple Heart and Medal of Honor recipient, to one day have U.S. 20 designated as the National Medal of Honor Highway.

Tobiason and Maxwell successfully lobbied the Oregon Legislature to designate U.S. 20 in Oregon as the Medal of Honor Highway in 2017. But Oregon is only one state — there would have to be another 11 states join Oregon’s declaration for Tobiason’s promise to begin to take shape.

Two years later, just before Maxwell died, Idaho followed Oregon’s lead to become the second state to name U.S. 20 the Medal of Honor Highway, with assistance from Idaho veterans like Barker and Gayle Alvarez, formerly on the board of directors of the Idaho Military History Museum.

According to the Idaho Military History Museum, eight Medals of Honor were earned in Idaho, 18 Medal of Honor recipients are buried in Idaho, three Medal of Honor recipients currently live in Idaho and four Medal of Honor recipients were born in Idaho.

Leaving Oregon, U.S. 20 crosses the Snake River and enters Idaho northwest of Parma. For 406 miles, it runs southeast across Idaho and then heads north into Montana about 9 miles from the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

Since that time, Tobiason, with the help of veterans throughout the remaining 10 states, successfully worked to have U.S. 20 designated the Medal of Honor Highway, with Massachusetts in 2023 becoming the final link in the chain of states to designate U.S. 20 a Medal of Honor Highway.

Now with all states on board, Tobiason said it was the right time to begin lobbying Congress to designate U.S. 20 the National Medal of Honor Highway.

Tobiason worked with Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly to sponsor the legislation, and it finally passed on Dec. 9, 2024. Former President Joe Biden signed the bill on Dec. 17, 2024.

This is when Tobiason recruited Dominic to help design graphic elements, such as a map, to promote his efforts and lobby Congress.

Following passage of the federal legislation, Tobiason had one more job request for Dominic.

Tobiason wanted him to design a challenge coin to commemorate the occasion.

The origin of challenge coins is disputed, but according to one story on a Department of Defense webpage, challenge coins have been a part of American military history since World War I.

“Soldiers would carry these coins and trade them,” Dominic said. “You would normally give it to another soldier and you’re kind of awarding them for their service.”

Dominic has designed two versions of the challenge coin commemorating the National Medal of Honor Highway.

The first coin was created to commemorate three Marine veterans who walked across U.S. 20 from Maine to Oregon.

The second challenge coin incorporates the 48-state continental map with the Medal of Honor Highway highlighted.

Dominic said it took him about a month to complete the coins’ design and then he had to send it to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for approval.

Dominic said seeing a map he had designed being used on the floor of the House of Representatives during debate for legislation designating U.S. Highway 20 the National Medal of Honor Highway was a moment he’ll never forget.

Dominic said he felt very honored to see a map he created being displayed on the floor of Congress.

“I’m not a Medal of Honor recipient, but when they approached me about making that, it was a big satisfaction,” he said. “I was adding to the history books something that they were doing for Medal of Honor recipients. I didn’t know it was going to end up in front of Biden. I didn’t know it was going to end up on the floor of Congress.”