Yogi Berra Gets Presidential Medal Of Freedom: Montclair's Own Honored

He’s officially a national hero.

On Monday, the White House announced that the 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients includes the recently deceased Yogi Berra, a longtime Montclair resident.

According to the WhiteHouse.gov, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made “especially meritorious contributions” to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

Other awardees this year included Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Willie Mays, James Taylor, Stephen Sondheim, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Bonnie Carroll, Shirley Chisholm, Billy Frank Jr., Lee Hamilton, Katherine G. Johnson, Barbara Mikulski, Itzhak Perlman, William Ruckelshaus and Minoru Yasui.

The awards will be presented at the White House on Nov. 24.

Here’s what the White House had to say about Berra in its official statement:

“Yogi Berra spent over 40 years as a professional baseball catcher, manager, and coach. Widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history – and an all-time Yankee great – Berra was an 18-time All-Star and 10-time World Series Champion who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Always quick witted, Berra was famous for his “Yogi-isms,” teaching us all that we can observe a lot just by watching. Berra was also a lifelong ambassador for inclusion in sports. Berra put his professional career on hold to join the Navy during World War II, where he fought with Allied forces on D-Day and eventually earned a Purple Heart.”

Berra’s granddaughter Lindsay Berra tweeted:

“The @WhiteHouse announced Grampa will posthumously recieve Medal of Freedom. Bittersweet, but could not be more proud! #Yankees #YogiBerra”

The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center posted a statement about the award via social media:

“We are thrilled to celebrate Yogi Berra’s selection for the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom. This posthumous honor to our namesake is a fitting tribute to a noble and humble life well lived. We join with all of his fans and friends in congratulating his family, and in thanking President Obama for this award. Yogi received this highest of civilian honors in recognition of his military, civil rights and educational activism. We are proud and honored that his ideals will continue to influence future generations through the educational services and character curriculum of his beloved Museum & Learning Center.”

The original online petition to the White House advocating for Yogi’s award garnered 111,627 signatures, and can be seen online here.

• See related article: White House To Yogi Berra: It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over
• See related article: Montclair Mourns For Yogi Berra
• See related article: Christie Orders Flags Lowered In Honor Of Yogi Berra, N.J. Resident
• See related article: 8 Top ‘Yogi-isms’ From ‘The Great No. 8,’ Baseball’s Yogi Berra

File photo via Wikimedia