Families of fallen war heroes to be honored

HONOLULU — Families of fallen war heroes have been invited to a special joint session of the state Legislature on Wednesday.

The families will be presented with the Hawaii Medal of Honor in recognition of their loved ones’ sacrifices.

Twenty-four families of military service personnel killed in action in the Middle East have been invited to the ceremony. Some are traveling from as far away as the East Coast to attend.

The Hawaii Medal of Honor was established in 2005 to recognize individuals who died in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

As of Dec. 31, 2011, 308 military service members with Hawaii ties have died in the line of duty.

The ceremony takes place 2 p.m. Wednesday in the House chambers.