You know how like, in the UK, you can be awarded OBE (Order of the British Empire), or in the US you can be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
Do any of the 50 US states have a similar system? Like, could Missouri deem Walt Disney “Order of Chief Taum Sauk, First Class”? Could Ohio deem Wilbur Wright “Son of the Beautiful River” and award an attendant medal?
*I use Missouri and Ohio as illustrations. As far as I know, neither has an internal honors system.
The State of Montana gives out awards periodically. Here’s a list of them. I’m not sure why other states wouldn’t give out awards.
The Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken received that honorary title from the State of Kentucky.
Indiana’s top honorific is the Sagamore of the Wabash.
Many mayors have bestowed “keys to the city”
Oh, the rabbit holes I’ve been down.
Nebraska, a decidedly landlocked state, has the Nebraska Admiral (formerly Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska), the state’s highest civic honor.
Illinois has the Order of Lincoln (weird to name it for a car, but okay - I kid, I kid)
And if I ever lose my job and need to make a fresh start, I’m going to sell everything I own, move to North Dakota, and set my sights on the Rough Rider Award.
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico,New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah confer the title of Colonel.
Nebraska and Texas confer the title of Admiral.
Rhode Island confers the title of Commodore.
Arkansas confers the title Arkansas Traveler.
New York likes to hand out the Trump “Person Who We Are Most Relieved Has Moved to Another State” Award, sculpted out of frozen hot dog cart water in the shape of a door hitting an ass. As in Nebraska, it carries with it no pay or compensation, although a tax lien is customary.
Delaware has the Order of the First State of Delaware
Delaware has the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
South Carolina has the Order of the Palmetto and the Order of the Silver Crescent.
As far as I know, these orders only give you a plaque or a certificate to hang on your mantel. For wearable medals and ribbons, you generally have to be in the National Guard or the state police.
As this is FQ, is that a real award handed out by the City of New York?
Humorous answers are allowed once the OP’s question has been answered.
As a non-resident of NYC I would like to remind all posters that New York is the name of the state. Inferring that NY must mean NYC is the verbal equivalent of slapping an Upstater with a wet weenie. Which, coincidentally, is an award given by the City of New York.
The movie and play of Inherit the Wind ( loosely based on the scopes monkey trial) bestow upon the counsel for the prosecution an honorary colonelcy in the state militia. The council for the defense objects for this bias, and is reluctantly granted atemporary, honorary colonelcy.
By way of explanation, Sagamore was a Native word for a respected leader, and the Wabash is a river that runs across the state.
Apparently, this is only conferred upon a visiting dignitary (the first being Franklin Roosevelt). It would not go to a native Arkansan.
Cite for both:
FWIW, in the UK, apart from the honours awarded at the Palace, local governments award things like ‘Freedom* of [the borough/city]’ or ceremonial keys, and of course any number of organisations can invent and award their own medals and fancy commendations.
*Whether that comes with any material benefit (no overdue fines at the public library?) varies. In the (mediaeval) City of London, becoming a Freeman gives you the right to drive your sheep over London Bridge, and once a year there’s a ceremonial occasion to do just that with a handful of bewildered sheep.
I actually am one. You may now commence calling me Admiral BippityBoppityBoo.
Do you get to wear a uniform? How many stars on the epaulettes?
If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d love to hear the story
[Moderating]
This is inappropriate for FQ.
I would as well.
At first I couldn’t understand why Nebraska was the sole state to qualify as triply landlocked. But the Visit Omaha site gives the out.
Nebraska isn’t just landlocked; it’s actually the only triple-landlocked state in the country. That means that you have to travel through at least three states (or two states and a Canadian province) to reach an ocean.
Hudson Bay borders Ontario and Manitoba, which knocks off a group of otherwise qualifying states.
A quick look around the world gives me only Russia with triply-landlocked districts. The country is divided into republics, oblasts, and krays. Some of the smaller ones south of Moscow seem to be at least triply-landlocked, maybe more. Finding a good large-scale map is difficult.
I was concentrating on whether we were sufficiently into the thread to not break the rule against humorous posts and I completely forgot the other rule about politics.
My apologies.