Mark Twain included in proposed National Garden of American Heroes

On Monday President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to establish a National Garden of American Heroes as a tribute to “historically significant Americans” who “reflect the awesome splendor of our country’s timeless exceptionalism.”

As part of the Executive Order the President announced the initial list of heroes who will be included. The list includes presidents, athletes, explorers, and authors.

In short, each individual has been chosen for embodying the American spirit of daring and defiance, excellence and adventure, courage and confidence, loyalty and love. Astounding the world by the sheer power of their example, each one of them has contributed indispensably to America’s noble history, the best chapters of which are still to come.

Among the 244 individuals who will be honored with a statue is Mark Twain, who wrote some of his greatest works in Elmira.

Other notable names on the list include Walt Disney, George Washington, Hellen Keller, and Elvis Presley.

The full list of names included in the executive order can be found below:

The Secretary of the Interior and a task force will vet a location for the garden and handle funding.

There is currently no timeline for when construction will begin on the project.