In case you want to attend, here's what you need to know:

2011 LIBERTY MEDAL CEREMONY TICKETS AVAILABLE

ON AUGUST 23, 2011

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert Gates to be Honored

Philadelphia – Tickets to the 2011 Liberty Medal ceremony, honoring former U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert M. Gates, will be available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 23, 2011. Tickets are free (processing fees apply) and can be ordered from Ticketmaster at 866.492.6326. Callers are limited to two tickets per household. National Constitution Center members can call on Monday, August 22, 2011, beginning at 10:00 a.m. to order tickets (no service charge will apply). Ticket availability is limited.

The public Liberty Medal ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the National Constitution Center in Historic Philadelphia. National Constitution Center President and CEO David Eisner, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, and ABC News’ Bob Woodruff will participate in the ceremony. The event will be broadcast live on WPVI-TV/6abc and webcast live on www.6abc.com.

This year’s Liberty Medal honors Dr. Gates’ five decades of service to our nation – in uniform, as the director of the CIA and as the civilian head of America’s armed forces. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Gates has steadfastly defended freedom, promoted effective diplomacy and supported American troops. A widely respected leader who earns bipartisan support, he is the only Secretary of Defense in U.S. history to serve presidents of different parties. He helped transform U.S. intelligence and military operations to meet emerging realities and advocated for the safety and empowerment of American servicemen and women, while forging partnerships at home and abroad based on shared commitments to liberty.

The Liberty Medal was established in 1988 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. Given annually, the medal honors men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.

Ira Lubert of Independence Capital Partners will sponsor the 2011 Liberty Medal award. Citizens Bank is the presenting sponsor for the Presidents Reception prior to the Liberty Medal ceremony. Hublot, the luxury Swiss brand that brings the "Art of Fusion" to watchmaking, will co-sponsor the Liberty Medal gala for 2011-2012, and will create a limited edition "U.S. Liberty Bang" timepiece to celebrate the significance of the Liberty Medal. The City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania also support the Liberty Medal.

The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents. The Center serves as a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues. The museum dramatically tells the story of the Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, Freedom Rising. The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education. Also, as a nonpartisan forum for constitutional discourse, the Center presents – without endorsement – programs that contain diverse viewpoints on a broad range of issues. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.