Former President George H.W. Bush, poet Maya Angelou, and sports greats Stan Musial and Bill Russell received the highest U.S. civilian award Tuesday.

They joined 11 others Tuesday at the White House in receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- which recognizes people who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." The other recipients include civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., visual artist Jasper Johns and billionaire investor Warren Buffett, the White House said.

President Barack Obama also gave the award, not limited to U.S. citizens, to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French-born U.S. cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Auschwitz concentration-camp survivor and humanitarian Gerda Weissmann Klein.

To read the complete article, see:15 receive Presidential Medal of Freedom(www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/02/15/UPI-99531297762200/?dailybrief)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:PRESIDENTIAL MEDALS OF FREEDOM AWARDED IN WHITE HOUSE CEREMONY(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n33a19.html)