The White House is continuing the long tradition of inviting special guests to sit next to the first lady during the president's State of the Union address.
This year's guest list includes a war hero, a young medical inventor, a policeman who sacrificed himself for the safety of others and a nurse who struggled to save the lives of babies during Superstorm Sandy.
Marine Sergeant Carlos Evans lost both lost legs and his left hand in Afghanistan. He met first lady Michelle Obama while recovering in the hospital. He later visited President Barack Obama at the White House, who signed his prosthetic arm.
Sixteen-year-old Jack Andraka of Crownsville, Maryland was inspired by his uncle's death to invent a new method of detecting pancreatic cancer for a science and engineering fair. His test has proven to be 90 percent accurate.
Police Lieutenant Brian Murphy of Oak Creek, Wisconsin was shot 15 times when he confronted a gunman outside a Sikh temple last August. He declined immediate medical treatment so fellow officers could help those trapped in the temple.
Although floodwaters were destroying her house, nurse Menchu Sanchez organized the rescue of 20 babies in intensive care inside a New York hospital with no power during Superstorm Sandy in October.
A total of 23 Americans who have sacrificed to help those around them will be the president's specially invited guests Monday night.