MCAF Ground Awards Dinner

On Thursday, 3 June 2010 the Marine Corps Association Foundation, in coordination with Headquarters Marine Corps, Plans, Policies and Operations division held the MCAF Ground Awards Dinner at the Crystal Gateway Marriott hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

An annual event, the dinner provides an opportunity for camaraderie and social interaction for the Marine community, supporters and friends of the Corps in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area and serves as the occasion to honor the professional achievements of some of the Marine Corps’ top performing leaders in the Ground Combat Arms community. Specifically, this event, the 7th annual dinner to do so, recognized the accomplishments of each of the Marine Division’s Marines of the Year and was the occasion for the presentation of the Leftwich, Hulbert, and Chambers trophies to the selected officer recipients.

The event started with a no-host reception as the guests gathered. Following welcoming and administrative remarks as well as sponsor acknowledgements by MCAF President and CEO, MajGen Les Palm, USMC (Ret), the dinner guests observed a color guard ceremony and Chaplain’s invocation and settled down to and enjoyable dinner. After dessert, LtGen Thomas Waldhauser, Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations (PP&O) stepped up to the lectern to introduce the evening’s guest speaker. Introducing LtGen Dennis J. Hejlik, Commanding General II Marine Expeditionary Force, he singled out LtGen Hejlik as a former Leftwich Trophy recipient and as the first Commander U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.

LtGen Hejlik began his presentation with thanks to and acknowledgement of MajGen Palm, recognizing him for his 44 years of service to Corps and country and focusing on his contributions during 12 years of innovative service at the helm of the Marine Corps Association.

The focus of his dinner presentation remarks was a message of praise and admiration for the amazingly high quality Marines serving today with particular emphasis on the Marines being recognized with awards at the dinner. In particular, he pointed out that Marines were remarkable for eagerly, enthusiastically and with little hesitation, moving towards the sound of the guns and how that enduring martial trait was shared by the namesakes for the awards being presented during the evening as well as by the Marines receiving the awards.

During the evening the following Marines from each Marine Division were recognized for their selection as Marines of the Year during 2009 and were presented with a coveted Marine NCO Sword in a hardwood shadowbox:

SSgt David J. Lang – 1st Marine Division Marine of the Year

Cpl Robert J. King - 2d Marine Division Marine of the Year

Cpl Curtis M. Yard - 3d Marine Division Marine of the Year

Sgt Martin Ziebarth - 4th Marine Division Marine of the Year

The Chambers Award for Outstanding Leadership by a company grade officer in the Marine Reserve component, named for Medal of Honor recipient, Colonel Justice Marion Chambers, USMCR was presented to Captain Michael J. Vanderweide, USMCR

The Hulbert Award for outstanding leadership by a Marine Gunner, named for Gunner, and later, 1st Lt, Henry Lewis Hulbert, Medal of Honor, Navy Cross and Distinguished Service Cross recipient was presented to:

CWO2 Joel R. Schwendinger, USMC.

The last award presented was the Leftwich Trophy for outstanding leadership, named in honor of Navy Cross and posthumous Silver Star recipient, LtCol William G. Leftwich, Jr. USMC. The trophy for 2009 was presented to:

Captain Christopher S. Conner, USMC.

Following the award presentations, LtGen Waldhauser again took the stage and presented a plaque honoring 12 years of dedicated MCA service to MajGen Les Palm. Returning to the stage for acceptance remarks, MajGen Palm noted that serving as MCA’s leader over the years had been a humbling and remarkable experience as he wrestled with the challenges of remaining true to Gen John A. Lejeune’s vision for the Association.

Provided below is a video of the event. Pictures will be coming soon, check back often!