The Leftwich Trophy, also known as the Leftwich Award, is a trophy given for outstanding leadership and is an award presented annually in memory of Lieutenant Colonel William Groom Leftwich, United States Marine Corps, who was killed in action in the Republic of Vietnam in November 1970.
Eligible nominees are Marine Captains in the ground combat element serving on active duty as a company or battery commander with the ground forces of the Fleet Marine Force at the time of nomination. Posthumous awards can be made of this award providing nomination complies with all the criteria for receiving the award. Selection is done by a board of senior officers chaired by the Deputy Commandant of Plans, Policy and Operations (DC, PP&O), who then after reviewing the applicants, makes recommendation to the Commandant of the Marine Corps for his final approval.
The trophy is provided to the Marine Corps through an endowment by the H. Ross Perot Foundation; Leftwich and Perot were classmates at the United States Naval Academy. The trophy itself was designed by Felix de Weldon, designer of the Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington, D.C.. The Leftwich Trophy, a replica of the statue commemorating the service and leadership of LtCol Leftwich, was first presented in June 1979 at the commissioning ceremony for the USS Leftwich (DD-984).
Year | Rank | Name |
---|---|---|
1979 | Captain | Clyde S. Brinkley, Jr. |
1980 | Captain | Charles R. Sherrill |
1981 | Captain | John Caldwell |
1982 | Captain | Dirk R. Ahle |
1983 | Captain | Ronald L. King |
1984 | Captain | Robert K. Dobson, Jr. |
1985 | Captain | Dennis J. Hejlik |
1986 | Captain | David W. Mauldin |
1987 | Captain | Paul E. Lefebvre |
1988 | Captain | John R. Allen |
1989 | Captain | James B. Laster |
1990 | Captain | Ronald F. Baczkowski |
1991 | Captain | Dennis M. Greene |
1992 | Captain | Michael L. Ettore |
1993 | Captain | Robert F. Castellvi |
1994 | Captain | Steven M. Zotti |
1995 | Captain | Jeffery J. Sharrock |
1996 | Captain | Jeffery J. Kenney |
1997 | Captain | Julian D. Alford |
1998 | Captain | Jason Q. Bohm |
1999 | Captain | Daniel M. Sullivan |
2000 | Captain | Jason L. Morris |
2001 | Captain | Michael D. Grice |
2002 | Captain | Farrell J. Sullivan |
2003 | Captain | Christeon C. Griffin |
2004 | Captain | Christopher J. Bronzi |
2005 | Captain | John W. Maloney (Deceased) [1] |
2006 | Captain | Matthew W. Tracy |
2007 | Captain | Jonathan Smith |
2008 | Captain | Jonathan Hamilton |
2009 | Captain | Christopher S. Conner |