Leftwich Trophy

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).

Recipients

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

References

External sites