2020 Award Winners

Each year, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation presents a series of awards to both Marines and civilian community members recognizing their exemplary work in advancing and preserving Marine Corps history. The 2020 Awards will be presented during a special ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps later this year.

Each winner receives a gold medallion, a commemorative brick installed along the pathway in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park adjacent to the National Museum of the Marine Corps and a cash prize, if applicable. 

The honorees and award winners this year include:

The Lejeune Recognition for Exemplary Leadership Award

The Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune Recognition for Exemplary Leadership recognizes an individual who has demonstrated leadership in their chosen profession or appointed or elected position that is clearly exemplary and worthy of emulation.The recipient must epitomize the core values of honor, courage and commitment and practice the leadership traits and principles ascribed to by General Lejeune and the United States Marine Corps.

2020 Recipient:
Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr. USMC (Ret)
12th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Heritage Award

The Heritage Award recognizes an individual who has provided unique and significant service to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation in the fulfillment of its mission to preserve and promulgate the history, traditions and culture of the Marine Corps and educate all Americans in its virtues.

2020 Recipient:
Lieutenant General Robert R. Blackman, Jr. USMC (Ret)
Former President & CEO, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation

The Colonel Joseph Alexander Award

This award recognizes a distinguished work of biographical or autobiographical literature about a Marine and is given in memory of Colonel Joe Alexander, historian, author and longtime friend of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.

2020 Recipient:
Dr. Joseph Arthur Simon
For The Greatest of All Leathernecks:  John Archer Lejeune and the Making of the Modern Marine Corps, a biography of John Archer Lejeune, 13th Marine Corps Commandant.

The Master Sergeant Tom Bartlett Award

Named for the late Managing Editor of Leatherneck magazine and a leading Marine photojournalist, this award is given for superior writing pertinent to Marine Corps history during the preceding year by an enlisted writer in any medium.

2020 Recipient:
LCpl Ryan Hageali USMC
For "A Marine's Mom"

The Lieutenant William Broyles Award

This award is named for the Vietnam veteran and screenwriter of Flags of Our Fathers, Jarhead, Apollo 13, Castaway and Khe Sanh. It is given for a distinguished play or screenplay by a playwright or screenwriter dealing with U.S. Marine Corps heritage or Marine Corps life.

2020 Recipient:
Allston James
For A Hill in Time, an authentic and evocative stage play portrayal of Marines under fire in the Republic of South Vietnam fifty years ago.

The Sergeant Major Dan Daly Award

This award was established in memory of the legendary recipient of two Medals of Honor. It recognizes a distinguished collection of still photography by an individual, consisting of black and white or color photographs capturing U.S. Marines or Marine Corps life.

2020 Recipient:
Lucian Read
For All of Which I Saw, a book of photographs that capture the United States Marine Corps during some of the most dramatic and important moments of the Iraq War.

The Robert A. Gannon Award

This award is named for the noted poet and is given for a distinguished volume of original verse by a Marine poet dealing with Marine Corps life.

2020 Recipient:
Justin T. Eggen
For The Sun Rises in Helmand, a 11 poem love letter to the Helmand Province, Afghanistan, the war zone that became a home.  

The General Roy S. Geiger Award

This award is sponsored by Colonel G. F. Robert Hanke USMCR, in memory of his father, Wing Commander Ralph Hanke, Royal Air Force and is named for General Geiger, the fifth designated naval aviator in Marine Corps history, who commanded both air and ground units during World War II. It is given to the author of the best article in the field of Marine Corps Aviation published during the preceding year.

2020 Recipient:
MSgt Jeff Dacus USMCR (Ret)
For "Don't Strafe Kahili," published in Leatherneck Magazine

The Sergeant William Genaust Award

This award is named for the motion picture cameraman who filmed the 1945 flag raising on Mount Suribachi shortly before he was killed in action on Iwo Jima. It is given to the producer of a short documentary (motion picture with a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits) dealing creatively with U.S. Marine Corps heritage or Marine Corps life. An eligible documentary film is defined as a non-fiction motion picture photographed in actual occurrence. The subject may also employ stock footage, stills, interviews, animation or other techniques, with emphasis on fact, not on fiction.

2020 Recipient:
CWO3 Michael Kropiewnicki USMC
For his documentary, MCB Hawaii - Warrior Genesis, that reflects on the personal decisions made by Marines who chose to serve in the ranks of the world's most elite fighting force.

The General Wallace M. Greene, Jr. Award

This award is named for the 23rd Commandant of the Marine Corps, who during his distinguished Marine Corps career, gave stature to the historical program as we know it today. He is a founding member of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. This award is given for distinguished non-fiction dealing with U.S. Marines or Marine Corps life.

2020 Recipient:
James H. Hallas
For his book, Saipan: The Battle that Doomed Japan in World War II

The Colonel Julia E. Hamblet Award

Named for the longest serving Director of Women Marines, this award is funded by a bequest from the estate of Lotus Mort and judged by the Women Marines Association. It is given to the individual or team who has done the most to further the recognition of the history of women who have earned the title Marine.

2020 Recipient:
MSgt Laura Dennis USMCR
Awarded posthumously

The Major Norman Hatch Award

A Marine Corps icon and longtime friend of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Major Norman Hatch joined the Marine Corps in 1939 and served a total of 41 years, active and reserve, at the Marine Corps Institute, Leatherneck magazine and as Director of Photography for the Marine Corps. As a staff sergeant in the 2nd Marine Division, he assembled a team of Marines and created the division's motion picture and still photographers section. The footage his team shot on Tarawa became the documentary that won an Oscar in 1944. Another of his cameramen, Sergeant Bill Genaust, shot the famous footage of the flag raising atop Mt. Suribachi. This award is given in recognition of Norm's service for a documentary feature (motion pictures with a running time of more than 40 minutes) dealing creatively with U.S. Marine Corps heritage or Marine Corps life. An eligible documentary film is defined as a non-fiction motion picture photographed in actual occurrence. The subject may also employ stock footage, stills, interviews, animation or other techniques, with emphasis on fact, not on fiction.

2020 Recipient:
Laura Froidefond & Antoine Favre
For their documentary, The Devil Dogs

The Colonel Robert D. Heinl, Jr. Award

This award is given in memory of the distinguished Marine Corps officer, journalist and historian who was also a founder of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation and author of Soldiers of the Sea. The award is for a distinguished example of feature writing by an individual dealing with U.S. Marine Corps history or Marine Corps life, giving prime consideration for high literary quality and originality.

2020 Recipient:
Michael M. Phillips
For article, "The Bravest Thing Col Randy Hoffman Ever Did Was to Stop Fighting," published in The Wall Street Journal.

The Sergeant Major Bradley Kasal Award

This award is named for the Marine awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions in the Battle for Fallujah and given for a distinguished example of a single still photograph by an individual which captures the character of the individual Marine or the core values of the U.S. Marine Corps.

2020 Recipient:
Cpl Dalton Swanbeck USMC
For his photograph Darkhorse in which Marines with Kilo Company, BLT 3/5, 11th MEU participate in a live-fire mortar range at Camp Buehring, Kuwait  

Cpl Dalton Swanbeck "Darkhorse"

The Major Megan McClung Award

The Major Megan McClung Award is named for the first female Marine Corps officer killed in combat during the Iraq War where she was serving as a public affairs officer. The award is given for distinguished example of reporting by an individual covering U.S. Marines abroad.

2020 Recipient:
Dan Lamothe
For his article, "Maybe This is How Vietnam Vets Felt: Americans Who Fought in Afghanistan Wait to See How Their War Ends," published in The Washington Post

The Eugene Sledge Award

This award is presented for the best memoir published during the preceding three years and named for the Marine Corporal, university professor and author of With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa.

2020 Recipient:
Gen James Mattis and Bing West
For memoir, Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead

The General Oliver P. Smith Award

This award is named for the Commanding General of the First Marine Division in Korea who, through his steadfast leadership in the field, created the circumstances for future viability and growth of the Marine Corps. The award is given for for a distinguished example of local news reporting by an individual that illuminates the U.S. Marine Corps' relationship with local communities.

2020 Recipient:
​Erika Ritchie
For article, "Marines Who Went to 'Hell and Back' Nearly 10 Years Ago Rely on Camaraderie, Community to Heal," published in the Orange County Register and ten other Southern California News Group publications

The Colonel John W. Thomason, Jr. Award

This award was established in memory of this decorated combat officer known for his artwork illustrating Marines in World War I, China and Latin America. It is given to an individual for a distinguished work depicting some aspect of Marine Corps Life. Media may include sculptures, paintings, drawings and illustrations in color or black and white. Computer graphics are considered, but art used must be original work.

2020 Recipient:
John Deckert
For his artwork, Marine Corps Painting and Drawings 2017-2019

The James Webb Award

This award was named for the Senator, author and Navy Cross recipient. It is given for distinguished work of fiction dealing with U.S. Marines or Marine Corps life.

2020 Recipient:
Carlos G. Cooper
For his novel, Chain of Command