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USO-Metro Honors Shining Stars at 23rd Annual Awards Dinner
The USO of Metropolitan Washington continued its long-standing tradition
of honoring outstanding individuals for their public service, philanthropic
contributions, and volunteer efforts at the 24th Annual Awards Dinner
on March 22. Welcoming more than 600 senior military, civil, and industry
leaders as well as an impressive group of special guests, USO-Metro
paid tribute to our brave men and women in uniform as well as to those
who improve the quality of life for service members and their families.
The evening’s special guests included country music star Craig Morgan;
NFL Hall of Fame member and former Washington Redskins running back,
John Riggins; Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry, the Vice Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Edmund Giambastiani, the Surgeon
General of the Air Force, Lieutenant General George Peach Taylor,
Vice Admiral Thad Allen, "America’s Beloved Tenor" Daniel
Rodriguez, and superstars from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Commencing the festivities with a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, Daniel Rodriguez set the tone for evening. The first honoree of the night, Senior Chief Musician Elizabeth A. Carroll of the U.S. Navy, was recognized for her extraordinary commitment to volunteering with various fire and rescue squads. As this year’s recipient of the USO-Metro C. Haskell Small Award for Volunteerism, Carroll has devoted anywhere from 20 to 100 hours a month since the early 1990s to her local fire companies, life support units, and ski patrols. She truly embodies the spirit of the C. Haskell Small award, given every year to an active duty enlisted service member who devotes him or herself to exemplary volunteer service. Accepting the award, Carroll remarked, "I am very honored - and humbled by this award. There are so many military members, and civilians, who deserve it as much or more than I do. I truly believe that the volunteer spirit is what makes this country so great, and I am just happy to be able to do my part."
The USO-Metro Annual Awards Dinner would be incomplete without a tribute to the most popular ambassador of the USO, legendary entertainer Bob Hope. USO-Metro honored the Miss America Organization as the 2006 recipient of the Legacy of Hope Award for consistently exhibiting a commitment to our men and women in uniform. The women of the organization have actively supported our service members for over 60 years—by entertaining and serving our men and women in uniform in World War II, Viet Nam, and most recently in Operation Iraqi Freedom. WWE Superstars Mick Foley, Chris Nowinski, Ron Simmons, Jimmy Hart and Ken Kennedy presented the Miss America Organization with the Legacy of Hope Award for keeping the spirit of Bob Hope alive with grace, charm, and a selfless spirit that inspires us all.
Petty Officer Joseph "Doc" Worley, a Navy medic and honoree at the 2005 USO-Metro Awards Dinner, helped present the Legacy of Hope Award to the Miss America Organization. Representing all service members touched by the support of the Miss America Organization through USO-Metro, Petty Officer Worley’s spirit and courage is truly staggering. Having lost a leg while serving in Fallujah, Worley received a Bronze Star in his wheelchair during the 2005 USO Dinner. Evidence of Worley’s hard work and dedication was apparent at this year’s Awards Dinner when he got out of his wheelchair to walk across the stage and hand the Legacy of Hope Award to Miss America, bringing many in the audience to tears.
The awards continued with the USO of Metropolitan Washington Merit
Award, presented each year to a celebrity who uses his or her status
to give back to the community. The selfless spirit of country music
star Craig Morgan is unrivaled in the entertainment industry. Morgan,
who saw combat in Panama, was honored with the USO-Metro Merit Award
for his dedication to assisting others through his charitable works.
When he was told about the award, Morgan warmly remarked, "To
find out that I am being honored by the USO with their special Merit
Award is just amazing. It is a privilege and an honor to be recognized
by the USO."
In addition to raising funds for and donating his time to many charitable
organizations, Morgan is a passionate supporter of the military. This
past year alone, he has traveled to Iraq for the USO Holiday Tour,
performed at "Toast to the Troops," a benefit concert for
the USO, and performed for the volunteers, spouses and members of
the 101st Airborne Division at a USO Care Package "stuffing party."
Morgan is also the spokesperson for America Supports You and he performed
at the kick-off to their Pentagon concert series in May of 2005, which
was hosted by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. "USO-Metro
is proud to recognize Craig Morgan for his charitable efforts with
our USO Merit Award," said Elaine Rogers, President of the USO
of Metropolitan Washington. "It’s wonderful to see someone who
has served his country having such success in his professional life,
while at the same time giving back to the community."
During one of the evening’s highlights, USO-Metro paid tribute to the United States Coast Guard for their extraordinary service to our country. "Every day, members of the Coast Guard save lives, assist people in distress, conduct search and rescue missions, seize illegal drugs, and respond to oil and hazardous chemical spills, " said USO-Metro President Elaine Rogers. "It is our honor to recognize the Coast Guard for all they do to protect us here at home—especially for their recent work with the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We owe the U.S. Coast Guard a huge debt of gratitude for their service." Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Edmund Giambastiani presented the USO-Metro Rising Star Award to Vice Admiral Thad Allen, representing the U.S. Coast Guard.
The evening continued with a tribute to the United States Air Force for their service to our injured military personnel serving in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. The individuals in the Air Force demonstrate great dedication and skill while performing their medical roles. Through their devotion and tireless efforts, Air Force doctors and nurses ensure that rapid, safe and compassionate care is delivered to critically wounded and ill members of our Armed Forces. USO-Metro presented Rising Star Awards to Major Erik Von Rosenvinge and the Surgeon General of the Air Force, General George "Peach" Taylor, who represented all of those in the Air Force’s medical field. Major Von Rosenvinge demonstrated amazing courage by continuing to provide life-sustaining care to his patients during an ongoing mortar attack in Baghdad.
Rounding out the special salute were Private First Class Marissa Strock and Sergeant Neil Duncan, both of whom were wounded while serving in the Army in combat overseas. While PFC Strock was serving in Iraq, she was wounded by an explosive device that ultimately led to the amputation of her left leg below the knee. An IED (Improvised Explosive Device) wounded Sergeant Duncan while he was serving in Afghanistan.
USO-Metro also recognized Sergeant Michael Paul Donnelly of the U.S. Marine Corps for his extraordinary service. While serving in Iraq, Sergeant Donnelly was severely wounded by an explosive device. The quick reaction force that came to his aid included Hospital Corpsman Third Class Justin Ledsome of the U.S. Navy, who was honored at the USO-Metro Awards Dinner for saving Sergeant Donnelly’s life that day and for helping to save dozens of other service members in combat. The Special Salute concluded with a special presentation, as Admiral Giambastiani awarded Sergeant Donnelly the Bronze Star.
The USO-Metro Annual Awards Dinner was a tremendous success again this year; USO-Metro raised almost $400,000 in one evening! The funds raised from the event will be used to support and enhance USO-Metro’s many programs and services, including organizing celebrity visits with wounded patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda. The funds will also help support USO-Metro the organization expands its services in the local area. In 2006, USO-Metro will open two new USO locations – one at Reagan National airport and another at Dulles Airport, as well as an Outreach Center on Fort Meade in Maryland.
USO-Metro is honored to have had the opportunity to recognize those who serve our service members through their involvement in charitable organizations, in our communities, and in our military.
