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 during the Vietnam War 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).
The Marine Corps bestowed the first posthumous Leftwich Trophy to Captain John W. Maloney, who was killed on 16 June 2005 when the unit he was leading was ambushed in a small town south of Ramadi, Iraq.
Recipients
References
- ^ "Leftwich Trophy for Outstanding Leadership for CY2005 (ALMAR 015/06)". United States Marine Corps.
- Lowe, Christian (15 May 2006). "Marine Capt. John W. Maloney". Military Times (online). Gannett Company. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "Leftwich Trophy Recipients". United States Marine Corps History Division. May 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- Theen, Andrew (11 April 2011). "Exclusive combat award for Marjah Marine". Marine Corps Times. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- "Marine Corps University > Research > Marine Corps History Division > People > Leftwich Trophy Recipients".
- "Calendar Year 2019 Ltcol William G. Leftwich Jr. Trophy for Outstanding Leadership".
- "Calendar Year 2020 Ltcol William G. Leftwich Jr. Trophy for Outstanding Leadership".
- "Calendar Year 2021 Ltcol William G. Leftwich Jr. Trophy for Outstanding Leadership".
- "Calendar Year 2022 Ltcol William G. Leftwich Jr. Trophy for Outstanding Leadership".
- "Calendar Year 2023 Ltcol William G. Leftwich Jr. Trophy for Outstanding Leadership".
External links
- Huly, Jan (16 January 2006). "MCO 1650.32E Leftwich Trophy for Outstanding Leadership" (PDF). Deputy Commandnat for Plans, Policies, and Operations. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
