MCA and the Plans, Policies and Operations (PP&O) Department of Headquarters Marine Corps jointly hosted the 4th annual Marine Corps Association Ground Awards Dinner at the Crystal Gateway Marriott hotel in Arlington, Virginia during the evening of 11 October. The second of two annual ground dinners scheduled yearly since inception, both occasions provide opportunities for prominent guest speakers to address important issues pertaining to the ground combat element of the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) and also provide a welcome occasion for social interaction within the Marine community in the Washington, D.C. metro area. This particular dinner however, served the annual purpose of recognizing the professional achievements of the 2006 Marines of the year from each of the 4 Marine Divisions and also those of the year’s recipient of the Leftwich Trophy for Outstanding Leadership.
Following a no-host cocktail hour, the dinner commenced with a brief serenade by the President’s Own Marine Band as dinner guests assembled in the dinning facility. MCA President & CEO, Major General Les Palm then made some necessary administrative remarks. He welcomed the filled-to-capacity dinner guest crowd and cordially thanked the evening’s event sponsors and then acknowledged the many VIP’s in attendance. In particular, he acknowledged and gave thanks for the service and sacrifice of the many wounded Marine warriors in attendance and also thanked guest and Leftwich Trophy sponsor Mr. Ross Perot for his continuous support. Following a presentation of the colors by a well polished color guard from Marine Barracks 8th & I, and an invocation by Chaplain John Maurice, the guests settled down to enjoy their meal.
As the guests were finishing their cheesecake desert, LtGen Richard F. Natonski, 
Deputy Commandant for PP&O, made some introductory comments. As two of the evening’s award winners were unable to be present due to their operational deployment to Iraq, the general had arranged for the two to be together in Iraq and to be visually present at the dinner for their families and guests by means of a live video feed. This pleasant surprise was very well received by the dinner guests. After congratulating all of the Marines of the Year for their achievements, sacrifices and professionalism, LtGen Natonski then acknowledged the winner of the Leftwich Trophy for Outstanding Leadership and also the past winners who were present at the dinner. He then introduced the dinner’s guest speaker, the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway.
General Conway began his brief remarks by thanking the Marine Corps Association, the dinner event sponsors and Ross Perot for their continuous support. Alluding to some current media coverage about the Commandant wanting to pull Marines out of Iraq and send them all to Afghanistan instead, the General humorously asked if any of the retired Marines in the audience would like to reenlist in order to get sent there, a comment that elicited a loud, enthusiastic response.
Turning to the subject of recognizing the Marines of the Year, General Conway said they came from all over America from unremarkable places like Kansas, Nebraska, Louisiana, Michigan and Connecticut but that they were all remarkable men and that the only fear these Marines had ever experienced was the fear that they might fail their fellow Marines by not demonstrating the extra personal courage needed to inspire their men. In simple but high tribute to the Marines of the Year, General Conway stated respectfully that all of them had made “tough calls.”
Pointing out that one of the awards to be presented had the name “Leftwich” on it, he briefly recounted the story of the trophy’s namesake, LtCol William G. Leftwich, a 
Navy Cross recipient in Vietnam who was killed on a subsequent deployment there while personally and heroically leading a nighttime helicopter extraction of one of his recon teams under the toughest operational circumstances. He noted that LtCol Leftwich always kept a note on his mirror with two inspirational sayings on it which said “Leadership is not a gift at birth; it is an award for growing to full moral stature.” and “As a serviceman, I can do my duty, Robert E. Lee’s most divine word, and do it cheerfully with common sense, seasoning and a serene spirit.” Pointing out that the trophy truly did have an inspirational namesake, General Conway said that LtCol Leftwich was a man of immense integrity and honor, exhibited the strongest commitment to duty and would never leave a Marine on the battlefield – attributes shared by the evening’s award recipient.
Turning to Iraq, General Conway stated we are driving a wedge into the population where the insurgents are infiltrated and that it is generating success. Further, alluding to events in Iraq, he said with dark humor “Killing the SOB that just shot you is the first step in the healing process” and then warning about compromising professionalism he said that LtCol Leftwich would be honored to be at the dinner tonight.
With Colonel Walt Ford, USMC (Ret), editor of Leatherneck 
magazine serving as narrator, General Conway, assisted by the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sgt Maj Carlton Kent, and LtGen Natonski, presented the Marine of the Year Awards and the Leftwich Trophy for Outstanding Leadership to the 2006 recipients.
The Marine Corps Association is sincerely grateful to all of our event sponsors and Mr Ross Perot for their support of the event. Additionally, MCA thanks General Conway and LtGen Natonski for taking the time from their busy schedules to attend and support as well.
Provided below are photographs of the event, the awards, and the presentation ceremonies and the award recipients. Additionally, the award recipients biographies and pictures are provided as well.
2006 Marine of the Year - 1st Marine Division
SERGEANT TROY A. WHITE
Click Here for recipient’s Pictures & Bio
2006 Marine of the Year - 2nd Marine Division
SERGEANT JEFFREY WADE HUNT
Click Here for recipient’s Picture & Bio
2006 Marine of the Year - 3rd Marine Division
SERGEANT JAMES D. STEUTER
Click Here for recipient’s Picture & Bio
2006 Marine of the Year - 4th Marine Division
SERGEANT BAKER M. BROOKS
Click Here for recipient’s Picture & Bio
2006 Leftwich Trophy for Outstanding Leadership
CAPTAIN MATTHEW W. TRACY
Click Here for recipient’s Pictures & Bio
Click Here for the Bio of LtCol William G. Leftwich, Jr.
The Marine Corps Association is grateful for the generous support of the H. Ross Perot Foundation for providing the endowment that supports the annual presentation of the Leftwich Trophy. The trophy is rendered in bronze and depicts a Viet Nam era Marine Officer aggressively leading from the front which epitomizes the character of the award winner each year.
The Leftwich Trophy is intended to recognize active duty captains in the ground combat arms community, holding company or battery command who clearly and dramatically demonstrate the ideals of courage, resourcefulness, perseverance and concern for the well being of our Corps and it’s enlisted Marines. The Award is provided through a foundation, which was established by H. Ross Perot who was a Naval Academy clasmate of Lt Col William Leftwich, for whom the trophy is named.
Thank you to our MCA Ground Awards Dinner sponsors:
Gold
Silver
Bronze
