Leftwich Trophy

Gen Hagee presents the Leftwich Trophy to Capt Bronzi in 2005.

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,[1] who was killed on 16 June 2005 when the unit he was leading was ambushed in a small town south of Ramadi, Iraq.[2]

Recipients

Year	Rank	Name	Unit
1979	Captain	Clyde S. Brinkley, Jr.[3]	2d Battalion, 2d Marines
1980	Captain	Charles R. Sherrill[3]	2d Tank Battalion
1981	Captain	John Caldwell[3]	32d MAU
1982	Captain	Dirk R. Ahle[3]	2nd Battalion, 1st Marines
1983	Captain	Ronald L. King[3]	3d Battalion, 12th Marines
1984	Captain	Robert K. Dobson, Jr.[3]	2d Battalion, 8th Marines, 22d MAU
1985	Captain	Dennis J. Hejlik[3]	3d Battalion, 8th Marines
1986	Captain	David W. Mauldin[3]	2d Battalion, 8th Marines
1987	Captain	Paul E. Lefebvre[3]	2d Battalion, 9th Marines
1988	Captain	John R. Allen[3]	3d Battalion, 4th Marines
1989	Captain	James B. Laster[3]	1st Battalion, 25th Marines
1990	Captain	Ronald F. Baczkowski[3]	3d Battalion, 1st Marines
1991	Captain	Dennis M. Greene[3]	2d LAR Battalion
1992	Captain	Michael L. Ettore[3]	1st Battalion, 8th Marines
1993	Captain	Robert F. Castellvi[3]	BLT 2/9, 15th MEU
1994	Captain	Steven M. Zotti[3]	BLT 1/6, 22d MEU
1995	Captain	Jeffery J. Sharrock[3]	3d MarDiv
1996	Captain	Jeffery J. Kenney[3]	2d Battalion, 2d Marines
1997	Captain	Julian D. Alford[3]	3d Battalion, 8th Marines
1998	Captain	Jason Q. Bohm[3]	2d Battalion, 1st Marines
1999	Captain	Daniel M. Sullivan[3]	3d Battalion, 8th Marines
2000	Captain	Jason L. Morris[3]	BLT 1/5, 31st MEU
2001	Captain	Michael D. Grice[3]	2d Battalion, 11th Marines
2002	Captain	Farrell J. Sullivan[3]	3d Battalion, 8th Marines
2003	Captain	Christeon C. Griffin[3]	3d Battalion, 1st Marines
2004	Captain	Christopher J. Bronzi[3]	2d Battalion, 4th Marines
2005	Captain	John W. Maloney[3][1]	1st Battalion, 5th Marines
2006	Captain	Matthew W. Tracy[3]	2d Battalion, 3d Marines
2007	Captain	Jonathan Smith[3]	BLT 2/4, 31st MEU
2008	Captain	Jonathan Hamilton[3]	1st Battalion, 9th Marines
2009	Captain	Christopher S. Conner[3]	2d LAR Battalion
2010	Captain	Timothy Ryan Sparks[3][4]	1st Battalion, 6th Marines
2011	Captain	Casey M. Brock[3]	1st Battalion, 5th Marines
2012	Captain	Benjamin M. Middendorf[3]	2d Battalion, 5th Marines
2013	Captain	Christopher A. Ashinhurst[3]	1st Tank Battalion
2014	Captain	Daniel E. Grainger[3]	1st Battalion, 6th Marines
2015	Captain	Thomas W. Morrow[3]	2d Battalion, 3d Marines
2016	Captain	David J. Palka[3]	Task Force Spartan
2017	Captain	Gregory M. Veteto[3]	1st Battalion, 5th Marines
2018	Captain	Brian D. Coleman[5][3]	Task Force Southwest
2019	Captain	Joseph F. Albano Jr.[6]	1st Battalion, 6th Marines
2020	Captain	Michael H. Nolan[7]	2nd Battalion, 5th Marines
2021	Captain	Jon D. Sanko[8]	2nd Battalion, 1st Marines
2022	Captain	Shan G. Mandrayar[9]	BLT 2/4, 13th MEU
2023	Major	Michael E. Larson[10]	2nd Battalion, 7th Marines

References

1. "Leftwich Trophy for Outstanding Leadership for CY2005 (ALMAR 015/06)". United States Marine Corps.
2. Lowe, Christian (15 May 2006). "Marine Capt. John W. Maloney". Military Times (online). Gannett Company. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
3. "Leftwich Trophy Recipients". United States Marine Corps History Division. May 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
4. Theen, Andrew (11 April 2011). "Exclusive combat award for Marjah Marine". Marine Corps Times. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
5. "Marine Corps University > Research > Marine Corps History Division > People > Leftwich Trophy Recipients".
6. "Calendar Year 2019 Ltcol William G. Leftwich Jr. Trophy for Outstanding Leadership".
7. "Calendar Year 2020 Ltcol William G. Leftwich Jr. Trophy for Outstanding Leadership".
8. "Calendar Year 2021 Ltcol William G. Leftwich Jr. Trophy for Outstanding Leadership".
9. "Calendar Year 2022 Ltcol William G. Leftwich Jr. Trophy for Outstanding Leadership".
10. "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.