WASHINGTON —
Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Mary, this week joined with the USO Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore in honoring celebrity volunteers who have served America’s troops.
During its 33rd annual awards dinner, the USO-Metro Washington-Baltimore paid tribute to nearly 30 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients as well as USO-Metro award recipients for the Legacy of Hope Award, USO Achievement Award, Col. John Gioia Patriot Award and the USO-Metro Merit Award, all of which the Winnefelds presented.
USO Award Recipients
Sebastian Junger, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, author and war correspondent, received the Legacy of Hope Award for “helping people better understand and appreciate the challenges military members face during combat and upon returning home,” according to a USO Metro citation.
Junger, who said it was “absolutely thrilling” to be honored by such a “venerable, important institution” as the USO, has covered war since the early 90’s, and, he said, felt compelled to bring U.S. troops’ experiences to the forefront for the nation.
“If we’re going to go to war, he said, “as a nation, we really should understand what that means for soldiers; what that involves. I think more information is better, so I avoided the political discourse … and really focused on the troops.”
Singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks was recognized with the USO Achievement Award as the record holder for most hours spent over a five-year period visiting combat-wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
According to the USO-Metro, Nicks spent eight to 12 hours a day, two to three days at a time, holding the hands of wounded service members and comforting their caregivers as part of the USO-Metro’s Celebrity Handshake Tour.
Nicks said the USO-Metro’s recognition was “really special, because, honestly, my time there was between 2005 and 2009, and 2009 is a pretty long time ago.”
The singer encouraged other celebrities to “go there and spend a couple of hours whenever they can, because it means so much
Seema Reza, a poet and essayist, received the Col. John Gioia Patriot Award for her efforts in coordinating a “unique” hospital arts program, and years spent with wounded, ill and injured service members at military hospitals.
Peyton Manning, starting quarterback for the NFL’s Denver Broncos, was honored with the USO-Metro’s Merit Award for “his commitment to lifting the morale of U.S. troops” during a 2013 USO Tour and as part of the USO-Metro’s Celebrity Handshake Tour visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Winnefelds Present Manning’s Award
The vice chairman and his wife paid tribute to Manning during the final presentation of the night.
“The USO-Metro Merit Award is a very special honor presented to a person of outstanding talent who is dedicated to serving others through volunteerism,” Mary said.
“Previous awardees,” the admiral said, “include Bob Hope, Willie Nelson, Steven Spielberg, and of course, Robert Irvine. We’re honored tonight to add five-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning to that distinguished list.”
“People who go on USO tours -- the celebrities -- are very, very special people … but they don’t have to do this,” Winnefeld said.
“They have very busy lives,” he said, “where they have other things they could be doing, but they volunteer not only the week or so that they spend on the tour, but the week that it takes to recover from the tour.”
Winnefeld said Manning “brought a touch of home and reminded [service members] just how much America’s grateful for their service.”
“We discovered the things that made him an extraordinary presence on the field, also made him an extra-special presence on our tour,” Mary added.
Manning’s Message to Troops
Before the awards ceremony, Manning told reporters there is a connection between football players and the military, and he does “enjoy those conversations.” He said his message to U.S. troops has not changed from that 2013 USO Tour.
“I’m very grateful,” he said. “I’m thankful for their service to our country and protecting my freedom. They’re in my prayers every night, and just being around our military personnel makes me proud to be an American. It truly does.”