Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Awards Ceremony

Established in 2015, the Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Award honors members of the armed forces who have demonstrated exceptional service to the United States, their communities, and our university. Recipients for the Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Award are selected annually.

Award nomination process

The nomination process for the 2023 Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Award is closed.

Distinguished qualities

Recipients of the Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Award have demonstrated these upstanding qualities.

  • A strong University of Iowa connection
  • Honorable service to our country
  • Military accomplishment or contributions
  • Service to the community

2023 award recipients

  • Lieutenant Colonel Katie Hanna, United States Army
  • Captain Tess Judge-Ellis, United States Army
  • Specialist 4th Class Larry Lockwood, United States Army
  • Major General John Peppers, United States Army, awarded posthumously
  • Colonel Kevin Techau, United States Air Force and the Iowa Air National Guard
  • Senior Airman Yareli Reeve-Mendoza, United States Air Force - Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans “Larry Lockwood” Student Award

2022 award recipients

  • Major General Stewart Wallace, U.S. Army
  • Sergeant Major James C. Dickerson, U.S. Army
  • Dr. (Colonel) John Hellstein, U.S. Army
  • First Lieutenant William Lee Peters, U.S. Marine Corps, awarded posthumously
  • Dr. (Lieutenant Commander) Jo Anne Rummelhart, U.S. Navy
  • Dr. (Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman) Holly Wilson Greene, U.S. Navy
  • Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Chesterman, U.S. Air Force

2021 award recipients

  • Dr. (Staff Sergeant) Maria Guadalupe Bruno, US Air Force & National Guard
  • Chaplain (Colonel) George M. Campbell, Jr., U.S. Army Reserve, Retired
  • General Charles A. Horner, U.S. Air Force, Retired
  • Colonel Kenneth E. Madden, U.S. Army, Retired
  • Staff Sergeant Jacob L. Schillo, U.S. Air Force

2020 award recipients

  • Lt. Commander Kennith R. Culp (ret)
  • Captain Howard Kerr (ret)
  • General Don Kutyna (ret)
  • Colonel Sue Moorhead (ret)
  • Major General Jeffrey M. Musfeldt (ret)

2019 award recipients

  • Dr. Kathleen “Kitty” Buckwalter, U.S. Navy Nurse Corps
  • Larry Hershberger, U.S. Marine Corps
  • Harold “Hal” Jackson, U.S. Air Force
  • Dr. Julie A. Stanik-Hutt, U.S. Navy Nurse Corps
  • George L. Stout, U.S. Army
  • Dr. Maurice Wright Van Allen, U.S. Army Medical Corps

2018 award recipients

  • Evelyn Crary Bacon, U.S. Army Nurse Corps
  • Tiffany Baker-Strothkamp, U.S. Army
  • Fred Becker, U.S. Marine Corps
  • Scott Daly, U.S. Army
  • Geraldene Felton, U.S. Army Nurse Corps
  • Clarence Hamilton, U.S. Army
  • Warren Lawson, U.S. Army

2017 award recipients

  • Hospital Corpsman Willard "Sandy" L. Boyd, U.S. Navy
  • Specialist 4 David Drake, U.S. Army
  • Capt. Hayden Fry, U.S. Marine Corps
  • Ensign Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr., U.S. Navy
  • Capt. Luther Smith, U.S. Army Air Corps
  • Capt.. Jeremy Williams, U.S. Army Reserves

2016 award recipients

  • Staff Sgt. Henry B. Tippie, U.S. Army Air Force
  • Lt. Commander Dr. James Van Allen, U.S. Navy
  • Staff Sgt. Robert Miller, U.S. Army
  • Cpl. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., U.S. Army
  • SFC Curtis K. Lane, U.S. Army

2015 award recipients

  • The late Col. (retired) Brooks Booker, U.S. Air Force
  • Gen. (retired) James Cartwright, U.S. Marine Corps
  • Staff Sgt. Mike Considine, U.S. Air National Guard
  • Maj. Gen. (retired) Kenneth Leuer, U.S. Army
  • Lt. (retired) Ernie Pascarella, U.S. Marine Corps