Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Award 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 2025 Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Award is currently open. The nomination form will close on July 25, 2025.

Submit an award nomination

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

2024 award recipients

• Colonel Edwin "Andy" Anderson, United States Army
• Lieutenant Howard Cowen, United States Navy
• Master Sergeant David Dierks, United States Army
• Captain John H. Fraser, United States Navy
• Colonel Robert Hedgepeth, United States Army
• Captain Zachary Graham, United States Army – Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans "Larry Lockwood" Student Award

2023 award recipients

• Lieutenant Colonel Katie Hanna, United States Army
• Captain Tess Judge-Ellis, United States Army
• Specialist 4^th 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