Leadership Award Programs

At high and college graduations each year, the Soldiers Memorial Fund presents cash leadership awards to those graduates entering into the military service. Nominations are made by each school based on guidelines provided by the Fund. For example, this year the fund presented $1,000.00 awards to ROTC cadets from the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana and the University of Washington in Seattle. In addition, many cash awards were given to other high school graduates that had joined the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force and that would be entering service this summer or later in the year. A special award was given to a young Native American from Polson, Montana whose family has already lost a son in Iraq. A proud moment for all.

Your contributions to the Soldiers Memorial Fund will continue to assist these young people entering the service, as they are true Patriots that want to serve their country in the uniform of the Armed Forces of the United States.

If you know of any young men and women in your community in high school or college going into the Armed Forces, please feel free to nominate them for these leadership awards prior to graduation. See the qualifications below.

Officer Candidate Jeffrey Scheidt Also pictured: Constance Still, Captain Richard Fitzpatrick $1000 University of Washington May 2007 Cadet Brett Full $1000 University of Washington May 2007 Cadet Adam Starkey $1000 University of Washington May 2007 Jonny Stanley $1,000 Sentinal High School – Missoula, MT May 2006   Craig Talarico $2000 University of MT May 2006 Michael Mocabee $1000 Big Sky High School – Missoula, MT May 2006 Katherine Browder $1000 Big Sky High School – Missoula, MT May 2006 Robert Walters $1000 Bigfork High School – Bigfork, MT May 2005   Tiffany Mahan Bigfork High School – Bigfork, MT May 2005   Rebecca Bartley Whitefish High School – Whitefish, MT May 2005   Jennifer Owen University of MT May 2005 Josh Yuscavage Big Sky High School – Missoula, MT May 2005

Qualifications For Awards

Nominations will be requested for all awards from the individual Armed Forces Service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Special Operating Forces and the Coast Guard) and respective military organizations. Specific qualifications will be delineated for each annual award as required. Qualified high school or college students entering into the Armed Forces may also qualify for annual awards.

The first leadership award of $1,000 was made this year to PFC Julian Contrerez a recent graduate of Bigfork High School, Bigfork, Montana who entered the Army on Active Duty on June 30, 2004.