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LADIES AUXILIARY
HUMANITARIAN AWARD
 John
L. Cassidy
For more than 20 years, John L. Cassidy has devoted himself to
Special Olympics. In the early 1980s, he was instrumental in
creating a winter sports training program for special athletes in
Kansas after convincing Special Olympics officials there that a
winter games program for Special Olympians was a viable idea.
Since 1990 the Heartland Winter Games, as the competition is
called, has grown into a regional event, with more than 400
participants annually. The
retired executive chaired the games for
six years and remains active as a coach and director of alpine
events. |
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 SILVER
HELMET AMERICANISM AWARD
Cloyde C. Pinson, Sr.
A World War II veteran with 43 years of military and civil
service, Cloyde C. Pinson, Sr., was instrumental in the creation
of the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. For more than a
decade, he led the fight to establish the cemetery—which opened
in 2000, some 12 years ahead of its original schedule—as the
final resting place for Texas veterans, one million of whom live
within a 100-miles radius. The life member of Texas Post 17 (Irving)
also chaired the Greater Dallas Veterans Foundation, orchestrating
its production of Veterans Day parades in the local area.
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 SILVER
HELMET REHABILITATION AWARD
Margaret M. Baumann, M.D.
As associate chief of staff for geriatrics and extended care at
Edward Hines, Jr., VA Hospital near Chicago, Dr. Margaret M.
Baumann has been actively involved for almost 20 years in the
Illinois AMVETS reactivation project at the hospital. Through her
efforts and those of her staff, new protocols and rehabilitation
programs have been developed to help close to 100 veterans
overcome the debilitating effects of long-term hospitalization and
return to leading productive lives in their communities. These
highly successful reactivation procedures have found application
throughout the VA healthcare system as well as in the private
sector. |
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 SILVER
HELMET CIVIL SERVANT-OF-THE-YEAR AWARD
Merle J. Pratt
A U.S. Navy veteran, Merle J. Pratt has served since 1991 as
deputy director of the Environmental Background Investigations
Unit for the Ohio attorney general. During this period, he has
actively pursued enforcement of the state’s environmental laws
to ensure the health and welfare of its more than 11 million
citizens. A staunch veterans advocate, this life member of Ohio
Post 89 (Columbus) chaired the Governor’s Veterans
Advisory Committee and currently serves as president of MilVets,
an organization that honors military personnel and veterans in the
Columbus area. |
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 SILVER
HELMET SPECIAL AWARD
Rena Tarbet
Prior to becoming national sales director for Mary Kay, Inc., Rena
Tarbet rose to prominence as a leader in sales for the
Dallas-based corporation. As the head of its top sales unit, with
sales in excess of $1 million annually, she still found time to
involve herself in various community programs for the betterment
of others. In demand as a motivational speaker, the Colleyville,
Tex., businesswoman has transformed her long-standing battle
against cancer into a source of encouragement for many, including
cancer patients and their families who have seen her inspirational
video “Circle of Hope.” |
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 SILVER
HELMET AMVET-OF-THE-YEAR AWARD
Jimmy T. Smith
For more than 40 years, Past National Commander Jimmy T. Smith has
compiled a distinguished record of service at every level of
AMVETS. A life member of Tennessee Post 2 (Oak Ridge),
the U.S. Air Force veteran has served as president of his
department’s state service foundation since 1984. In this
capacity, he not only conceived the idea of installing a
foundation-funded veterans memorial at each of Tennessee’s 13
welcome centers, but also worked diligently with state and federal
lawmakers to make the addition of a third veterans home in the
Volunteer State a reality. |
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