Marine Corps Heritage Awards Ceremony Gala
Every year the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s Awards Program aims to recognize “exemplary work that furthers the understanding of Marine Corps history, traditions, culture and service. Judged by Marines and civilian experts, the Annual Awards are a mark of distinction and achievement for journalists, writers, photographers, artists and scholars.”
There are eighteen awards given each year to best-selling authors, junior Marines, and civilians in several categories from poetry, video documentary, single photo, to whole articles and novels.
Award winners receive cash prize, a medallion, a commemorative brick, and recognition at the Awards Gala.
The awards are presented at the Awards Gala in atrium of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, where the current Commandant of the Marine Corps is the keynote speaker.
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Photographing the 2023 Marine Corps Heritage Foundation Awards
For the 2023 Heritage Foundation Awards, I was honored to be the head photographer! I drove up to Quantico for the weekend, hired a second shooter and photographed the award-winners receiving their medallions and the entire dinner with special remarks from the Marine Corps Commandant himself, General Berger.
This is me! The award recipients were given their medallions as a photo op in the theatre off the main atrium of the USMC Museum.
Like most theatres, its REALLY dark! We had three full size lights, including my 7 foot parabolic strobe to get enough light for a literal dark box of a room.
It was challenging and exhilarating to see all that goes into hosting this one evening.
You can see more military event work from the Joint Womens Leadership Symposium hosted by the Sea Services.
The 2023 Marine Corps Heritage Foundation Award Winners
The 2023 Marine Corps Heritage Award winners were a diverse group from civilians with no time in service to active duty Marines. You can read about their work on the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation website.
Marine Corps Museum Brick
Semper Fidelis Memorial Park adjacent to the National Museum of the Marine Corps is home to a path of engraved bricks. Each award winner is given a brick in the park in honor of their work to preserve and promote the legacy of the Marine Corps.
Many families purchase bring with the name, rank and significant years in memory of a fallen Marine. Sometimes that the birthdate & date of death, the year commissioned or enlisted, or the year the brick is placed.
Some family members choose to place a brick in honor of their Marine’s service with the rank and year commissioned or enlisted.
Marine Corps Museum bricks can be purchased by anyone to honor or remember any Marine for a $300 donation to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
Marine Corps Museum Store
The National Museum of the Marine Corps has the best shop for USMC gifts I’ve seen. From replicas to toys, drink ware, clothing and keep sakes. My boys love some of the books about being a Marine Corps kid, the toy knives, and compasses. Their are throw blankets, riffle laden drink ware and shot glasses, puzzles, replica service posters, patches for all the units and ranks and so much more!
My favorite thing to buy from the Marine Corps Museum store is there ornaments! They have a better variety of ornaments from the USMC with a better quality than the Marine Corps Exchange.
Photos of the 2023 Marine Corps Heritage Foundation Awards Gala
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I'm a USMC spouse, South Carolina native, recovering homeschool mama of a 4 boy circus. They've taught me the most important facet of family photography: KEEP IT FUN!
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