Page 7 - Sojourner Newsletter-Fall 2025v2

Volume 102, Issue 3 7

HISTORIAN’S CORNER

Heroes of ’76 Awards
Edward W. Nolte, National Historian
For the first 54 of its 103 years in National Sojourners, Heroes of ’76 had no awards. In 1976, Heroes of
’76 began to develop awards and establish their criteria.
National Commander’s Patriot of ’76 Award (1976): Brother Maj Charles A. Folsom, 33°, NC (1975-
76), unofficially created and presented the Patriot of ’76 Award in 1976 to recognize Heroes for “above and
beyond” performance. After Brother “Chuck’s” term, the Patriot of ’76 Award languished until 1997, when
it became an official award with essentially his original criteria.

Past National Commanders’ Trophy (1977): This is a National Sojourners award to Chapters in the
name of Heroes of ’76. Initially, this award recognized the Chapter with the “highest percentage of active-
duty members” on its roster. Active duty included Regular, Reserve, and National Guard, but not Organized
Militia. In 1982, the award changed to “largest percentage gain” of Active-Duty Members from the
previous year. To be eligible, the Chapter must have been operational the year prior to the award to create a
baseline to compute percentage gain, vice immediately receiving the award in the year it chartered.
Camp Award of Excellence (1988): Brother LTC Kenneth L. Lowmiller, Jr., 33°, NC (1987-88), created
this award to recognize Camps for meeting certain minimum criteria: Conducting five bivouacs, initiating
two recruits, demonstrating proficiency in the Degree, contributing $25 CLMA, and having four Heroes of
’76 visit two Masonic Lodges together. In 1991, this award was retired with the creation of the GEN
Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial Plaque.
GEN Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial Plaque (1990): Brother CDR Jonathan M. Wainwright, Jr.,
son of Brother GEN Jonathan M. Wainwright, endowed an award to be presented annually to the outstanding
Heroes of ‘76 Camp for the year. The award was first presented in 1990 in the Southern California Area.
From 1990 to 1998, the GEN Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial Plaque was an unofficial Heroes of ’76
award. Capt Clarence M. Nelson, NC (1997-98), established specific criteria, and the ANE officially
adopted the award. The award’s name changed to the GEN Jonathan M. Wainwright Award, and later to the
GEN Jonathan Wainwright Award. Unofficially, due to the length of the name, the award has been called
the GEN Jonathan Wainwright Award, Jonathan M. Wainwright Award, and sometimes simply the
Wainwright Award.
National Commander’s Award of Excellence (1997): This certificate award may be presented in nearly
unlimited numbers, and recipients have not always been published in The Sojourner. The award may be
presented to non-Masons, non-Sojourners, and/or Ladies, all of whom have supported Heroes of ’76.
Van Deventer Trophy (1997): Brother LTC Peter W. Pedrotti, NC (1996-97), created this award, and the
1997 ANE adopted it with two other official, Heroes of ’76 awards: The National Commander’s Patriot of ’76
Award and the National Commander’s Award of Excellence. While not the equal of the National Sojourners
Legion of Honor, it is considered the Heroes of ’76 equivalent and is awarded to a Hero of ’76 for faithful

and exceptionally meritorious service to the Order over the course of many years. This award has primarily
been presented to Past National Commanders (22/25), from Brother Maj Charles A. Folsom (#1 in 1998) to
Brother Lt Col Randolph F. Geck (#25 in 2025). The three non-PNCs to be so honored were Brother LCDR
James E. Alsover, National Musician (1979-2008) in 2003; Brother LTC William J. “Joe” Ryland, 33°, PNP
(1999-2000) in 2017; and Brother Lt Col Harry E. Sanders, Jr., 33°, PNP (2010-11) in 2023.