Delaware National Guard MG Vavala receives Legion of Merit from Sen. Carper in surprise ceremony
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Sen. Tom R. Carper presented Maj. Gen. Frank D. Vavala with the Legion of Merit medal in a surprise ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 9 . Photo by Spc. James O. Pernol |
By
Sgt. 1st Class Deborah Welch
Sen.
Tom Carper's appearance surprised Maj. Gen. Frank D. Vavala, adjutant general of
the Delaware National Guard and most of the other soldiers at the Senior Leaders Conference,
February 9. Carper was not scheduled to attend or speak at
the conference this year, which was held at Gunning Bedford Middle School
in Delaware City. Only a select few knew of the plan to surprise Vavala.
In fact, only about a dozen people knew that Carper planned to present Vavala with the Legion of Merit medal for exceptional meritorious service, said Capt. Len Gratteri, public affairs officer for the Delaware National Guard.
For the past three years, Gen. Vavala and hundreds of other soldiers had gathered in the school's auditorium specifically for the Delaware National Guard Senior Leaders Conference.
"This was completely unexpected today," Vavala said, according to an article that appeared in The News Journal on February 10.
"This award is not mine," Vavala said from the podium to the troops seated in front of him. "It belongs to all of you."
Vavala said he did not ever expect anything as prestigious as the Legion of Merit, which was established by an act of Congress in 1942, and wholeheartedly appreciated receiving it.
Carper said that the award was belated, as he should have presented it to Vavala when he was commander of Delaware's armed forces during Carper's two terms as governor from 1993 to 2000. The surprise ceremony made up for what he referred to as an oversight, he said.
"I don't believe I've met a finer leader in any branch of the armed forces than Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala," Carper said, as he waited in the hallway for an opportunity to present the medal. "He's committed to doing what's right, committed to excellence."
Vavala, 54, rose through the ranks,
beginning as a private in 1967 and completing the Delaware Military
Academy Officer Candidate School in 1970, when he was commissioned as
a second lieutenant.
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