Distinguished Submariner Award
The Naval Submarine League Distinguished Submariner Award recognizes the personal contributions of submarine qualified individuals, officer or enlisted. This award was originally established in 1983 as the Submarine Hero Award, and renamed in 2000 as the Distinguished Submariner Award.
The award is to be made to the most deserving individual when considering his or her lifetime achievements. The contributions may have been during distinguished service in positions of responsibility in the fleet, or, following naval service, the awardee made contributions of extraordinary value to the success of the submarine force, the Navy, or the nation.
Nominations may be submitted by email to execdirector@navalsubleague.org and should provide a description (no more than a one-page attachment) of how the person meets the criteria above.
2019 Award Winners
VADM George Emery, USN, Ret.
2019 Distinguished Submariner: VADM George W. Emery, USN, Ret.
Citation for Vice Admiral George W. Emery, USN, Ret.
For outstanding and continuing meritorious service in support of the Navy and the submarine force.
Vice Admiral Emery served the Navy and his country with great distinction for over 33 years of commissioned service. Following graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1963, he served at sea on five submarines including Andrew Jackson, Hammerhead, and Glenard P. Lipscomb. He commanded Groton and Ohio and served as a Carrier Battle Group Chief of Staff on two aircraft carriers. He served in many key shore and staff assignments, including serving as Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy. Following selection to flag rank, he served as a Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel. A tour as Commander Submarine Group Five followed, before being assigned as Commander Submarine Force US Atlantic Fleet. Retiring from naval service in July 1996, he joined Raytheon Technical Services serving as Executive Vice president, then President. In retirement, he has served on the Board of Directors of several defense-related industries, as Chairman of the Senior Advisory Group to the Director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, as Chairman of the Submarine Technology Symposium on behalf of the Naval Submarine League and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and as a member of the Secretary of the Navy’s Advisory Subcommittee on Naval History. He is the author of several recent naval historical manuscripts published by the Naval Institute, the Naval Historical Foundation and the Naval History and Heritage Command. He is a Life-Trustee of the USS Constitution Museum and was the 2011 recipient of the Museum’s “Old Ironsides Exemplary Service Award.” It is most appropriate that his dedicated service is recognized by the Naval Submarine League as a Distinguished Submariner.
Distinguished Submariner Awardees
Prior to 2019, the award was restricted to “a Naval Officer, whose contributions have been of extraordinary value to the success of the United States Navy’s submarine program … considering the entire history of the submarine program.”
2018 ADM Hank Chiles, USN, Ret. and RADM Jerry Holland, USN, Ret.
2017 ADM Powell F. Carter, USN, Ret. (posthumously), VADM Daniel L. Cooper, USN, Ret., and VADM Ron Thunman, USN, Ret.
2016 ADM Bruce DeMars, USN, Ret., and ADM William Smith, USN, Ret.
2015 VADM Kenneth M. Carr, USN, Ret. & VADM John H. Nicholson, USN, Ret.
2014 VADM Bernard M. Kauderer, USN, Ret., & ADM Charles Larson, USN, Ret. (posthumously)
2013 VADM E. A. Burkhalter, Jr., USN, Ret. & ADM Frank B. Kelso, II, USN, Ret. (posthumously)
2012 VADM Patrick J. Hannifin, USN, Ret.
2011 ADM Kinnaird R. McKee, USN, Ret.
2010 VADM Joe Williams, Jr., USN, Ret.
2009 Team Submarine
2008 Submarine Force Master & Senior CPOs & COBs
2007 Submarine Medal of Honor Winners
2006 RADM Robert H. Wertheim, USN, Ret.
2005 ADM Carlisle A. H. Trost, USN, Ret.
2004 The Submarine Family
2003 ADM William J Crowe, Jr., USN, Ret.
2002 ADM James D. “Jim” Watkins, USN, Ret.
2001 CAPT Edward L. “Ned” Beach, USN, Ret.
2000 WW II Submariners
Submarine Hero Awardees
1999 VADM James F. Calvert, USN, Ret.
1998 VADM Arnold F. “Arnie” Schade, USN, Ret.
1997 ADM Robert L. J. “Bob” Long, USN, Ret.
1996 VADM Dennis Wilkinson, USN, Ret.
1995 VADM Eli Reich, USN, Ret.
1994 RADM John S. “Jack” Coye, USN, Ret.
1993 Mrs. Patricia Lee Lewis
1992 CAPT Slade D. Cutter, USN, Ret.
1991 RADM William T. “Bill” Kinsella, USN, Ret.
1990 RDML Richard H. “Dick” O’Kane, USN, Ret.
1989 CAPT George L. Street III, USN, Ret.
1988 RADM Roy S. Benson, USN, Ret.
1987 ADM I. J. “Pete” Galantin, USN, Ret.
1986 RADM Frederick B. “Fred” Warder, USN, Ret.
1985 RADM Eugene B. “Gene” Fluckey, USN, Ret.
1984 ADM Bernard A. “Chick” Clarey, USN, Ret.
1983 VADM Lawson P. “Red” Ramage, USN, Ret.