There are 6 awards that USCS can award annually, but are not always given out every year. These are the York Briddell Award, the David Bernstein Zoom Presentation Award, the Walter Crosby Award, the Joseph Hale Award, the Stanton Honeyman Award, and the Chapter Recognition Award. Shown below is a historical listing of all recipients.
York Briddell Award, named for the founder of the Society, for excellence in leadership in organizational work, recruiting and promotion, either at the national level or for chapters or study groups.
1992 Jim Russell Postmark Catalog
1993 Jackson Bosley organizational leadership
1994 Bob Rawlins Cachet Catalog
1995 John Milewski, Sr recruiting
1996 USS Nathan Hale Chapter recruiting & promotion
1997 Richard Hoffner recruiting
1998 Stephen Decatur Ch #4 recruiting
1999 Paul Huber recruiting
2000 No Award
2001 Keith Kraft recruiting (1989 & 1990)
Phil Schreiber promotion
Stanley Raugh success in reinstating members
2002 Joe Murray promoting naval covers with his exhibit
2003 Keith Kraft recruiting
2004 Bob Rawlins promotion to new members
2005 Ken Hanson recruiting
2006 Ted Bahry promotion of military history
2007 Paul Helman promoting & recruiting for USCS
2008 Paul Huber recruiting for USCS
2009 Steve Shay organization & promotion work for USCS
2010 John Duefrane promoting USCS in Pacific Northwest
2011 Laurie and Dave Bernstein running the Log auctions for over 10 years
2012 Paul Huber recruiting
Rich Nallenweg recruiting
2013 Paul Huber recruiting
Rich Nallenweg recruiting
2014 Rich Nallenweg recruiting
2015 No award
2016 No award
2017 No award
2018 No award
2019 Dan Goodwin
2020 John Germann leadership for initial work on new website
2021 No award
2022 Lloyd Ferrell leadership, completing website, handling finances
2023 Art Cole
David Bernstein Zoom Presentation Award – This award was approved by the board in August 2022, and has not yet been presented. It’s named in honor of David Bernstein, a long-time USCS member who passed away in June 2022. David was an enthusiastic supporter of the monthly Zoom PowerPoint presentations that began in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. He did presentations himself, and also encouraged others. This is a cash award, with $100 given for first, and $50 for second. A committee will be assigned to determine award winners.
2023 David Bernstein Civil War Ships
Randy Pence & Greg Finnegan Yangtze Patrol
(Honorable Mention) Steve Shay Evolution of Navy Covers
Walter Crosby Award – Named for the noted cachet sponsor, for excellence in developing and producing cacheted covers.
1992 Taze Nicholson cachet service
1993 No award
1994 Gary Rogak cachet covers
1995 Los Angeles Chapter excellence of covers & publicity
1996 USS Puget Sound Chapter developing and producing cachet covers
1997 Walter Grabowy cachets for CG units
1998 USS North Carolina Chapter JR Hemenway cachets
1999 Alvin Eckert computer printed cachets
2000 No award
2001 Jeanine & Richard Hall excellence of covers
2002 Decatur Chapter (R.Hoffner) sponsoring a wide variety of event covers
2003 New Jersey Chapter excellence in producing covers
2004 USS Saginaw Chapter excellence in producing covers
2005 Emil Cobos excellent naval/CG covers for Portland visits
2006 William J. Everett excellence in producing covers
2007 Duane Wilson excellence in producing covers
2008 No award
2009 John Lyding excellence in producing Adm Byrd Chapter covers
2010 Bill Wladyka excellence in producing USS North Carolina Chapter covers
2011 Dieter Lang excellence in producing covers
2012 Mike Brock excellence in producing covers
2013 Mike Brock excellence in producing covers
2014 Roger Wentworth excellence in producing covers
2015 No award
2016 No award
2017 No award
2018 No award
2019 Neal Mills excellence in producing covers
2020 Mike Brock excellence in producing covers
2021 No award
2022 Stewart Milstein
2023 Wolfgang Hechler
Joseph Hale Award – Named for the founder and first editor of the Catalog of United States Naval Postmarks, for excellence in research on different aspects of the hobby.
1992 Lorraine Kozicki organizational work
1993 Dave Kent Postmark Catalog revision
1994 Bernhard Vesper Out of the Past column
1995 Leon Field USS CONSTITUTION Catalog
1996 Harry (Pete) Musgrove U.S. Naval Ships Data series
1997 Dave Kent research on postmarks
1998 No award
1999 David Bernstein Log articles research
Bill Burgess research on Karl Lewis, cachetmaker
2000 No award
2001 Ludo Janssens researching & publishing Tazewell Nicholson booklet
2002 Al Eckert & Paul Nitchman Korean War Data Sheet #23
2003 Mike Vining Data Sheet #25 Aleutian Islands/Alaskan waters
John Young & Ned Harris Data Sheet #26 American Polar Operations
2004 No award
2005 No award
2006 Norman Ferguson & updating NS SAVANNAH Catalog
Col. Richard Morain
2007 Robert Rawlins Data Sheet #33, Submarine Arctic Operations
2008 Stewart Milstein & Data Sheet #31, Operation Magic Carpet
Glenn Smith Data Sheet #35, Ships Named for Geographical Places
2009 Curtis R Kimes Handbook of WWI Handstamped Censor Marks
2010 Greg Ciesileski Research & maintenance of Naval Cover Museum
2011 No award
2012 No award
2013 No award
2014 No award
2015 No award
2016 No award
2017 No award
2018 No award
2019 No award
2020 No award
2021 Mel Dick For research and documentation of the life of Walter G. Crosby
2022 No award
2023 No award
USCS Chapter Recognition Award – The program for was approved in 2017, and the first awards were given out the following year. Multiple awards may be given annually, at the discretion of the committee. Not every chapter is of equal size, nor do they operate in the same way. In general, the committee looks at specific activities, innovations, or achievements over the past year that may rise to the level of an award. This might include recruiting activities, contributions for LOG articles, community outreach, presentations at shows, innovative use of technology, exhibits by chapter members, cachet making activities, etc. Beginning 2020, the award was expanded to include levels of Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
2018 Chapter Awards
Pearl Harbor Chapter #112
USS Ronald Reagan Chapter #107
USS Saginaw Chapter #59
Coast Guard Chapter #111
Stephen Decatur Chapter # 4
USS New Jersey Chapter #90
2019 Chapter Awards
Pearl Harbor Chapter # 112
USS SAGINAW Chapter # 59
2020 Chapter Awards
Gold Anchor Award
Pearl Harbor Chapter
Silver Anchor Awards
Alvin Chapter
Coast Guard Chapter
Saginaw Chapter
Bronze Anchor Award
USS Ronald Reagan Chapter
2021 Chapter Awards
No awards (due to COVID)
2022 Chapter Awards
Gold Anchor Award
Pearl Harbor Chapter
Silver Anchor Award
Alvin Chapter
2023 Chapter Awards
Gold Anchor Award
Pearl Harbor Chapter
Silver Anchor Award
Decatur Chapter
Stanton Honeyman Award – Named for Stanton Honeyman, editor of the USCS Log from 1981 to 1984. Initially this award was for the “best article in a 12 issue volume; in 1998 modified for the best naval/maritime historical article and the best article on postal markings/documentation. In 2003, the board approved a third award for special (not defined) contributions if selected by the committee. This award was first given in 2004. Recipients receive a certificate and a $25 check presented at the convention General membership meeting. The awards are also announced in the Log.
Note: The year of publication is shown below, but the award presentation itself was the year afterward.
1994 George Saqqal “NC4 Flies the Atlantic”
1995 Dave Kent “So That’s What Happened to 1908 Cancels”
1996 Curtis R. Kimes “PMs from the Mad Dog of the Pacific”
1997 Dave Kent “Mind your E’s and F’s”
1998 Bob Rawlins (historical) “The Spanish American War, 100th Anniversary”
George Saqqal (postmark) “In The Beginning, Parts I-XII” (1908 cancel series)
1999 Dave Bernstein (historical) “Ship of the Month” series
Dave Kent (postmark) “Cyclops Cancel”
2000 Dave Bernstein (historical) “Ship of the Month” series
Sanford Solarz “Covers Tell the Macon Story” series
2001 George Saqqal (historical) “Old Whitehead and the Black Prince”
John Young (postmark) “USCGC POLAR SEA” in Dec. Hooligan News
2002 F. Burton Sellers (historical) “Thirty Seven Whatevers – Were they Haiti Visitors?”
John Young (postmark) “Navophilatelists of Yesterday – Marshall R. Hall”
2003 George Saqqal (historical) “The Second Battle of Guadalcanal 14-15 Nov 1942”
Greg Finnegan (postmark) “U.S. Navy Godown, Hankow, China, 1921-41”
2004 George Saqqal (historical) “Short Philatelic History of the Yangtze Patrol”
John Young ((postmark) “The Philadelphia Story”
2005 Mike Vining (historical) “Fleet Problems in Alaskan Waters”
John Young (postmark) “Navy Day Part VII”
Steve Henderson (special) “USN Censorship” articles
2006 Stewart Milstein (historical) “Washington Naval Conference”
Phil Schreiber (postmark) “Foreign Navy News”
Mike Vining (special) “Operation Crossroads”
2007 Glenn Smith (historical) “Screw Steamer PENSACOLA”
Larry Brennan (postal history) “Loss of USS SERPENS”
Bob Rawlins (special) “Tragedy of USS MAINE & John Matza”
2008 Steve Henderson (postal hist.) “ICB Information Control Branch Censor Marking”
Larry Brennan (historical) “Loss of USS LISCOME BAY CVE-56″
Larry Brennan & (special) “Naval Cover Fraud, Fakes and Forgeries Series”
Frank Hoak III
Richard Hoffner
David Kent
Bob Rawlins
John Young
2009 Bill Payden (postal history) “Monthly Register” series
Larry Brennan (historical) “From the Starboard Delta”
Phil Scheiber (special) “The Banana Boat That Sank a Battleship”
2010 Charles H Bogart (postal history) “USS KENTUCKY BB-6 at Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1915-1916″
Stewart Milstein (historical) “The Search for KAL 007”
Dave Larson & Mark Jurisich “1964-1965 Surveys of the Balleny Islands, Antarctica
Aboard USS GLACIER”
2011 J.T. Burnett (historical) “The Story behind the Cover that Survived a Torpedo Attack”
Randy Pence (postal History) “Yangtze Gunboat Postmarks”
Don Tjossem (optional) “Naval Space Aviators”
2012 Randy Pence (postal history) “Yangtze Patrol” series
Stewart Milstein (historical) “The US Navy in Asia, 2 September 1945 – 25 June 1950”
George Saqqal (optional) “Deutschland”
2013 David J Larson, Jr. (postal history) ”USS Florida Supports 1919 NC-4 Transatlantic Flight”
Larry Brennan (historical) “From the Starboard Delta: The Unanswered Loss –
USS Cyclops (AC 4) March 1918”
Dr. Marion Rollings (PhD) (optional) “A New Member’s Experience and Perspective”
2014 Christine C. Sanders & (postal history) “Henry Stinemetts: Naval Cachet Maker”
Eugene Sanders, Jr.
Edwin J. Hayes, Jr. (naval history) “ALVIN (DSV 2) – Part I Good Things Come in Small Packages and An H-Bomb is LOST”
Lloyd Ferrell (special) “USCGC TIGER (WSC 152) of Pearl Harbor Fame – Still Afloat
at Tacoma, Washington”
2015 John Germann (postal history) “Bird Boats- Four Generations of Mine Warfare Ships”
Richard D. Martorelli (naval history) “Secrets Around HMS HOOD and KMS BISMARK”
Alan P. Bentz (special) “A Tale of Two Ships – Warships with Rather Ignominious Endings” and
“A Tale of Two Ships –Part 2: REINA MERCEDES”
2016 John Pollock (postal history) “USS SWORDFISH (SS 193) Lost, Cause Unknown” and “USS TRIGGER (SS 237) Bombed and Depth Charged”
Edwin J. Hayes, Jr. (naval history) “USS SQUALUS – The World’s First Deep-Ocean Rescue”
Lloyd Ferrell (special) “Duty at French Frigate Shoals – as Remembered by Bill Peabody, USCG”
2017 Tarry P. Nazak (postal history) “1971 U.S. Postal Service Machine Slogan Cancel
“REMEMBERING OUR POW-MIA SACRIFICE FOR FREEDOM”
Bill Nix (naval history) “US Navy at Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition”
Alan P. Bentz (special) “S.S.VANCOUVER – A Trip Aboard a Nazi Ship”
2018 Lloyd Ferrell (postal history) “Unraveling History…The Mysterious
USS Shaw Cancels Postmarked 7 December 1941”
Jake Wilhelm (naval history) “Massacre Beach – USS PRUITT (DD 347)/DM 22)
and Attu”
Phillip Nazak (special) “Fantail Forum” Series
2019 Gregory A. Finnegan (postal history) “The Joy of Collecting: Navy 128 Box Numbers” and
“The Joy of Collecting: Navy Number 128 Sidebar”
Jake Wilhelm (naval history) “The Vengeful Virgin – USS VESTAL (AR 4)”
Al Raddi (special) “USS VELLA GULF (CVE 111) in World War II”
2020 Phillip Nazak (postal history) “The U.S.P.O.D. Metal Duplex Hand-stamp History and its use
in the U.S. Navy Post Office through the Years 1908-1958″
Stewart Milstein (naval history) “Operation Blacklist”; “Operation Swift Mercy”; “Mopping up By-
passed Japanese Garrisons”; “Operation Blacklist 40”; “Operation
Beleaguer, the Marines Return to China”
Lloyd Ferrell (best optional) “Unraveling History: USS ARIZONA Connections” (2-part series)
Steve Kovacs (for APS submission) “Interwar Convenience Covers, Part 1- Business Reply Mail”
2021 Lloyd Ferrell “Unraveling History… Battleship OREGON” (3-part series)
Greg Finnegan “Joy of Collecting” series that includes articles on ANTARES,
PITTSBURGH and MARBLEHEAD.
Mel Dick “Legacy of W.G. Crosby”
2022 Steve Kovacs (best postal history) “Made in Augusta”
Jake Wilhelm (best naval history) “The Sturdy Little Ship”
Lloyd Ferrell (best multipart serices) “York Briddell, Alfred Newman, and the Founding of the USCS”