Recipients of Annual USCS Awards

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
2024   Steward Milstein

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.

          2022   David Bernstein                            Civil War Ships
                     Randy Pence & Greg Finnegan   Yangtze Patrol
                     (Steve Shay Honorable Mention – Evolution of Navy Covers)
          2023   Steve Shay                                      VJ Day in Tokyo Bay
                     Lloyd Ferrell                                 Ships at Honolulu Harbor December 7, 1941
                     Peter German                               USS Prinz Eugen

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
2024    No award

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
2024    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
                          2024 Chapter Awards
                                 Gold Anchor Award
                                         Pearl Harbor 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”
2023     Hal Vogel (best postal history)                      “A Marine Makes All Sorts of History in Antarctica”
             Jake Wilhelm (best naval history)                  “The Fighting-est Ship Afloat, USS GRAYSON (DD-435)”
             Phillip E. Nazak (best multipart series)         “Unusual, Unauthorized, Unlawful, and Useless”

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