Senior Chief Receives Bob Feller Award

 

A senior chief petty officer assigned to Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) received the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award in a ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., Nov. 5.

Senior Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Carl M. Thompson was presented the award by Peter F. Fertig, President of The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation.

The annual award was established by the Bob Feller Act of Valor Foundation in 2013 and is presented to three people who represent the important areas of Feller's life: his major league baseball career, his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame (NBHOF) and his service as a Navy chief petty officer.

Thompson, former Los Angeles Dodgers manager and Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda, and Nick Swisher of the Cleveland Indians, received their awards during a ceremony that featured a gathering of baseball luminaries and Navy leadership. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Michael Stevens participated in honoring the three award recipients.

Thompson said Feller was an example of self-sacrifice and service and is an inspiration for generations of Americans.

"I am humbled to receive the honor of being mentioned in the same breath as Tommy Lasorda and Nick Swisher," said Thompson. "Bob Feller set the bar very high in both his personal and professional life."

MCPON Stevens said Thompson represents the attributes that accompany the title of chief petty officer.

"Senior Chief Petty Officer Thompson embodies all that's good in a chief petty officer and has shown a lifetime of excellence," said Stevens. Most importantly, he understands that true leadership is about service far more than it is about self. I could not be prouder of him and all that he has accomplished, and he is most deserving of this award."

As a chief petty officer, Thompson said he would not have received this award without the help of others including his Sailors and fellow chiefs.

"As a chief, I know that there are probably many of my brother and sister chiefs that are just as deserving of this award as I am, but they just weren't nominated," said Thompson. "This recognition is as much theirs as it is mine."

Like Bob Feller himself, Lasorda put his professional baseball career on hold to fulfill his duty to our country. He served in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1947 and was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland.

"It is a privilege and an honor to receive the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award," said Lasorda. "I have the highest respect and admiration for the men and women who serve in the United States Navy, as well as the other branches of the military. I loved Bob Feller and am so grateful to receive an award that bears his name."

Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder Nick Swisher, continues to honor the legacy of his grandfather, who served in the U.S. military during the Korean War, by supporting the Wounded Warriors Program and assisting Philips Norelco's charitable activities on Operation Homefront.

"The first thing that comes to mind is honor and pride," said Swisher. "For me, just to be in the same breath as a man like Bob Feller, I could not be more honored to be in this position. I could not be more grateful to receive this award, something that is near and dear to my heart."

Nick and his wife JoAnna Garcia Swisher have also participated in United Service Organization (USO) tours to Afghanistan to provide morale for our troops.

In recognition of Feller's significant accomplishment in attaining the rank of chief petty officer, nominees must be a chief petty officer, (active or reserve) be outstanding military professionals, and embody the Navy's core values of honor, courage, and commitment.

Bob Feller not only excelled on the baseball diamond, he is the only chief petty officer in the NBHOF. He received six campaign ribbons and eight battle stars while serving on missions in both the Pacific and the North Atlantic.

Feller was the first American athlete to enlist in the military following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. He missed four seasons with the Indians while serving in the Navy. He served aboard USS Alabama, which won nine battle stars, eight while Feller was aboard.

Supporters of the award honoring the legacy of Bob Feller include the USS Alabama Battleship Commission, Major League Baseball and the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum. Co-sponsors of the event include the Navy Memorial and the Navy League of the United States.