VIENNA , Va., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Major General John Singlaub , USA (Ret.) received the William J. Donovan Award(TM) in a ceremony held on Thursday, September 20, 2007 at a ceremony hosted by The OSS Society at the Sheraton Premier Hotel in Vienna , Virginia. Admiral Eric Olson , commander of the United States Special Operations Command, presented the William J. Donovan Award(TM) to Major General Singlaub .
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070924/DCM017 )
The OSS Society awards the William J. Donovan Award(TM) to an individual who has rendered distinguished service in the interests of the democratic process and the cause of freedom. The goal of this award is to honor a person whose courage and commitment to country and freedom exemplify the life and public service of General Donovan. General Donovan's remarkable lifetime of service includes being the only person to receive our nation's four highest awards -- the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Award, and the National Security Medal.
Previous winners of the William J. Donovan Award(TM) include Presidents Reagan, Bush and Eisenhower, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Admiral Lord Mountbatten .
Major General John K. Singlaub 's World War II duties included a parachute mission into occupied France to organize, train, and lead a French Resistance unit which provided assistance to the Allied invasion forces. He then went to China to train and lead Chinese guerrillas against the Japanese. Just before the Japanese surrendered, he led a parachute rescue mission into an enemy prisoner of war camp on Hainan Island. This resulted in the release of four hundred Allied prisoners of war.
The General's thirty-five year military career has frequently reflected vanguard military action, having been awarded thirty-three military decorations including the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star Medal , the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Soldiers Medal and the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster. He was awarded combat decorations from six foreign governments.
The Office of Strategic Services Society celebrates the historical accomplishments of the OSS during World War II -- the first organized effort by this nation to implement a centralized system of strategic intelligence, spearheaded by the legendary General "Wild Bill" Donovan -- and educates the public regarding the continuing importance of strategic intelligence to the preservation of freedom in this country and around the world.
SOURCE The OSS Society, Inc.
