The De Fleury Medal, an award of the US
Army Engineer
Military engineering is loosely defined as the art, science, and practice of designing and building military works and maintaining lines of military transport and military communications. Military engineers are also responsible for logistics b ...
Association, was named in honor of
François-Louis Teissèdre de Fleury, a French Engineer in the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
.
In the late 1980s, as the
Corps of Engineers implemented the
U.S. Army Regimental System
The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with continu ...
, the senior Engineer leadership sought a method for the Corps to honor those individuals who have provided significant contributions to Army Engineering.
The Army Regimental System was developed to emphasize the history, customs, and traditions of the Corps; so MG
Daniel R. Schroeder, then Commanding General of
Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a U.S. Army training installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of The City of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Woo ...
and
US Army Engineer School Commandant, wanted an award that would tie in with the beginnings of the nation and the
Army Corps of Engineers.
The Engineer Regiment adopted the de Fleury Medal as an award because of the values demonstrated by the man for whom it was struck – values of special meaning to Engineer Soldiers. When the first de Fleury medal was awarded in 1989, it became the first Congressional medal struck, though not the first Congressional medal authorized.
Medal description
On the obverse of the medal is a Latin inscription meaning: "A MEMORIAL AND REWARD FOR COURAGE AND BOLDNESS". In the center appears the image of a helmeted soldier standing amidst the ruins of a fort, holding in his right hand an unsheathed sword, and in his left the staff of the enemy's flag, which he tramples underfoot.
On the reverse, again in Latin: "FORTIFICATIONS, MARSHES, ENEMIES OVERCOME". In the center the fortress at Stony Point is depicted with both turrets and a flag flying. At the base of the hill are two shore batteries, one of which is firing at one of six vessels on the Hudson River. Beneath the fort is the legend: "STONY POINT CARRIED BY STORM, JULY 15, 1779".
Levels of de Fleury Medals
The Engineer Regiment makes four award levels of the de Fleury Medal.
* The STEEL Medal may be presented to an individual whose selfless service provided to the Engineer Regiment as it supports the Army to assure mobility, enhance protection, enable expeditionary logistics, and build capacity in order to provide commanders with the freedom of action needed to win full spectrum operations in an era of persistent conflict.
* The BRONZE Medal may be presented to an individual who has rendered significant service or support to an element of the Engineer Regiment.
* The SILVER Medal may only be awarded to an individual who has rendered outstanding and significant support or service to the Engineer Regiment.
* The United States Army
Chief of Engineers
The Chief of Engineers is a principal United States Army staff officer at The Pentagon. The Chief advises the Army on engineering matters, and serves as the Army's topographer and proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs. ...
awards only one GOLD medal each year to an individual who exemplifies boldness, courage, and commitment to a strong national defense.
Presentation of the de Fleury Medal, to those individuals meeting established criteria, was started by the Engineer Regiment as the move of the Engineer School from Fort Belvoir, Virginia to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri was completed in 1989. The gold medal presentation is the highlight of the annual Engineer Regimental Dinner held at Fort Leonard Wood each spring.
Gold Medal recipients
1989 –
John O. Marsh, Jr. Secretary of the Army
1990 –
Robert W. Page Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works
1991 – GEN
Maxwell R. Thurman
Maxwell Reid Thurman (February 18, 1931 – December 1, 1995) was a United States Army general, who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army and commander of United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.
Early life and educati ...
, USA Retired
1992 – GEN
Andrew J. Goodpaster
Andrew Jackson Goodpaster (February 12, 1915 – May 16, 2005) was an American Army General. He served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR), from July 1, 1969, and Commander in Chief of the United States European Command (CINCE ...
, USA Retired
1993 – LTG
Emerson C. Itschner, USA Retired
1994 – Mr. John B. Mahaffey Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army
1995 – LTG
Frederick J. Clarke, USA Retired
1996 – SMA
Leon L. Van Autreve, USA Retired
1997 – LTG
John W. Morris
John W. Morris (September 10, 1921 – August 20, 2013) was an American lieutenant general who became Chief of Engineers.
Morris was born in Princess Anne, Maryland. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in June 1943 and was comm ...
, USA Retired
1998 – Mr. Allen M. Carton
1999 –
Ike Skelton
Isaac Newton Skelton IV (December 20, 1931 – October 28, 2013) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the U.S. representative for from 1977 to 2011. During his tenure, he served as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committe ...
Congressman, State of Missouri
2000 – LTG
Julius W. Becton, Jr., USA Retired and CSM
Robert W. Elkey, (Posthumous)
2001 – LTG
Max W. Noah, USA Retired and COL
Claude L. Roberts, Jr., (Posthumous)
2002 – MG
Richard S. Kem, USA Retired
2003 –
Daniel K. Inouye Senator, State of Hawaii
2004 – COL
Edward C. Gibson, USA Retired
2005 – LTG
Daniel R. Schroeder, USA Retired
2006 – MG
John G. Waggener, USA Retired and SFC
Paul Ray Smith
Paul Ray Smith (September 24, 1969 – April 4, 2003) was a United States Army soldier who was Posthumous recognition, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. While serving with B Company, 11th En ...
(Posthumous)
2007 – LTG
Elvin R. "Vald" Heiberg III, USA Retired
2008 – LTG
Robert B. Flowers
Lieutenant General Robert B. Flowers was born in Pennsylvania and resided in several areas of the world as his family moved during his father's military career. Following graduation and commissioning from the Virginia Military Institute in 1969 ...
, USA Retired
2009 – LTG
Henry J. Hatch and
Kisuk (Charlie) Cheung (Posthumous)
2010 – Dr Lewis E. Link,
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
2011 – COL Carl F. Baswell, USA Retired and GEN
Eric Shinseki
Eric Ken Shinseki (; born November 28, 1942) is a retired United States Army general who served as the seventh United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (2009–2014). His final United States Army post was as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Arm ...
, USA Retired
2012 – GEN
David H. Petraeus
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
, USA Retired and COL John M. Morgan, USA Retired
2013 – The Honorable
Robert M. Gates
Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by president George W. Bush an ...
and CSM Julius Nutter, USA Retired
2014 – MG
Merdith W.B. "Bo" Temple, USA Retired and Frank M. Weinberg
2015 – BG Gerry Galloway, PhD, USA Retired and LTG
Robert L. Van Antwerp, Jr., USA Retired
2016 –
Robert K. Dawson and MG
Harold J. Greene
Harold Joseph "Harry" Greene (February 11, 1959 – August 5, 2014) was a United States Army general who was killed during the War in Afghanistan. During his time with the United States Army, he held various commands associated with engineering ...
(Posthumous)
2017 – CSM (Ret) Robert Winzenried, 9th CSM of the Corps of Engineers and the Honorable
Rodney Frelinghuysen
Rodney Procter Frelinghuysen (born April 29, 1946) is an American former politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for from 1995 to 2019. The district includes most of Morris County, an affluent suburban county west of New ...
, Representative of the State of New Jersey
2018 – MG (Ret)
Clair Gill, Fort Leonard Wood CDR and The Honorable
Trent Kelly
John Trent Kelly (born March 1, 1966) is an American lawyer, politician, and U.S. Army general officer from Mississippi. A member of the Republican Party, Kelly is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from .
Early life and career
John ...
, Representative of the State of Mississippi
2019 – COL (Ret) James Rowan, Deputy CMDT USAES and GEN (Ret)
Frank Grass, 27th Chief of National Guard
2020 – The Honorable
Grace F. Napolitano, Representative of the State of California
2021 – LTG
Todd T. Semonite
Todd Thurston Semonite (born May 29, 1957) was the 54th chief of engineers of the United States Army and the commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Semonite graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor ...
, USA Retired
2022 –
Tom Carper
Thomas Richard Carper (born January 23, 1947) is an American politician and former military officer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Delaware, having held the seat si ...
Senator, State of Delaware
2023 – LTG
Jeffrey W. Talley
Jeffrey W. Talley (born September 27, 1959) is an American businessman, scholar, and retired three-star general whose concurrent military and civilian careers encompass a blend of corporate, academic, and government leadership. His unique military ...
, USA Retired
References
AEA Awards Army Engineer Association
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External links
Army Engineer Association
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awards Rep. Napolitano Gold de Fleury Medal, HEADQUARTERS - Published Dec. 16, 2020
United States Army Corps of Engineers