It’s highly unusual that an honoree calls in live from Iraq via satellite telephone to receive an award, but that’s what happened at the seventh annual MOAA Marix awards ceremony March 26 at the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill.

Despite the war in Iraq, high security on Capitol Hill, and a torrential rainstorm prior to the event, approximately 300 guests from Congress, the administration, the Department of Defense, veterans’ organizations, MOAA’s board of directors and council presidents, and the MOAA staff paid respect to six key people who have been leaders in the fight for concurrent receipt.

MOAA presented its highest award for a member of Congress, the Col. Arthur T. Marix Congressional Leadership Award, to Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-Fla.) for their fight to eliminate the more than 100-year-old inequity disabled military retirees face when they have to forfeit retired pay dollar-for-dollar if they receive disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In presenting to Reid, MOAA’s board chairman and master of ceremonies, Adm. Jerry Johnson, usn-Ret., said, “Senator Reid picked up the mantle of Senate leadership several years ago and has introduced bills in the last three Congresses aimed at fixing the problem. Through his aggressive leadership, 83 out of 100 senators cosponsored his concurrent receipt bill.”

Johnson continued, “His work, plus hard work by The Military Coalition and others in [this] room and on the Hill, finally paid off in bringing legislative relief to many thousands of military retirees with combat- and operations-related disabilities.”

After receiving his award, Reid complimented fellow congressman Bilirakis for being with him “every step of the way.” Reid expressed extreme gratitude for his award — even mentioning it in a press conference the next day. 

Reid first was voted into the Senate in 1986; he’s now in his third term and serves as the Democratic whip. In addition to championing the cause of concurrent receipt, he has worked to improve education and health care and has promoted issues important to senior citizens, such as prescription drug coverage, long term care, and Social Security.

Bilirakis, a former Air Force staff sergeant and now senior vice chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said he has been working on concurrent receipt for so long that he cannot remember how he got started. He complimented Reid for his efforts and said that work on concurrent receipt is a labor of love.

He added, “There is a long way to go, but we have gotten as far as we have because of people like you.” Referring to the successful grassroots and veterans’ organization lobbying efforts, Bilirakis said, “You’ve done it. You’ve really done it. That’s the democratic process.”

Bilirakis was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1982, and since his early days in Congress he has fought for numerous veterans’ and veterans’ family members’ issues. His initiatives include allowing a spouse to retain a veteran’s final compensation check and allowing older widows to remarry without losing their survivor benefits. Additionally, Bilirakis continues to press for full accounting of Americans still listed as missing in action in Southeast Asia.

The next set of awards went to two key congressional staff members — the often unsung heroes and heroines who write and work on the legislation for their bosses. They each received the Col. Paul W. Arcari Meritorious Achievement Award, named after MOAA’s former director of government relations, who retired in 2001 after 14 years in the position.

Robert Herbert, formerly Reid’s legislative assistant and now his regional director for Southern Nevada, thanked Reid, Bilirakis, his House counterpart and fellow awardee Rebecca Hyder, and other colleagues. He also thanked “all of you out there” for working many years together. “If it wasn’t for you, the information, and the assistance, this wouldn’t be possible.” 

Herbert brings extensive knowledge of the military to his position, as he is also an Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and chief of staff of the Nevada National Guard.

The other Arcari Award recipient, Rebecca Hyder, is Bilirakis’ administrative assistant. In this capacity she is his chief policy adviser, developing and implementing all policy objectives, strategies, and operating plans for his offices.

Hyder praised her boss and colleagues — and the MOAA legislative staff. She said she really counts on them, and they are a “great resource.”

Hyder also said the award was especially meaningful because Arcari helped educate her about concurrent receipt, the Survivor Benefit Plan, forgotten widows, and other issues when she was a new staffer first learning defense issues.

MOAA next recognized two members of the news media, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw anchor Tom Brokaw and NBC senior correspondent Fred Francis, for their work telling the story of concurrent receipt and other veterans’ issues. NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw and Francis produced four stories on concurrent receipt.

Because he could not attend, Brokaw sent a personal video that was projected on a large screen in the room. In his acceptance remarks, he thanked MOAA for what he called a “singular honor.” 

Brokaw began his journalism career more than four decades ago and has anchored NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw since 1983. During his career, he has interviewed world leaders; reported from hot spots such as Beirut, Lebanon, and Baghdad, Iraq; and covered every presidential election since 1968. In recent years he has become a published author as well.

In his recorded acceptance speech, Brokaw mentioned how the military people he wrote about in his book The Greatest Generation (Random House, 1998) had worn the uniform of the country and come back to continue their ideal of public service. He called it a “privilege to be associated, even in a small way, with MOAA.” Brokaw concluded his remarks with a hand salute to the audience.

Reporter Fred Francis was unable to attend the ceremony, as he was in Iraq. Like Brokaw, he sent a video, one that he had recorded on location. Additionally, he called in to the ceremony live from Iraq via satellite telephone (3 a.m., Iraq time) to thank MOAA for his award, telling the assembled group about the war as he saw it and expressing appreciation to his wife of 37 years, Carol, who received the award for him at the ceremony. 

As a senior correspondent for NBC news, Francis focuses on investigative and special reporting. Throughout his career, he’s covered events and topics ranging from the Iranian revolution and the taking of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran to the invasion of Panama, third-world missile proliferation, and Gulf War syndrome.

Carol Francis remarked that Fred and she were going to share the award because, after the career he’s had, she feels like a military wife.

In his videotape, made March 20, Francis said he was humbled by the award and expressed appreciation for the lessons he’s learned from officers during his 37 years in the broadcasting business, including eight years as NBC’s Pentagon reporter. He said he learned “professionalism ... dedication to a mission ... and to be honest in what I do.” 

Francis continued, saying, “Many of the 200,000 men and women who are either on their way to Iraq or in Iraq right now — you officers have taught them those lessons.”