About Us

The Gilbert Garza Award is one of the most meaningful individual honors presented within the Sons of AMVETS Department of Ohio. It recognizes an exceptional member whose service, leadership, dedication, and personal commitment exemplify the ideals of the Sons of AMVETS.

This award is more than recognition for simply being active in a Squadron. It honors a member who has demonstrated, through his actions, an extraordinary commitment to preserving the ideals and principles of the American way of life in the Community, State, and Nation.

To receive the Gilbert Garza Award is to be recognized by fellow Sons of AMVETS as someone who has gone beyond what is expected—someone who gives his time and talents not for personal recognition, but because of a sincere commitment to veterans, the Sons of AMVETS, and the community.

Each Sons of AMVETS Squadron may nominate an outstanding member for consideration. The nomination should represent a member whose accomplishments during the year immediately preceding the award distinguish him through service and participation.

Candidates are evaluated on three important areas of service:

• Local Post and Squadron Activities — dedication to the success of the local Squadron and AMVETS family through participation, leadership, programs, events, fundraising, and service. 
• State and National Activities — involvement that strengthens and advances the Sons of AMVETS beyond the local level and demonstrates commitment to the broader organization. 
• Gratuitous Community Service — volunteer service performed for the benefit of others and the community without expectation of personal compensation or reward. 

The candidate's achievements must be documented through the application, scrapbook, and other supporting information. Each application must also be certified by the local Squadron Commander and/or Adjutant.

A member cannot simply recommend himself or be considered on the basis of an individual personal recommendation. His Squadron must recognize that his service merits consideration and formally submit his name.

That makes nomination for the Gilbert Garza Award significant in its own right. It represents a Squadron saying of one of its own:

This member represents the very best of who we are and what the Sons of AMVETS stands for.
 

The recipient is selected based upon documented service and achievement, with the winner chosen prior to the Sons of AMVETS State Convention.

Being named the Gilbert Garza Award – Outstanding Sons of AMVETS Member of the Year should be regarded as a tremendous distinction.

The recipient represents countless hours of service—meetings attended, programs supported, veterans assisted, community projects completed, fundraisers worked, responsibilities accepted, and occasions when someone simply stepped forward and said, “I will help.”

Many of the most important contributions made by Sons of AMVETS members happen quietly. They occur when a veteran needs assistance, when a Squadron needs volunteers, when a community project needs support, or when there is work to be done and no expectation of recognition.

The Gilbert Garza Award recognizes that kind of service.

It celebrates a member whose record demonstrates that the principles of the Sons of AMVETS are not merely words, but values put into action.

The Sons of AMVETS is built upon members willing to give their time, abilities, and energy in support of veterans, their families, their communities, and one another. The Gilbert Garza Award honors an individual who has demonstrated those values at an exceptional level.

To be nominated is an expression of a Squadron's respect.
To be selected is an extraordinary honor.
To receive the Gilbert Garza Award is to join a distinguished group of Sons whose service has left a lasting mark upon the organization and the people it serves.

It is recognition not simply of what a member has accomplished, but of the example he has set for every Son of AMVETS who follows.

1. Each Squadron may submit the name of a member who has been outstanding in his efforts to preserve the ideals and principles of the American way of life in the Community, State, and Nation. 
2. The candidate's achievements are limited to activities during the year immediately preceding the granting of the award. 
3. No individual's name will be considered solely on the basis of a personal recommendation. 
4. Candidates are judged and scored according to local Post and Squadron activity, State and National activities, and gratuitous service to the community. 
5. Applications must be certified by the local Squadron Commander and/or Adjutant. 
6. A scrapbook and other supporting documentation should accompany the application. 
7. The winner is selected prior to the State Convention.