IOC award honors fallen Marine

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IOC award honors fallen Marine
Submitted by: MCB Quantico
Story by Cpl. Jonathan Agg


MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (July 29, 2005) -- The Infantry Officers Course here dedicated its new annual award for instructor excellence in memory of a past instructor and named the first recipient in a ceremony at Mitchell Hall Friday.

Lt. Col. Francis A. Grzymkowski, IOC director, led the dedication ceremony and unveiling of the Capt. John W. Maloney Instructor Excellence Award at Mitchell Hall and announced the first recipient, Capt. Charles C. Readinger.

In attendance were Maloney’s widow, Michelle; son, Nathaniel; and mother, Lydia.
Hanging in the foyer of Mitchell Hall, the Maloney Award plaque bears 29 vacant spaces for the engraving of future recipients, to be chosen by their peers each year. Above the award is a shadowbox with Maloney’s portrait and biography, and displayed next to the award is the Excalibur Sword, which was presented to Maloney as the recipient of The Basic School’s Rose Award for leadership and professional excellence.

Grzymkowski said the memory of Maloney -- a decorated Gulf War, Somalia and Iraqi Freedom veteran who was killed June 16 by an improvised explosive device in Ramadi, Iraq -- will be preserved and celebrated by the annual award.

“After June 16, it became apparent to the institution -- all the people here in this building -- that we lost a great man, a man who has been very important to the Infantry Officer Course and to the Marine family. Great men do not come along often. It just became natural that we were going to use John’s likeness, John’s example, and John’s memory to create an instructor excellence award so that we never forget John, and that we appropriately recognize excellence,” said Grzymkowski. “There are a lot of awards in the Marine Corps that recognize greatness … Time will tell, but I believe the Maloney Award and the Maloney name will rank up there with those that we in the Marine Corps liken to greatness and excellence. It will be as prestigious and as renowned.”

Grzymkowski said Maloney’s paternal style of instruction during his tenure at the IOC was as inspiring to his peers as it was motivational to his students.

“As he would interface and interact with the second lieutenants, you could see the learning occurring, and you could just see them soaking it up. And you could see John smiling inside, doing it humbly and doing it masterfully,” said Grzymkowski. “Out of the 40 or 50 captains I have seen ply their trade here and train second lieutenants, John was the best.”

Readinger, who did not know he had won the award until his name was announced during the ceremony, said he could only hope to match Maloney’s reputation for excellence and professionalism as an infantry officer.

“I am very humbled, receiving this award,” said Readinger. “Anyone who knew John knows you can’t be everything he was, you can only hope to be parts of what he was. He was definitely more mature than me, but if I can improve on some of those things to get anywhere close, then I’m doing really well.”

Grzymkowski said he hopes the Maloney Award will prove inspirational to future IOC instructors.

“We are going to use his example as a lofty goal for all Marine instructors and Marine leaders to attain and achieve,” said Grzymkowski. “And hopefully, someday another great man like John Maloney will come around.”