Retired Col. H. Avery Chenoweth of Lansdowne, along with retired Col. F. Brooke Nihart of Springfield, will receive the prestigious General O.P. Smith Award for their contributions to the preservation of Marine Corps heritage. The award is being presented for their work on the book "Semper Fi: The Definitive Illustrated History of the U.S. Marine."
The award will be presented at the Marine Corps Heritage FoundationÕs Annual Awards Dinner, March 31, in Washington, D.C., which honors Marines and civilians who have made significant achievements towards the perpetuation of Marine Corps history.
Name: Col. H. Avery Chenoweth, United States Marine Corps Reserves, retired.
Town/Neighborhood: Lansdowne, Leisure World.
Years in the Community: Eight years.
Occupation/Position: I am currently retired. I served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves for 45 years, retiring in 1992. Upon graduation from Princeton University in 1950, I was immediately called into active duty, seeing action on the battlefront in the Korean War.
I balanced my service in the Marine Corps Reserves with a full-time career in advertising and television on Madison Avenue in New York. During this time, I served in Vietnam for two tours as a combat artist.
At the age of 62, I volunteered for the Gulf War as a senior combat artist. This time I rode around in a Jeep Cherokee with automatic transmission and a tape deck.
I am also a writer, having published my first book in 1991, "Art of War," and recently published "Semper Fi: The Definitive Illustrated History of the United States Marine Corps."
Today I frequently volunteer for Marine Corps projects in Quantico.
Achievements: Bachelor's degree from Princeton University in fine arts. Master's degree from the University of Florida in fine arts. Numerous awards for my work in television and art. Recently received the Best in Show from the Waterford Exhibit in Loudoun County.
Family: My wife, Lise, who was born in Quebec City. We have seven children and 10 grandchildren between us.
What do you like or dislike about your community?: Loudoun County offers spacious living and a great quality of life, with less traffic than the city, although I am not so sure the traffic is as true as it used to be.
Favorite local restaurant/place: The Leisure World Resort and Tuscarora Restaurant.
Sports Interests/Activities/Hobbies: Digital photography, painting, writing and tennis. I also write many articles for Marine Corps journals.
Community Concerns: None. I have a very tranquil life.
Community Ideas: Take a hiatus on some of the building, don't pave the Eastern section.
Personal Goals: Live out my twilight years and continue to play tennis, continue writing and art as long as my fingers and mental capacity allow me.
What community "hidden treasure" should more people know about?: The upscale, rural lifestyle we have in Loudoun County from the middle to western part should be preserved. The beauty of driving through the winding roads and horse pastures is one of the treasures of Northern Virginia.
<lst>Send profile nominations to The Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to
loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454.