Armed forces honor longtime Air Force volunteer

  • Published
  • By Kathleen T. Rhem
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  The military services have chosen a longtime Air Force volunteer from Arizona as this year's recipient of the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award.

Dorothy Hunt Finley is a leading member of the Davis-Monthan 50, an organization dedicated to supporting Airmen and their families at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.

"You are indeed the first lady of Davis-Monthan," Navy Secretary Gordon England said in a Pentagon ceremony Dec. 2.

The mission of the Davis-Monthan 50, Mrs. Finley explained, is "to help servicemen and women with whatever we can to help them be real close members of our community. We want them to have a great experience with their tour in Tucson," she said when she accepted the award.

"After all, the people in the military today are all volunteers," she said. "And the least that we can do as civilians is to make their stay in Tucson a rewarding time."

According to the award citation, Mrs. Finley was "instrumental in making the public more aware of what Davis-Monthan Air Force Base means to Tucson and the state of Arizona."

She lobbied for the base's position on local issues with the mayor and other officials.

"Her leadership and ability had critical impact on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base issues concerning flightline encroachment, possible base closures and justification for retaining Davis-Monthan's status," the citation stated.

In presenting the award, Secretary England said Mrs. Finley epitomizes the sentiment behind a favorite quote by Winston Churchill: "You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give."

"Here is a lady who has had a wonderful life, a wonderful life of giving to others," Secretary England said.

The award is named after Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher, noted and much-loved humanitarians in military circles. The Fishers founded the Fisher House Foundation in 1990 to build "comfort homes" on the grounds of military and Veterans Affairs medical centers to house families of servicemembers and veterans receiving treatment far from their homes.

Today, there are at least 32 Fisher Houses at 17 military medical centers and six VA medical centers, serving about 8,500 families a year with lodging close to their loved ones for an average of $10 per night.

"If you are receiving this distinguished … caring award in the name of Zach and Elizabeth Fisher, I will tell you that you are an outstanding individual," Secretary England told Mrs. Finely. "Because they were magnificent individuals in what they did for their country."