COL ROBERT V. EVANS, JR., USMCR (RET) HONORED WITH 2013 RODNEY WILLIAMS, JR MEMORIAL AWARD
Lexington, Kentucky, April 27, 2013: Presented annually at the Officer Selection Officer (OSO) Colonel William “Rich” Higgins Memorial Mess Night/Dining-In to an individual selected by the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Kentucky (MCCCK) Board of Directors, who has demonstrated exemplary community leadership and commitment, with a long history of dedicated service to Marine Corps related activities within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The presentation of a personalized engraved Marine Corps plaque was made by Mr. Stanley H. Jones, Vice President, MCCCK and Mr. Ed Armento, Secretary, MCCCK, to Robert V. Evans, Jr., Colonel, USMCR (Ret), of Frankfort, Kentucky.
Following his 1958 graduation from Miami University (Ohio), which he attended on a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship, Col Robert V. Evans, Jr. accepted a commission in the United States Marine Corps and was subsequently designated a Naval Aviator in 1960 at Pensacola, Florida. Having served with distinction in the United States Marine Corps as a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Pensacola and later as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War (1963, 1967), he was assigned as Commanding Officer of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, from which he transitioned to an active reserve status from 1969 to 1984.
While continuing in a reserve capacity, Col Evans served in a number of command billets, to include Commanding Officer of Marine Observation Squadron 4 (1976), Commanding Officer of Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 49 (1977-1979), and Officer-in-Charge of the Cincinnati Mobilization Station (1980-1983), attaining the rank of colonel prior to his retirement. During his reserve service, he earned a graduate degree at Northern Kentucky University, Chase College of Law (1975).
In 2007, he enthusiastically embraced the restructuring of the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Kentucky (MCCCK) by becoming one of the very first individuals to affiliate as a charter member. Elected to the MCCCK Board of Directors in 2007, he has continued to serve his fellow Marines with class and distinction. During 2008, he voluntarily provided financial advice and valuable guidance in his capacity as treasurer of the 2008 “Salute to the Legends of the Corps,” through which $250,000 was raised by the MCCCK in support of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund (IMSFF). Subsequently, he assisted in the establishment and organization of the Presley N. O’Bannon Detachment of the Marine Corps League at Frankfort, Kentucky. He is an annual sponsor of the “Outstanding Junior Officer Candidate Award,” presented at the Col William “Rich” Higgins Memorial Mess Night.
Mindful of the importance of “family’ to Marine Corps veterans and organizations within Kentucky, Col Evans is a generous supporter of various charitable causes affecting Marines, such as the Montford Point Marine Association scholarship initiative within the local African-American community at Louisville, Kentucky; Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, through which he honors the service of his fellow Marines by helping to educate their children; IMSFF, which provides vital assistance to Marines who have been wounded or severely injured during combat operations; and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation (Semper Fidelis Society), through which he participates in the preservation of the history, traditions, and culture of the Marine Corps for the benefit of present day scholars, as well as future generations of Americans.
In his retirement, he has remained connected to his beloved Corps through active and benevolent membership in the Marine Corps League, Marine Corps Aviation Association, Toys for Tots, Marine Corps Combat Helicopter Association, Wounded Warrior Project, and the Military Officers Association of America (Bluegrass Chapter).
Values and principles forged by his Marine Corps experience continued to serve him well, during a very successful career in banking and finance, where he was greatly respected by all those with whom he worked, counseled, and assisted. Often described by those who know him well, as a consummate gentleman, Col Evans continues to conduct himself with honor and integrity, earning the well-deserved respect of the Marine Corps community in Kentucky.