Story by Pamela Sleezer, Joint Base Lewis-McChord Public Affairs Office.
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Installation leaders at Joint Base Lewis-McChord were joined by community partners and local leaders March 27 to recognize three outstanding community members for their contributions benefiting the JBLM community with an induction into the JBLM Civilian Hall of Fame.
“Today’s inductees are absolutely representative of all that is great about the South Puget Sound area,” Col. Kent Park, JBLM commander, said during the ceremony held at the American Lake Conference Center. “They all genuinely deserve to receive this recognition.”
Bill Adamson, Mary Moss and John Simpson were each honored with the Lt. Gen. Bill Harrison Service Award, named for retired Lt. Gen. William H. Harrison who served as the commander of I Corps from 1987 to 1989 before becoming the first mayor of the city of Lakewood in 1995. Harrison passed away Feb. 18 at 90 years old.
Harrison’s legacy of high standards, dedication and commitment have become almost legendary within the community, and for award recipient John Simpson it made receiving the award that much more humbling.
“About 20 years ago, I was given the assignment to do a story on (Lt. Gen. Harrison),” Simpson said. “And he commented to me that he simply liked being around Soldiers and their families. He said that he felt connected, that he felt good being around them. My wife has heard me say something similar to that for the last almost 20 years … and the point to that is that we are all connected. I have never forgotten that.”
Simpson was nominated for the award by I Corps leaders for his decades of serving in civil leadership roles, most recently as a Lakewood city council member from 2013 to 2020, and for his dedication to service members at JBLM as a journalist for Swarner Communications for 30 years.
As a journalist, Simpson was embedded with JBLM’s Stryker Brigade Combat Teams eight times, five in Iraq and three times in Afghanistan. He accompanied Soldiers on more than 150 missions.
Retired Col. Bill Adamson was nominated for his award by the City of Lakewood for his significant role as director of the South Sound Military and Communities Partnership since 2016. Adamson is credited with spearheading efforts that led to a comprehensive study reflecting JBLM’s economic impact to the area and helping gain state funding for major projects to the Interstate-5 highway and JBLM corridors.
“Being inducted into the Lt. Gen. William Harrison Hall of Fame is an unexpected honor,” Adamson said. “I hope it serves to recognize not only me, but also the great relationships the partnership has built over the years.”
Mary Moss was nominated for her award by the 62nd Airlift Wing for whom she has been named Honorary Commander. Moss arrived at JBLM in 1975 as a military spouse and she soon became embedded in the community. She served McChord Field for 36 years with Harborstone Credit Union, retiring in 2013, and went on to serve in civil leadership roles including Lakewood city council member, Lakewood deputy mayor, and secretary for the Washington State Air and Space Forces Association. She is also the president of the nonprofit organization, the Lakewood Multicultural Coalition.
“I am honored to be listed among so many distinguished leaders that I have admired over the years,” Moss said after accepting her award. “I’m humbled because being recognized for doing something that you enjoy doing and giving back to the people who have helped you is rewarding to me. So, I am humbled to know that you recognize that, and you honor me in this way. I appreciate that.”
