The Major General Harold L. Gwatney Award for Military Service was established by the Board of Directors of the Arkansas National Guard Foundation in 2024 to honor those military veterans who demonstrate sustained superior service and support to the military community during their military career or following their separation from military service. Recipients have provided sustained or superior service that has made an enduring impact on the military community in Arkansas. The award is named for Major General Harold L. Gwatney!
Harold L. Gwatney enlisted in the Arkansas National Guard in 1948. By 1952, he had received a commission as a Second Lieutenant. He rose through the ranks commanding at every level from platoon to company to battalion. He was eventually promoted to Brigadier General commanding the 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate) (The Arkansas Brigade) from 1973 to 1978. In 1981, Governor Frank White appointed Gwatney as Adjutant General of the Arkansas National Guard resulting in his promotion to Major General. He was instrumental in helping establish the National Guard Professional Education and Training Center at Camp Joseph T. Robinson. He formally retired from the National Guard in 1989.
In addition to his many military accomplishments, Major General Gwatney served his community as an alderman on the North Little Rock City Council and was named North Little Rock Outstanding Man in 1956. In 1957, Gwatney established the business for which he would become famous. He was able to obtain a Chevrolet dealership franchise in Pulaski County and eventually expanded Harold Gwatney Chevrolet remained his flagship location in Jacksonville, AR while he expanded his dealerships into Memphis, Tennessee eventually owning a total of 6 dealerships across the 2 states. Major General Gwatney used his success in business to support his community and the Arkansas National Guard. Gwatney Chevrolet was a long-time corporate member of the National Guard Association of Arkansas and Major General Gwatney was a member of the Legion de Lafayette of the National Guard Education Foundation. The Gwatney family continues Major General Gwatney’s legacy of giving.
Criteria
The individual to be selected should have provided sustained or exceptional service that has made an enduring impact in support of military communities in Arkansas in a manner worthy of recognition at the state or national level. The Gwatney Award is intended for current or former miliary service members. Although a single deed or action may be considered as a qualification for this award if it is sufficient in magnitude and significance, weight should be given to sustained service.
Nomination and Selection Procedures
Any member of the Board of Directors, an elected officer of either the National Guard Association of Arkansas or the Enlisted Association of the Arkansas National Guard, or The Adjutant General may nominate an individual to receive this award. The Nomination Letter should contain a clear and detailed statement of the nature and magnitude of the nominee’s service to the military community in Arkansas. Nominations will be approved by the Foundation Board of Directors. The Gwatney Award is usually presented not more than once annually: Co-recipients may be named, however, if in the view of the Board of Directors, no individual has met the requirements of the award, no award will be given. An individual may not receive the award more than once in their lifetime.