In 2003, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) established the JBLM Hall of Fame, later dubbed the Lieutenant General Bill Harrison Service Award. This year, three more individuals will be inducted.

The JBLM Hall of Fame Lt. Gen. Bill Harrison Service Award was created to honor civilians who have had a significant impact on JBLM service members and families and on the surrounding community. This year's award goes to three civilians who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to supporting active duty service members, veterans, their family members and the communities they call home.

Mary Moss

Mary Moss has been part of the military since marrying Airmen Errol O. Moss while a young woman living in Virginia. Accompanying her husband to various duty stations around the country, Moss developed a deep appreciation for the military community. According to Moss, "I never forgot the support I received and vowed to give back to the military in any way possible." For the past two decades, Moss has served as the Honorary Commander for the 62nd Airlift Wing at JBLM.

In 2010, Mary Moss was named as the Deputy Mayor of the city of Lakewood. As Deputy Mayor, Moss created the Lakewood Multicultural Coalition, of which she is the current President and CEO. The coalition exists to celebrate and honor the diversity that characterizes both the city of Lakewood and the community of JBLM. "Being inducted into the JBLM Civilian Hall of Fame is an honor I never expected to receive," says Moss. "I do what I do to give back to the community members that supported me over the years."

John Simpson

Another honoree, retired Air Force Major John Simpson, served in the USAF from 1984-2005. Upon retiring, he worked as a photo journalist. As a journalist with The Ranger and Northwest Airlifter newspapers, he was embedded with the Stryker Brigade from JBLM for more than 150 missions in Iraq between 2005 and 2008, and in Afghanistan in 2007, 2009, and 2012, giving him more time embedded with combat brigades than any other photo journalist in the Pacific Northwest. His work during that time has been honored with a 2007 Emmy nomination in conjunction with KCPQ, the Fox news affiliate in Seattle, and with a permanent display in the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center at Carlisle Barracks. Since then, he has contributed hundreds of stories to The Ranger and Airlifter focusing on military members and their families, and he has dedicated countless hours to the South Sound Military and Communities Partnership (SSCMP), a local organization which exists to strengthen relationships between service members, families, and civilian communities. The newspaper's publisher, Ken Swarner was inducted into the hall of fame in 2013.

When asked how he feels about being an inductee, Major Simpson responded, "Humbled and honored. I am not sure I can say much more as I cannot make good sense of the tidal wave of emotions I feel in looking back over the past 30 plus years... I like to think that my work in covering JBLM speaks for itself.  It has always been my honor to serve with those who wear the cloth of this country."

Bill Adamson

Honoree retired Colonel Bill Adamson served as a soldier in the United States Army for thirty years, serving two assignments at JBLM, first as Captain with the Ninth Infantry Division from 1988 to 1991, and again as Major with the Second Infantry Division from 1998 to 2000. He retired in 2013, but like the other inductees into this Hall of Fame, Colonel Adamson has continued to tirelessly serve the military members, their families, and their communities. For the past eight years, he has served as the Program Director of the SSCMP, which, according to Colonel Adamson, "... focuses on the intersection of issues between local governments and the military community in a partnership of more than 50 member cities, counties, the Nisqually Indian Tribe, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, state, regional, corporate, and non-profit organizations dedicated to fostering outcomes that are mutually beneficial to the South Sound."

When asked how he feels about receiving the JBLM Hall of Fame Lieutenant General Bill Harrison Service Award, Colonel Adamson responded, "This is an unexpected honor, and I hope it serves to recognize not only me, but the great relationships we've built over the years across the South Sound. Through my work, it has become obvious that JBLM has become an interdependent economic component of the South Sound, intrinsically linked to the communities and commerce of the region. Recognition as a member of the JBLM Civilian Hall of Fame provides an opportunity to grow relationships further and assists in strategic messaging across the military-civilian community."

Adamson further stated, "I have served with SSMCP over the past six JBLM garrison commanders. The key to SSMCP's success is that it has built trusted relationships and maintained consistent strategic alliances. As active-duty military come and go over two to three year assignments at JBLM, it is the consistency of JBLM's civilian workforce and community leadership that maintains JBLM's 'mission readiness' while developing initiatives that improve military quality of life. This is one reason why the National Association of Defense Communities recognized the South Sound and JBLM as a Great American Defense Community."