News : Gualtier receives Iowa Legion Service Award for second time

John Gualtier of Vinton is the only person to receive the Iowa Legion's Likens Award twice.

John Gualtier of Vinton has received just about every award possible for a member of the Iowa American Legion to receive. He has been honored in Washington, D.C., and has received numerous awards from state and county officials.

The awards honor Gualtier for his years of volunteering, helping Iowa veterans to apply for benefits, as well as driving them to appointments at VA facilities. He currently has compiled 7,658 hours of volunteer service.

“I hope to get up to 8,000,” said Gualtier.

Now, Gualtier has received for the second time the Iowa Department’s Val Likens Service Officer Award. He is the only person to receive this award twice. The award honors someone who has spent many hours helping veterans and serving the Legion in other ways.

Legion members from Vinton helped surprise Gualtier when they drove him to a recent state meeting in Sioux City, where Iowa Legion Department Service Officer Richard Anderson presented Gualtier the award.