Newest Dickson honoree thanks the CCs

Victoria Conkel Turney is uncharacteristically speechless after earning the 2019 Donald L. Dickson award in Atlanta during the 2019 COMMSTRAT Training & Leadership Development Summit
in August.

For those who were not able to make it to the 2019 COMMSTRAT Training & Leadership Development Summit in Atlanta last month, Victoria Conkel Turney was awarded the USMCCCA’s prestigious Donald L. Dickson award at the annual awards banquet. Below are the words she’d like to share:

Victoria Conkel Turney

Dear fellow CC warriors,

Please allow me this opportunity to say a special heartfelt thank you for honoring me with the Donald L. Dickson Memorial award at this year’s CC Conference.

Yes, I was surprised and speechless which is a rarity – good job in keeping it a secret – but looking back I wish I would have conveyed to the active duty Marines in attendance what it meant for me to be a member of the CCs and establish my near 40 year bond of like-minded Marines.

Having a lifetime membership with this group has never been a regret – everyone joined – just something we did – a valuable networking opportunity to learn and share in fellowship with others from many eras of public affairs Marines. I have made longtime friends because of the CCs and some who I never even served with – that is something other MOSs cannot claim.

I agree with this year’s Guest of Honor Col. Mary H Reinwald when she commented on this organization. We indeed have a gold mine in this organization and ARE so fortunate to have members past and present who believe in our task of telling the story in whatever format as well as providing the support to “get it done.”

Thanks for the memories and I am sure there will be more.

Semper Fi,
Victoria