Actor Wilmer Valderrama (middle) and eight military service members on the USO’s red carpet during this year’s USO Gala at The Anthem in Washington, May 29, 2025. (USO)
WASHINGTON — The USO’s red carpet rolled out to honor eight military service members for their heroic and selfless actions during this year’s USO Gala at The Anthem in Washington on Thursday.
“I am honored and blessed to be here,” Lance Cpl. Justin Marty, the USO’s Marine of the Year, told Stars and Stripes on the red carpet. “The Marine Corps has made a lasting impression on me that you should help everybody regardless who they are. If someone is in a situation of need, you should put yourself in a position to help.”
Marty, a native of Washoe, Nev., rescued two Marines trapped in a burning vehicle that veered off the road in Camp Pendleton, Calif., — his current duty station. He extracted the injured Marines from the crash and assisted in providing them with critical care which resulted in saving their lives.
Marty, along with seven others, were awarded by the USO in front of senior military and government leaders, members of Congress and distinguished guests for their acts of bravery in saving fellow service members and civilians in life-threatening situations.
“I hope that every other Marine currently, and in the future, will do the exact same things that I did,” said Marty.
Each year, service members are nominated by command leadership from each military branch and selections are made by a USO committee to determine the service members of the year.
“The [military] services said to us this is the best that we’ve got ... , “ said J.D. Crouch, USO’s CEO and President. “They [the service members of the year] are a symbol of the best about our country.”
Along with the service members of the year, the USO also recognized those who have made significant contributions to the USO and its mission.
“I hope people will see the importance of service to the nation,” said J.D. Crouch, USO’s CEO and President. “You can serve in uniform, or you can serve those at home.”
Actor and producer Wilmer Valderrama, who has been a USO Global Ambassador for almost 20 years, was presented with the USO Merit Award. The award is given to a respected public figure who uses their platform and influence to raise awareness and serve military communities.
“I’ve loved my partnership with the USO, and being a global ambassador has been the greatest joy in my career,” Valderrama told Stars and Stripes. “The award I’m receiving is definitely an honor of my lifetime, but I’m really here for the service members, and to hear their stories be told.”
Chef and TV personality Carla Hall, stylist and TV personality Monte Durham, former Washington Nationals player Ryan Zimmerman and this year’s Miss America Abbie Stockard — whose grandfather was a flight surgeon in World War II — were also special guests at the gala.
“I’ve seen firsthand the sacrifices that these service members are making, and the hardships that they have to face. I’m truly inspired by them,” said Stockard.
The other USO service members of the year are:
National Guard Specialists Brandon Moore and Ethan Ward: Moore and Ward rescued six civilians who were swept down a river in a flash flooding after their vehicle tipped over while conducting disaster response during Hurricane Helene in Erwin, Tenn., Sept. 2024. They attracted the attention of first responders and coordinated a helicopter rescue using hand and arm signals.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Pearce Decker: Decker rescued a teammate who was ejected into the ocean at night during rough seas. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the Navy’s highest non-combat decoration for heroism.
Army Sgt. First Class Ross Robertson: Robertson rescued two wounded service members during a mission in Iraq. Medical personnel assessed that had it not been for Robertson’s quick actions and bravery in the face of deadly enemy force, one or both wounded men would not have survived.
Coast Guard Boatswain Mate 3rd Class Logan Boyd: Boyd was part of a Coast Guard crew responding to a report of a drowning victim when he saw a parent holding a lifeless infant on the shore. He performed CPR and successfully resuscitated the infant who was then transferred to emergency medical personnel.
Air Force Senior Airman Anthony Palacios: Palacios was responsible for identifying and helping a service member with suicidal thoughts. The service member is now a suicide prevention advocate and uses his conversations with Palacios as examples in his trainings. While deployed to Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Palacios volunteered for the base’s USO center and led a team to establish a new USO location at a U.S. Army Patriot missile site. He was named a USO Volunteer of the Month.
Space Force Technical Sergeant Isabel Childress: Childress encountered two life-threating situations. On the first occasion, Childress witnessed a three-car accident and assumed the role of first responder. On the second occasion, Childress took control of a situation involving a high-ranking foreign military member having a medical crisis in a vehicle.
