Captain Allen Clark, US Army (retired) received the Ellen Hardin Walworth Medal for Patriotism.

Houston—Captain Allen Clark, US Army (retired), and past commander of the Dallas Chapter of the MOWW, received the Ellen Hardin Walworth Medal for Patriotism, a Daughters of the American Revolution Founders Medal, at the Texas DAR 126th State Conference in Houston on March 15.

Texas State Regent Susan Johnston presented the award during the National Defense Night ceremony at the State Conference. Jamie Durham Burchfield, Texas DAR Founders Medals Committee Chair, gave an introduction about his accomplishments. Capt. Clark, who lost both legs in combat in Vietnam, was nominated for the prestigious award by the Captain Molly Corbin Chapter in Grapevine, Texas, for his continued service to the nation, America’s veterans, and disabled persons. The award, which was established in 1995, recognizes citizens who have given unselfishly to the community, state, or nation.

Clark is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point and served as a captain in the U.S. Army Special Forces in Vietnam when he was wounded. He lost both of his legs to a mortar shell and was awarded the Purple Heart for his wounds and a Silver Star for his heroism, and the Combat Infantry Badge. His extensive public service has included being Special Assistant for Administration to Texas Governor William Clements, where he strengthened the scope and influence of the Governor’s Committee for Disabled Persons. He served in the George H. W. Bush Administration as Assistant Secretary for Veterans Liaison and program coordination at the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Since his retirement in 2005 as Public Affairs director for the VA, North Texas Health Care System in Dallas, Captain Clark has been involved in outreach efforts to help active-duty military personnel and veterans recover from traumas of combat and their adverse wartime experiences through his lay ministry, Combat Faith. He has also published two books about his experiences.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is a nonprofit, nonpolitical women’s service organization dedicated to preserving the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved American independence. It is an organization committed to historic preservation, education, and patriotism. The Texas Society DAR is made up of more than 200 chapters and 19,000 members who can trace their lineage to patriots who fought for or provided aid to the American colonists during the Revolutionary War.