Former Soldier earns prestigious DePuy Award
Retired Col. James Pritzker
By George Whitley
U.S. Army Cadet Command
A former Soldier who continues giving back to America’s youth is the latest recipient of U. S. Army Cadet Command’s highest individual honor.
Retired Col. James Pritzker, founder and president of the Chicago-based Pritzker Military Library, Tawani Foundation and Tawani Enterprises, received the Gen. William DePuy Award early this month in his hometown.
Brig. Gen. Arnold Gordon-Bray, Cadet Command’s deputy commanding general, presented the award.
Pritzker expressed gratitude for the recognition.
“I owe a great deal to the staff and board of the Tawani Foundation and to the U.S. Army for providing me the opportunity to receive professional training, experience and development,” he said.
For almost three decades, Pritzker has been a leader in supporting opportunities for young people involved in both the junior and senior Army ROTC programs. He has provided awards through the Tawani Foundation, exposure for Cadets to professional and leadership opportunities through his Pritzker Military Library and made numerous donations to the JROTC programs in the Chicago area so Cadets could participate in such activities as summer camps and field trips.
The vision of the Tawani Foundation reflects his commitment to youth. The foundation exists to affect significant transformation of organizations and educational programs that enrich knowledge, preserve military heritage, improve health and wellness and conserve unique sites for enduring positive impact on individuals, communities and societies.
With an Army career that spanned 27 years, Pritzker served in many leadership roles both within the U.S. and in Europe. His awards included the Meritorious Service Medal and many other decorations and citations from both the active forces and the Illinois Army National Guard.
The DePuy Award was created in 2005 by Cadet Command, the parent organization of the Army ROTC program, to honor an individual who has provided significant support to the local or national Army ROTC program. It is named for the first commander of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, who was also an Army ROTC graduate and a strong supporter of the program.
“I am particularly honored that this award bears the name of General DuPuy,” Pritzker said. “He was an officer with one of the most distinguished records in the history of the U.S. Army for service in World War II, Vietnam and the Cold War.”
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