believed, “Entertaining for our men and women of our
armed forces overseas has been one of the highlights of my
life.” The US Defense Department bestowed upon Wayne
its highest civilian award for being the only American
entertainer to perform in all of these places.
All of this - the wide appeal, the longevity, the patriotism,
and the selfless service - has made Wayne Newton a
favorite of his many fans. He is one of the most widely
acclaimed and honored entertainers in history. Wayne has
been the recipient of many prestigious awards, some of
which include, “The Secretary of the Navy Public Service
Award,” “The Air Force Scroll of Appreciation,” “Bob Hope
Award for Excellence in Entertainment” from the Medal of
Honor Society, “Medal for Distinguished Public Service,”
the “Jimmie E. Howard Award,” “The AMVET’s Silver Helmet
Award in the Americanism Category,” “The USO Spirit of
Hope Award,” “Founders Award of St. Jude’s Hospital,” the
“VFW Hall of Fame Award,” the “Humanitarian Award of
the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Research Center,”
“The LA Lupus Loop Award,” the “American Legion’s
Exceptional Citizen Award,” and many more. And, in 2008,
he will accept the “Woodrow Wilson Award for Public
Service” which is a part of the Smithsonian Institute.
Wayne is also an “Ellis Island Medal of Honor Recipient.”
The medal is presented to outstanding American citizens
who have distinguished themselves among their specific
ethnic group and are recognized for their significant
contribution to this country. In 1999 Wayne was also made
an “Honorary Green Beret” at an event April of 1999 at
Ft. Bragg as well as an honorary member of the Special
Forces. On October 5, 1999, at a ceremony in Washington
D.C., Wayne received the “AMERICAN LEGEND” award,
along with Senator John H. Glenn and the late Supreme
Court Justice William H. Rehnquist. This honor is given to
the few individuals who have, “in their endeavors made