2026 VETERAN OF THE YEAR
Thomas Jerome “Tom” Schwarz, U.S. Navy, Vietnam Veteran
Thomas Jerome “Tom” Schwarz, U.S. Navy, Vietnam Veteran
2026 Veteran of the Year
- Tom Schwarz enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1971, serving aboard the USS Orleck (DD‑886) during operations at Yankee Station and the DMZ. After his Honorable Discharge in 1972, he dedicated more than 25 years to veteran advocacy through Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 701 and the South Alabama Veterans Council, where he has served as Treasurer since 1998 and President from 2004–2006.
- His service includes hosting Flag Day ceremonies, co‑chairing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall display, managing the Lower Alabama Vietnam Veterans Memorial project, and placing 1,900 flags in Mobile County schools as SAVC Flag Chairman.
- Tom’s honors include the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Public Service Award, ASC Verbon Evans Selfless Servant Awards, ASC Hooper Awards, the VVA Alabama State Council Veteran of the Year Award, and a Quilt of Valor.
- Married to Dale Young since 1979, Tom’s life of service continued even after a life‑changing injury, defined by resilience and unwavering commitment to Alabama’s veterans. They share one daughter, Rachel, and two grandchildren, Ari and Reed.
2026 PATRIOT OF THE YEAR
Rear Admiral W. Kent Davis, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Rear Admiral Kent Davis is a career Navy officer, attorney, and public servant with more than 30 years of military service, retiring in 2016 as the Navy’s Vice Chief of Information. His career included assignments aboard the USS Missouri and USS Abraham Lincoln, multiple tours in Navy public affairs, and service with U.S. Central Command, Joint Forces Command, Sixth Fleet, and the Pentagon. He also served as a U.S. Army Major and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
After retiring, Davis led the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs and held senior roles with Air University, the City of Anniston, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He now serves as CEO of Vets Recover in Mobile, supporting veterans and military families.
Davis is active in numerous civic and veterans organizations, including Rotary, the River Region Veterans Coalition, South Alabama Veterans Council, VFW, DAV, Marine Corps League, Navy League, MOAA, and the Mobile Bar Association.
A Montgomery native, Davis holds degrees from LSU and Georgia State University. He and his wife Lisa, a retired Navy veteran, have been married 37 years and have two adult children.
