Wounded Warrior Project Mourns Loss of Board Director
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (April 10, 2015) – Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is mourning the loss of WWP board of directors member, Rear Admiral Kevin F. Delaney (ret.), who passed away on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 after a valiant battle with cancer.
“Wounded Warrior Project is deeply saddened by the loss of Admiral Delaney, a great mentor, leader, and friend,” said Steve Nardizzi, WWP chief executive officer. “Admiral Delaney lived his life working diligently to serve others – especially veterans and their families. He truly embodied our mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors, and he will be forever in our thoughts as we strive toward our vision of fostering the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation's history.”
Admiral Delany flew 686 combat missions as a U.S. Navy helicopter gunship pilot with the famed Navy Seawolves and was a Vietnam veteran. Over his 34-year Navy career, Admiral Delaney received 98 military awards and decorations (64 for combat action), including the Silver Star Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, 11 Single Action Air Medals, 26 Strike/Flight Air Medals, six Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Crosses, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and four awards of the Legion of Merit.
Admiral Delany’s six command tours included two award-winning aviation squadrons, an aircraft wing, and Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville. Under his command, Naval Air Station Jacksonville was selected from 178 Navy bases worldwide for the 1991 Commander-in-Chief’s Installation Excellence Award as the Navy’s best shore installation. Admiral Delaney also served as commander of Naval Shore Activities for the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Just prior to retirement, he served as the Navy’s regional commander for the Southeastern United States and the Caribbean. In this assignment, he was responsible for more than 40 commands, including 14 major Naval installations and four hospitals. He retired from the Navy in 1998.
Following his retirement, Admiral Delaney spent three years as a senior executive in the automotive and health care sectors before founding Delaney & Associates in 2001. He also spoke nationally on various leadership, management, total quality, and process improvement subjects. Looking for an opportunity to continue his service following his extensive military career, Admiral Delaney joined the WWP board of directors in 2007. In addition to his work with WWP, he worked with numerous nonprofit organizations as a board member and volunteer. He served on the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce board of directors for three terms and was the 2005 Chairman of the Jacksonville Beaches Chamber of Commerce.
About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.