| 2010 | Joe Fitzgerald | James R. & Carol Henderson | Homer H. Hickam, Jr. |
| 2009 | Michael D. Christian | SFC David R. Carney | Col. Leo Thorsness |
| 2008 | Beverly Walker | ~ | Joe Hooper (Posthumous) |
| 2007 | Barbara Kelly, Sally Smart & Nell Standridge (Friends of Delano Park) | Marine in Huntsville | Ret. Col. John D. Harrill, Jr. & Maj. John D. Harrill III |
| 2006 | Judge David Breland | ~ | Capt. William H. Hogan, Jr. |
| 2005 | John Caddell | ~ | National Guard Spc. Michael Acquaviva |
| 2004 | Tennessee Valley Authority | ~ | Pat Tillman |
| 2003 | Vonetta Flowers | ~ | Eight Former POW's in Iraq; 1st Battalion, 7th Calvary, US Army; Joe Galloway |
| 2002 | Michael Spann | Todd Beamer | New York City Police Dept.; Fire Dept. of New York City |
| 2001 | Christopher Bell | ~ | Ge. William P. Yarbrough & LST Crew |
| 2000 | Dean Jones | Feed the Children Foundation | Col. Ola C. Mize |
| 1999 | Mayor J. Gilmer Blackburn | Shannon Wright | Navajo Code Talkers |
| 1998 | George Lindsey | Gene Stallings | Master Sgt. Gary Ivan Gordon & Sgt. 1st Class Randall Shughart |
| 1997 | U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill | Dr. John Kirklin | Tuskegee Airmen |
| 1996 | Dr. Lloyd Nix | National Center for Missing & Exploited Children | Rhonda Cornum |
| 1995 | Barrett C. Shelton, Jr. | United Service Organization | Gerald McRaney |
| 1994 | Dr. George Hansberry | Dr. H.J. Heimlich | Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant |
| 1993 | Lynn Fowler | ~ | Maj. Gen. Richard Burleson |
| 1992 | Edna Earle Eich | ~ | J.R. Thompson |
| 1991 | Naomi H. Griffith | ~ | Sgt. Herbert Motes Davis |
| 1990 | Gov. Albert P. Brewer | ~ | Frank Reed |
| 1989 | Col. Jerry Sage | ~ | Educator Marva Collins |
| 1988 | Mayor Bill J. Dukes | ~ | Paul "Bear" Bryant |
| 1987 | Bobby Joe Smith | ~ | Vietnam POW Charles Plumb |
| 1986 | Jimmy Smith | ~ | Challenger Crew |
| 1985 | H. Maynard Layman | ~ | All Vietnam Veterans |
| 1984 | U.S. Rep. Ronnie Flippo | ~ | Adm. Donald Whitmire |
| 1983 | U.S. Sen. Howell Heflin | ~ | Col. Charles Scott |
| 1982 | Henry Eugene "Red" Ervin | ~ | Sen. Strom Thurmond |
| 1981 | Barrett C. Shelton, Sr. | ~ | Jeremiah Denton |
| 1980 | ~ | ~ | Gen. Alexander Haig |
| 1979 | ~ | ~ | Jesse Owens |
| 1978 | ~ | ~ | Sen. John Sparkman & Late Sen. James Allen |
| 1977 | ~ | ~ | Gen. Omar Bradley |
| 1976 | ~ | ~ | Rep. Bob Jones |
| 1975 | ~ | ~ | Barrett C. Shelton |
| 1974 | ~ | ~ | Astronaut John Young |
| 1973 | ~ | ~ | Gov. George C. Wallace |
| 1972 | ~ | ~ | Johnny Cash |
| 1971 | ~ | ~ | Family of Audie Murphy |
