Carlton Sherwood is a distinguished newspaper and TV investigative reporter and the recipient of journalism's highest honors in print and broadcast news, the Pulitzer Prize and George Foster Peabody Award. His other national awards include the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award, the Investigative Reporters and Editors Award, The National Headliner Award, the American Bar Assn. Silver Gavel, Women in Communications Clarion Award, the John Hancock Award, the International Film Critics Award and several Emmy Awards.
During a 35-year career Sherwood has authored dozens of investigative reports exposing political and corporate corruption, government sponsored child abuse, sex and drug scandals in the military, misuse of charitable funds by nonprofit organizations, institutional abuse of the handicapped, racial discrimination and religious bigotry and Church-sanctioned fraud.
Sherwood began his career in 1968, working as a reporter and editor for several Philadelphia-area newspapers. In 1978, he was assigned to the Washington, D.C., bureau of Gannett News Service. Several years later, he transitioned to broadcast news, working as an investigative reporter for CBS-TV affiliates in Boston and Washington and CNN's Special Assignment Unit. In 1986, he was the chief investigative reporter for The Washington Times.
His work earned him numerous commendations from national advocacy groups, including the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, the National Spina Bifida Assn. and the National Assn. for the Disabled and Handicapped.
A thrice-wounded, decorated, Marine Corps combat veteran, Sherwood served as a sniper-scout with the vaunted Second Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment -- "Magnificent Bastards" -- during some of the war's bloodiest fighting on Viet Nam's notorious DMZ in 1967. Following a four-year voluntary enlistment, he was honorably discharged in 1968.
Sherwood's journalistic efforts about veterans, particularly disabled veterans, resulted in the Blinded American Veterans Foundation creating their annual media award in his name. For the last two decades the BAVF has presented the Carlton Sherwood Media Award to a print and broadcast journalist for their work on behalf of veterans who suffer severe, life long-long disabilities. Several nationally syndicated and network TV journalists -- and the National Press Club itself -- are recipients of the BAVF's Carlton Sherwood Media Award.
Earlier this year, he was presented the 2004 Media Service Award from the National Military Order of the Purple Heart Assn. in ceremonies in Washington, D.C. His work on behalf of Pennsylvania veterans was recognized by the Governor and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs in 2002 with the Commonwealth’s highest civilian honor, the Pennsylvania Meritorious Medal.
In early 2003, Sherwood was named executive vice-president for the wvc3 Group, an antiterrorism, security firm in Reston, VA. Later that year he traveled to Iraq to conduct a theater-wide fact-finding mission and, upon his return, authored several reports on his experiences and findings.
Sherwood took an unpaid leave of absence from the wvc3 Group in June 2004 in order to establish Red, White & Blue Productions, Inc., an independent film company which produced "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal." The documentary received its initial funding entirely from Pennsylvania Veterans. Since the Stolen Honor website – www.stolenhonor.com -- was activated in late August, just prior to the debut of the film, additional funds have been received from individuals and entities nationwide. No political campaign, candidate or political party have been involved in any way in the financing or production of Stolen Honor.