Illinois Army National Guard Commander Honors Captain Walter Dyett Award Recipient

The life and legacy of Illinois Army National Guard Capt. Walter H. Dyett was celebrated March 2 at the Walter H. Dyett High School for the Fine Arts with the presentation of the 2026 Capt. Walter H. Dyett Award.

Dyett High School student Aaron Benjamin was honored as the 2026 recipient of the Captain Walter H. Dyett Award for best emulating the characteristics of Captain Walter H. Dyett, including discipline, dedication, hard work and creativity. The award is co-sponsored by the 8^th Infantry Regiment Illinois National Guard Association and the National Guard Association of Illinois. Benjamin also received a monetary award from the 8^th Infantry Regiment Association.

Dyett led the Illinois National Guard's 8^th Infantry Regiment Band, part of the famous all African-American "Fighting" 8^th Infantry Regiment. For more than three decades, Dyett taught music in Chicago Public Schools, first at Wendell Phillips High School and later at DuSable High School. From 1935 to 1962, he instructed more than 20,000 students in classical, military and jazz music and mentored many of our nation's jazz greats, including Nat King Cole, Dorothy Donegan, Joseph Jarman, Dinah Washington, Johnny Griffin, Mwata Bowden and several others.

Brig. Gen. Lenny Williams, Assistant Adjutant General - Army and Commander of the Illinois Army National Guard, represented Maj. Gen. Rodney Boyd, the Adjutant General of Illinois, and spoke on behalf of more than 13,000 Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen.

"Students in this room are our future leaders," Williams said. "Captain Dyett's motto was, 'You are what you think you are.' If you think you are a leader, you are a leader."

Dyett fostered the growth of jazz and musicians in Chicago, leading ensembles such as the Pickford Orchestra, the Washington Park summer concerts, the DuSable-ites and the "Hi-Jinks." Williams highlighted Dyett's broader influence beyond music.

"More than music, he taught life skills - mental toughness, self-respect and discipline," Williams said. "He inspired thousands to make this community and this nation better."

Williams also spoke about the historic legacy of the "Fighting Eighth," the all-Black 8th Infantry Regiment that mobilized for the Spanish-American War and later served with distinction in World War I and World War II. Today, that lineage continues through the Illinois Army National Guard's 178th Infantry Regiment headquartered at the General Jones Armory near Washington Park, where Dyett and his students once performed summer concerts.

Illinois National Guard veterans formed the Illinois National Guard 8th Infantry Association to preserve the legacy of the regiment. Retired Maj. Ronald Murdock, president of the association, attended along with fellow members.

William Brandon McClellan, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, lifelong educator and contemporary of Dyett, shared personal reflections with students.

"If it wasn't for Cap, there wouldn't be me," McClellan said. "There are only two ways to play music - right and perfect. Perfect is an absolute, but we can work toward it."

McClellan encouraged students to continue pursuing excellence in music and leadership.

Zaveola Coleman, chairperson of the 8th Infantry Association Scholarship Committee, reminded students of Dyett's philosophy.

"If you think you can, you can," Coleman said. "If you want to be the best, you have to will yourself to do it."

The ceremony featured musical selections performed jointly by the Dyett High School Band and the Illinois Army National Guard's 144th Army Band.

Williams reaffirmed the Illinois National Guard's enduring commitment to the South Side of Chicago and the preservation of the historic General Jones Armory. "Captain Dyett's impact on this school, this community and our military will never be forgotten," Williams said. "His legacy lives on in each of you."