Department of Veterans Services Class of 2001

On Thursday November 8, 2001 at Veterans Memorial in Columbus, Ohio, 20 members of the Class of 2001 were inducted into the Hall of Fame by Governor Bob Taft and Ronald D. Edwards, director of the Governor's Office of Veterans' Affairs (co-sponsor for the Hall of Fame)..   The Enshrinement Ceremony was on Wednesday, May 22, 2002 at the Ohio Veterans Home. Raymond J. Albert Fairfield County U.S. Navy- WWII & Korea Presented the Patriot’s Award by the 150 surviving members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for research in locating and honoring 18 CMOH grave sitesvOne of the founding members of Syntaxis, a series of group homes tending to the needs of neglected and dependent teensvRecipient of the Governor’s Award for outstanding community action in helping ex-offenders to a useful and productive lifevMember of the Medal of Honor Historical SocietyvPast member of the Franklin County Mental Health and Retardation BoardvFellow of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States and past board membervFirst non-physician president in the 100-year history of the Ohio State Medical Board and current member for 14 years.vMember of the Knights of Columbus, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Sons of Union Veteransv Merle F. Brady Van Wert County U.S. Army Air Corps- WWII Past state commander of the American Legion and two terms on the National Executive CommitteevStaff and trustee of Buckeye Boys StatevPresident of the Van Wert County Veterans Service Commission since 1977vPast state president of the Ohio State Association of Veterans Service CommissionersvPast president of the Van Wert City CouncilvPast chairman of the board of Van Wert National BankvMember of the Van Wert Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, Elks and the Centurion ClubvPast president of the Van Wert County Associated Charities, Inc.v   Roeliff Brinkerhoff Richland County U.S. Army- Civil War Lawyer and editor of the Mansfield Weekly Herald prior to the war; banker and philanthropist after the warvOrganizer of the Richland County Historical Societyv Founder of the Mansfield Savings BankvFounder of Mansfield YMCAvFounder of the Mansfield Library and Mansfield Memorial MuseumvMember of the Ohio Board of Charities and Corrections for 30 yearsvAuthor of The Volunteer QuartermastervFirst president of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society, later shortened to the Ohio Historical SocietyvCharter member of the Ohio Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and Ohio Society of the War of 1812v Florence Fawley Franklin County U.S. Marine Corps- WWII WWII poster and magazine cover girl for the U.S. Marine Corps Womens ReservevProfessional model for magazines and advertisementsvMember of the Women’s Marine AssociationvCoordinator of the American Women’s Club while living in Ankara, TurkeyvVolunteer with the Cub Scouts, and the Heart Fund Bowling TournamentvVolunteer coach for the Buckeye Girls Track ClubvAwarded the Sertoma Service to Mankind Award in 1977vMember of the American Legionv Almond Fisher Lake County U.S. Army - WWII U.S. Army Reserve Congressional Medal of Honor recipient for heroic actions near Grammount, France on Sept. 14, 1944v Recipient of the French Croix de Guerre and the Purple Heart for wounds received on Sept. 14, 1044vLake County Veterans Service Officer for nearly 13 yearsvServed on the board of the Lake County Red Crossv Received Outstanding Man of the Year in Buffalo, N.Y.v Past member of the Concord Township Zoning CommissionvReceived the Citizens of Concord Township Community Days Citizen of the Year awardvReceived the Lake County Humanitarian Awardv   Michael J. Foreman Franklin and Medina Counties U.S. Navy NASA Astronaut Received Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from U.S. Naval AcademyvEarned Master of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate SchoolvMember of the Society of Experimental Test PilotsvMember of the Association of Naval AviationvMember of the United States Naval Academy Alumni AssociationvSelected in 1998 as a member of NASA’s 17th group of astronautsvLogged more than 3,000 hours in more than 50 aircraftv Mary O. Glover Licking County U.S. Women's Army Corps - WWII Member and past chaplain of the Women’s Army Corps Veterans’ Association Chapter 3vLife member of American Legion Post 85 and the AMVETS Post 345vCompleted medical and surgical technician training and provided medical care to returning POWs and wounded soldiersvPTA president for Kettering Intermediate SchoolvVolunteer for the Newark City Schools Mentoring ProgramvVolunteer with the Salvation Army Soup KitchenvAccomplished public speaker mainly talking on a woman’s role in the United States ArmyvProvides humor for ill children and adults as "Poppy" the clownv William G. Keller Cuyahoga County U.S. Army- Spanish-American War Congressional Medal of Honor recipient for his gallant actions during the advance on the city of Santiagov During the engagement, 20-year-old Private First Class Keller aided in the rescue of wounded men under fire on San Juan Hill, carrying them a mile to the aid stationvHe was the first Clevelander to receive this medal and was promoted to the rank of majorvFormer commander of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post and also an aide-de-camp to the national VFW commandervEmployee of the Ohio Bell Telephone Company for 28 years, retiring in 1941v Simon Kenton Logan and Champaign Counties U.S. Army Northwest territory explorer and settler who helped open up the Ohio region and Northwest territoryvAppointed brigadier general of the Ohio militiavSaved Daniel Boone’s life twice during separate battles at Boonesboro, KentuckyvAdopted by the Shawnee Nation and known as ‘The Great White Wolf’vState Route 68 renamed the ‘Simon Kenton Memorial Highway’ in Ohio and Kentuckyv Walter H. Kyle Franklin County U.S. Army Air Corps- WWII U.S. Air Force - Korea Tuskegee AirmanvPast president of the Central Ohio Tuskegee Airmen AssociationvPast board chairman of the Public Employees Retirement SystemvFirst African-American president of OCSEAv Volunteer with United Way, Central Ohio Food Bank, Operation Feed and the Holiday Basket programv Norman H. Lambert Franklin County U.S. Marine Corps - Korea U.S. Army - Vietnam Teacher at the United States Military Academy at West PointvSocial Studies Department head at Grove City High SchoolvIntroduced the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans programvSelected as Ohio Assistant Principal of the Year in 1993vVolunteer with the Grove City Special OlympicsvEncouraged students to take the Ohio University history test, the American Legion’s Americanism test and the Bowling Green philosophy examinationvMember of the American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart and the First Marine Division AssociationvHistorian for the Ohio Chapter of Tuskegee AirmenvInducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens’ Hall of Famev John H. McConnell Delaware County U.S. Navy - WWII Founder and chairman emeritus of Worthington IndustriesvCreated the McConnell Heart and Health Center at Riverside Hospital in ColumbusvMajority owner of the Columbus Blue Jackets franchise of the National Hockey LeaguevHelped reinstitute the Veterans Day parade in Columbus, OhiovAssisted with the creation of the Columbus Zoo’s gorilla habitatvHonorary chair for Junior Achievement Exchange City of Central Ohio’s Capital CampaignvRecipient of the Financial World Magazine Outstanding CEO of the Year awardvRecipient of the National Football Foundation Gold Medal Awardv Donald E. Nielsen Summiit County U.S. Air Force U.S. Coast Guard - Vietnam Chairman of the Ohio Veterans Memorial Plaza CommitteevMember of the Veterans Bicentennial CommitteevPresident of the Ohio Council of Chapters Retired Officers AssociationvChair of the Veterans Advisory Committee to the Ohio Western Reserve National CemeteryvPast president of the Maplewood Teachers AssociationvPast regional adviser to the northeast Ohio Vocational Industrial Clubs of Americav   Joel Parsons Franklin County U.S. Army- Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor recipientv Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 4th West Virginia Infantry. Place and date: At Vicksburg, Miss., May 22, 1863. Entered service at Mason City, W. Va. Date of issue: August 16, 1894. Citation: Gallantry in the charge of the ‘volunteer storming party.’v William H. Pitsenbarger Miami County U.S. Air Force- Vietnam Congressional Medal of Honor recipientvDistinguished himself by extreme valor on 11 April 1966 near Cam My, Republic of Vietnam, while assigned as a Pararescue Crew Member, Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. On that date, Pitsenbarger was aboard a rescue helicopter responding to a call for evacuation of casualties incurred in an ongoing firefight between elements of the United States Army’s 1st Infantry Division and a sizeable enemy force approximately 35 miles east of Saigon. Pitsenbarger volunteered to ride a hoist more than 100 feet through the jungle, to the ground. On the ground, he organized and coordinated rescue efforts, cared for the wounded, prepared casualties for evacuation, and ensured the recovery operation continued in a smooth and orderly fashion. Through his personal efforts, the evacuation of the wounded was greatly expedited. As each of the nine casualties evacuated that day was recovered, he refused evacuation in order to get more wounded soldiers to safety. After several pick-ups, one of the two rescue helicopters involved in the evacuation was struck by heavy enemy ground fire and was forced to leave the scene for an emergency landing. Pitsenbarger stayed behind on the ground to perform medical duties. Shortly thereafter, the area came under sniper and mortar fire. He perished while saving the lives of woundedv Charles Schorn Meigs County U.S. Army - Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor recipientv Rank and organization: Chief Bugler, Company M, 1st West Virginia Cavalry. Place and date: At Appomattox, Va., 8 April 1865. Entered service at: Mason City, W. Va. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 3 May 1865. Citation: Capture of flag of the Sumter Flying Artillery (C.S.A.)v Kathryn D. Sullivan Franklin County U.S. Naval Reserve NASA Astronaut First American woman to walk in spacevAppointed by President Reagan to the National Commission on SpacevAppointed by President Clinton as Chief Scientist of National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationvElected as fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science and American Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsvMember of the Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institute CorporationvMember of the Society of Woman GeographersvReceived the Ten Outstanding Young People of the World Award from Jaycees InternationalvReceived the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation’s Lone Sailor awardv Lance A. Talmage, Sr. Lucas County U.S. Army U.S. Army Reserve Ohio Army National Guard Medical director of the Center for Women’s Health at the Toledo HospitalvPast president of the Ohio State Medical AssociationvPast delegate to the Organized Medical Staff Section of the American Medical AssociationvCurrent delegate to the American Medical AssociationvMember of the Ohio State Medical BoardvMember of the Reserve Officers Association, American Legion, National Guard Association of the United States and KiwanisvGarde Nationale Trophy 1998vBoard member for the Lucas County Domestic Violence Task ForcevPast president of the University of Toledo Alumni Associationv Past vice-president of the American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsvM.R. Waite High School Hall of FamevRetired brigadier generalv Sunita L. Williams Cuyahoga County U.S. Navy NASA Astronaut Member of the Society of Experimental Test PilotsvMember of the Society of Flight Test EngineersvMember of the American Helicopter AssociationvGraduate of the United States Naval Academyv Logged more than 2,300 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraftv Frank J. Yankovic Cuyahoga County U.S. Army - WWII America’s Polka KingvInternational performing artistvHost of the ‘Yankovic Hour’ on Cleveland television in 1948vInducted into the International Polka Association Polka Hall of FamevMember of the Musicians UnionvWon a Grammy for ‘70 Years of Hits’vNamed Musician of the Century by Europe America United in March 2000vAt the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in February 1999, his recording of the million selling, ‘Just Because’ was honored as the greatest recording of all time in the Polka field of musicv