Skip to main content

Veterans Hall of Fame Ceremony set for Nov. 7

The Highland County Press - Staff Photo - Create Article
The 2024 Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame class includes two Highland County inductees, Brad R. Wenstrup (bottom row, third from right) and Gerold W. Wilkin (bottom row, right photo). (Submitted graphic)
By
Ohio Department of Veterans Services, Press Release

The Ohio Department of Veterans Services (ODVS), the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Executive Committee and the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Foundation will honor the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 2024 during its annual Induction Ceremony Thursday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Ohio State University Fawcett Center, located at 2400 Olentangy River Rd., Columbus 43210.

The public is welcome to attend. The 20-person class will be honored with medals by ODVS Director Deborah Ashenhurst. Many other distinguished guests, including previously inducted Hall of Famers, will be present.

The complete list of 2024 Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Inductees follows (*Awarded posthumously):

Kent Anderson, Army, Greene County
Marshall P. Bahr, Army, Columbiana County
Guion S. Bluford Jr., Air Force, Cuyahoga County
Kenneth L. Bonnell, Army, Union County
Michael W. Carrell, Air Force, Fairfield County
Joseph Gary Fenderbosch, Army, Gallia County
Jason M. Graven, Army, Wood County
Billy M. Harris*, Marine Corps, Ashland County
Edward P. Horvath Jr., Army/Navy, Cuyahoga County
Richard D. Johnson, Air Force, Union County
A. Steve Klosowski, Army, Lake County
Mark E. Landers, Army, Montgomery County
David L. Levacy, Army, Fairfield County
Franklin D. LeValley, Air Force, Clark County
Anthony G. Massoud, Army, Montgomery County
Robert A. McDonald, Army, Hamilton County
J.P. Nauseef, Air Force, Montgomery County
Brad R. Wenstrup, Army, Hamilton County
JD Wetterling, Air Force, Warren County
Gerold W. Wilkin, Army, Highland County.

Bios for all 20 class members, additional information on the Hall of Fame and past inductees can be found at OhioVets.gov.

The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame was established in 1992 by former Gov. George Voinovich to recognize outstanding professional achievement, service to the community, and selfless acts of veterans following their military service. Charter members of the Hall’s Class of 1992 include the six Ohio military veterans who were elected President of the United States and all Medal of Honor recipients from Ohio. Honorees include astronauts, volunteers, community leaders, safety officers, veteran advocates, and government officials.

Members of the Class of 2024, who range in age from 39 to 84, span 14 Ohio counties and four branches of the United States Armed Forces – the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. This year’s class joins 974 Ohio veterans who have been inducted since inception and represent all eras, branches and walks of life.

This year's Induction Ceremony will be live-streamed by the Ohio Channel.

More information is available at OhioVets.gov, or you can contact our department at HallOfFame@dvs.ohio.gov.

Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.