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State veterans hall gets first inductees
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Seven Medal of Honor recipients were among 18 inaugural inductees at the first Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame ceremony on Nov. 22 in Columbus.
State Sen. Hunter Hill of Smyrna presented each inductee with an engraved medal, coin and other awards at the ceremony. Awards for deceased inductees were accepted by family members or friends.
“Georgia is one of the states with the highest numbers of veterans living within its borders,” said GMVHOF Director retired Army Col. Paul Longgrear, who along with GMVHOF Secretary retired Army Col. Rick White, was the driving force behind creation of the nonprofit GMVHOF. “This program enables us to reach across all branches of military service to honor Georgia’s veterans.”
White said the “rarest Georgia inductee” was George W. Leland from Savannah. Leland was a U.S. Navy gunner’s mate who was awarded the MOH for attempting to free the U.S.S. Lehigh, an ironclad that had run aground during the Civil War battle of Charleston Harbor.
Two other inductees, retired Air Force Col. Joe Madison Jackson and Marine Maj. Stephen Wesley Pless, both Newnan natives, were awarded the MOH for “selflessness, bravery and leadership” during aerial combat in Vietnam. A bust of Pless was donated to the GMVHOF by Winston Skinner of Newnan.
The other four MOH recipients inducted into the GMVHOF are Gen. Raymond Gilbert Davis, a Korean War Marine from Fitzgerald; Sgt. Rodney Davis, a Vietnam Marine from Macon, who was killed when he leaped on an exploding grenade to save his men; Maj. Henry Elrod, a Marine pilot from Ashburn, who was killed while leading a ground force on Wake Island in World War II after destroying an enemy warship and two planes before being shot down; and Hilliard Wilbanks, an Air Force captain from Cornelia who was killed in Vietnam while flying an unarmed airplane and firing his handgun to divert the enemy from an outnumbered Army Ranger unit.
Sgt. 1st Class Johnny Calhoun of Newnan was part of a secret Army Special Forces unit fighting behind enemy lines in Laos during the Vietnam War. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for sacrificing his life to save his team.
Two inductees who also are members of the Army Ranger Hall of Fame are decorated combat veterans of two wars. Retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett fought in Korea and Vietnam and received two Distinguished Service Crosses for his actions during those wars. Retired Army Master Sgt. Vincent Melillo, 95, is an original World War II Merrill’s Marauder. Each Marauder received the Presidential Unit Citation. He later fought with the 5th Regimental Combat Team in Korea.  
World War II sailor Wendall Leon Jones of Tifton was 16 years old when he enlisted in the Navy and 17 when he landed on the beach at Normandy on D-Day. He was wounded numerous times during the battle.
Retired Army Maj. Gen. David L. Grange and Army Col. Ben Purcell received multiple Silver Stars for heroism during the Vietnam War. Purcell, a Clarksville native, was a North Vietnamese prisoner of war for more than five years.
Retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army William Connelly of Monticello is the sixth of 14 soldiers to be named the highest-ranking enlisted person in the Army. He was inducted for his achievements and service to the nation during more than 30 years of active duty.
Army Capt. Tommy Clack from Decatur was medically retired after sacrificing two legs and an arm in Vietnam in 1969. He has spent more than 40 years aiding veterans and their families throughout the country.
The Honorable Pete Wheeler from Albany is an Army World War II veteran and retired brigadier general and has served more than 60 years as the director of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service.
The Honorable John Phillip Yates, a World War II Army captain from Griffin, flew more than 200 missions in Europe and was awarded six Air Medals and four Battle Stars. He has served 22 years in the state House of Representatives and is chairman of the Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Allan B. Imes of Griffin served three tours in Ranger and Special Forces units in Vietnam. For 17 years, he was in charge of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at Griffin High School.
For more information, go to www.GMVHOF.org, call 678-427-0915 or email rickwhite4750@gmail.com.

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Exchange Service salutes Vietnam vets with custom truck design
Army and Air Force Exchange Service redesigned logo 2011

To thank Vietnam veterans for their sacrifices, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is debuting a new truck design, part of the Department of Defense retailer’s efforts alongside the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to honor veterans during the 50th anniversary of the war.

“The Exchange is privileged to have the opportunity to recognize Vietnam veterans through our fleet,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era. “These trucks will serve as rolling billboards, expressing gratitude for all who served during this era.”

The truck design features the silhouette of a lone service member set against the background of a faded horizon with a call to “thank a Vietnam veteran for service to our nation.” The single military member represents the warfighters who served during this time.

Three trucks in the fleet feature the commemorative design and will deliver merchandise to Exchange stores from the organization’s distribution centers in the continental United States.

The West Coast Distribution Center at Sharpe Army Depot in California; Dan Daniel Distribution Center in Newport News, Va.; and the Waco Distribution Center in Texas will each have a truck in service on their standard delivery routes, serving the whole country.

Air Force veteran Pat Thompson served in Vietnam before coming to the Exchange as a truck driver and mechanic. In his 18 years with the Exchange, he has deployed four times to support the troops. The new design means a lot to him.

“They remember,” said Thompson, who is based at the Exchange’s Waco Distribution Center. “We want to be remembered.”

The trucks also highlight the veteran online shopping benefit, which launched in November. The lifelong online military exchange benefit authorizes all who served honorably to enjoy tax-free shopping and exclusive military pricing at ShopMyExchange.com.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration is a program administered by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The U.S. began commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary in 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day 2025.

The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize Vietnam veterans and their families for service, valor and sacrifice in conjunction with the commemoration.

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