Honoring our veterans: Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame to induct 2020 and 2021 classes

0

BUCYRUS — The Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame will honor two classes during its annual induction ceremony.

Officials with the Hall of Fame said the classes of 2020 and 2021 will both be honored during ceremonies scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 11 at Bucyrus High School. Activities will begin at 7 p.m.

The keynote speaker for the evening will be Nathan Mealy, the deputy director and chief legal counsel for the Ohio Department of Veterans Services.

The class of 2020 features Ralph Allen Gearheart, Michael Wayne Jacobs, Dwight Eugene Leonhardt, Donald Jacob Scheerer, Ralph Emerson Schreck, Sr., and Michael Allen Teynor.

The class of 2021 features Ronald Wayne Burkhart, Augustus John Cullen, Dennis G. Christman, Kenneth Raymond Inscho, Ralph Emerson Schreck, Jr., and Richard E. Stearns.

Ronald Wayne Burkhart

Ronald Wayne Burkhart was born in Crawford County June 27, 1948. He attended U.S. Army Basic Training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He completed AIT at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was awarded the Basic Training Service Ribbon and Expert Marksmanship Badge for the M16A1 rifle. In 1969, Cpl. Burkhart was awarded Outstanding Soldier of Battery D 1st Battalion 136th Field Artillery Regiment. In 1972, Staff Sgt. Burkhart was selected Artilleryman of The Year for the 1st Battalion of the 136th Field Artillery Regiment. Staff Sgt. Burkhart was a unit recruiter for two years.

Burkhart is a member of the 37th Division Veterans Association and The Richard Kanable Chapter Of the 37th Division Association in Bucyrus. He is a member of Gideons International. He serves as a mentor and point of contact with Pioneer and Colonel Crawford High School. He serves on the Finance Committee and sings in the Bucyrus Methodist Church choir and the group United in Harmony. He is married to the former Marica Hoover, and they have three children and seven grandchildren

Augustus John Cullen

Augustus John Cullen was born July 12, 1915, in Columbia City, Indiana. He attended Bucyrus High School where he was a leader in student activities, honor student, and the recipient of the American Legion Merit award given to the outstanding senior. Cullen was a member of the Bucyrus Unit of the Ohio National Guard during three years of his high school career, graduating with the class of 1935. He received an appointment to and entered the United States Military Academy, at West Point, N.Y., in July 1936. He held the rank of corporal in the second and third year and was company captain in his fourth year. Upon his graduation from West Point with the commission of Second Lieutenant he entered the service of his country on June 11, 1940.

Cullen was captured by the Japanese on May 6, 1942, on Corregidor. He was confined as a prisoner of war at Cabanatuan and in December 1944 he and other fellow prisoners were taken aboard a ship to be moved to Japan. The first ship sank off the Philippines and survivors were taken back to the Philippines where they placed on a second ship which was torpedoed off Formosa. He and the survivors were taken to Camp Fukuoka, Japan. He contracted pneumonia and died on Feb. 9, 1945.

Dennis G. Christman

Dennis G. Christman was born April 28,1950. He was inducted into the U.S. Army on Sept. 16, 1969, in Columbus. Basic Training and AIT was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, with an Infantry MOS and assigned to Korea. He served with Company C 1st Battalion 9th Infantry 2nd Infantry Division for 13 months and 26 days. While in Korea he served as a radio/telephone operator at the DMZ for four months while on guard duty. He also attended Advanced Infantry School in Korea.

He received an Honorable Discharge April 19, 1971, at Fort Lewis, Washington. He received the Good Conduct Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and Expert M-16 Badge.

He is a life member of American Post 181 and a life member of Amvets Post 27 both in Bucyrus. He served as Commander of Post 181 for 3 years and was the first consecutive year Commander. He was a Trustee at Amvet 27, was parade director for the Memorial Day for many years, was an officer in Bucyrus Memorial Society, in charge of flags at Oakwood Cemetery.

Kenneth Raymond Inscho

Kenneth R.“Doc” Inscho was born April 15, 1918, in Bucyrus. He was a volunteer and member of the Ohio National Guard. His unit was sent to Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in October 1940. He served with the medical detachment of the 37th Division, 135th FA, Bn 43 and received his Honorable Discharge on Aug. 10, 1945, at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He was awarded Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon (2 Bronze Stars); American Defense Service Medal; Philippine Liberation Ribbon (1 Bronze Star); Good Conduct Ribbon; Purple Heart; Bronze Star Medal.

Following his discharge Inscho graduated from Andrews Barber College in Toledo, in December 1946. He owned and operated his own barber shop in Galion for 35 years. He was a 50-year member of D.A.V. Thorold Heinlen Chapter 100, life member of the 37th Division Richard Kanable Barracks, Galion American Legion, Bucyrus Masonic Lodge 139, and active volunteer with the Council on Aging. He was also in charge of the cemetery detail to decorate veterans’ graves in Oakwood Cemetery for many years. He passed away in 1996.

Ralph Emerson Schreck, Jr.

Ralph Emerson Schreck, Jr. was born in Galion, on July 18, 1921. On Sept. 2, 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was first sent to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, then to New Mexico, then to Homestead, Florida, air base where he became a tower operator. He applied and was accepted in the Cadet Program and was sent to Michigan State College where he was taught advanced mathematics and the sciences of aviation and navigation.

His training took him to Vernon, Texas, Enid Oklahoma, Altus Oklahoma, and B 24 first Pilot training in Liberal, Kansas. After training before being shipped overseas he and the crew were transferred to b-29 school at Rock well New Mexico. Upon completion of that training, they were ready to be shipped out when the war ended. Ralph remained in the service and was assigned to Air Technical Service Command, he was a tower operator in Monroe, Louisiana. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Second Lieutenant on Nov. 25, 1946. He continued his service in the Air Force Reserves at Mansfield Lahm Airport. He passed away in 1998.

Richard E. Stearns

Richard was born on April 23, 1936, in Bloomdale, Ohio. He joined the Air Force as the GI Bill was the path to a college education. During basic training tests were given to recruits which helped determine their career field. After training in tech school, he graduated as a military intelligence analyst and had a top-secret crypto security clearance.

The next 18 months were on overseas assignment. While at Clark Air Base in the Philippines he was named “airman of the month.” When traveling he always carried a radiation detector. Before returning to the states, he had been to 15 different countries on three continents. The last 18 months of his enlistment was spent at NSA Headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Upon discharge from the U.S.A.F. in 1963 he enrolled at Bowling Green State University and earned a degree in elementary education in 1967. He served as president of Gerlo Corporation from 1967-1989 and taught from 1968-1994. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati.

For information about the Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame, go to its website www.ccvhof.org.

Burkhart
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2021/11/web1_Ronald-Wayne-Burkhart.jpgBurkhart

Christman
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2021/11/web1_Dennis-George-Christman.jpgChristman

Cullen
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2021/11/web1_Captain-Agustus-John-Cullen.jpgCullen

Inscho
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2021/11/web1_Kenneth-Raymond-Inscho.jpgInscho

Schreck
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2021/11/web1_Ralph-Emerson-Schreck-jr.jpgSchreck

Stearns
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2021/11/web1_Richard-E-Stearns.jpgStearns

https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2021/11/web1_CRAWFORD-COUNTY-VETERANS-HOF-LOGO.jpg
Hall of Fame ceremony set for Nov. 11

Staff Report

[email protected]

Information submitted by the Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame.

No posts to display