Several Guard members among 2017 inductees
into Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor
Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann,
Ohio Army National Guard Historian
COLUMBUS, Ohio (05/05/17) — Each year the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor honors select Ohio veterans for their heroic actions in the service of their country. A ceremony was held May 5 in the Atrium of the Ohio Statehouse to recognize them for their valorous service. The Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor honors active service members, veterans and deceased veterans who have been decorated for heroism while in combat situations. Inductees must have been born in Ohio or entered military service from Ohio. There were 27 inductees in the class of 2017, including several current or former Ohio National Guard members, bringing the hall’s membership to more than 300 since the initial class in 2000. |
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Retired Master Sgt. Sean Clifton
Retired Master Sgt. Sean Clifton (center), formerly of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, is inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor.
Clifton was awarded the Bronze Star for valor during a 2009 deployment to Afghanistan.
Retired Col. Chip Tansill (left), director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, awards Clifton with a medal signifying his induction while Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor looks on. |
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Col. Vernon Hydaker
Marolyn Ray (center) receives the medal signifying the induction of her uncle, Col. Vernon Hydaker, into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor.
Hydaker was the commander of the 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division, when he was awarded the Silver Star on July 19, 1943, at New Georgia, Solomon Islands.
Shown with Ray is retired Col. Chip Tansill (left), director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, who presented the medal. |
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Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew S. Maxwell
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew S. Maxwell (center), a member of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, is inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor.
Maxwell, then a staff sergeant, was awarded the Bronze Star for valor during a 2009 deployment to Afghanistan.
Retired Col. Chip Tansill (left), director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, awards Maxwell with a medal signifying his induction while Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor looks on. |
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Master Sgt. Dustin Meyer
Master Sgt. Dustin Meyer (center), formerly a member of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, is inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor.
Meyer, then a sergeant first class, was awarded the Bronze Star for valor during a 2009 deployment to Afghanistan.
Retired Col. Chip Tansill (left), director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, awards Meyer with a medal signifying his induction while Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor looks on. |
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Master Sgt. Matthew R. Sheaffer
Retired Col. Chip Tansill (left), director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, awards Master Sgt. Matthew R. Sheaffer with a medal signifying his induction into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor.
Sheaffer, a member of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, was awarded the Bronze Star for valor during a 2009 deployment to Afghanistan. |
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Sgt. 1st Class Paul A. Smithislerr
Tom Smithisler (center) receives the medal signifying the induction of his grandfather, Sgt. 1st Class Paul A. Smithisler, into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor.
Smithisler was a member of the 112th Engineer Regiment, 37th Division, during World War I and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross near Heuvel, Belgium on Nov. 2, 1918.
Shown with Smithisler is retired Col. Chip Tansill (left), director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, who presented the medal. |
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