Five veterans with local ties to be honored by Ohio Military Hall of Fame – WHIO TV 7 and

On Apr 22, 2022

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Military Hall of Fame is preparing to honor 17 veterans, recognizing them for their heroism in combat.

Ted Mosure, co-founder and Board of Directors president of the Ohio Military Hall of Fame, said their mission is to recognize veterans who were either born in Ohio or entered the service from Ohio, and were awarded a medal for valor in combat.

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This year’s class includes five veterans with local ties:

Sgt. Arthur Kemp, 98, of Logan County: Kemp entered the service from Bellefontaine and served as a B-17 tail gunner during WWII. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism during a combat mission over Germany in July 1944.
Private First Class Robert May, 72, of De Graff: May, a Bellefontaine native, entered the Army from Logan County. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor in Combat for his personal bravery during a recon mission in Vietnam in December 1969.
Specialist Four Franklin Moore, of the Columbus-area: Moore was born in Bellefontaine and served in the Army during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor in Combat for his exceptional heroism in Vietnam in January 1969.
Private First Class Herbert Bechtel: He entered the Army from Bellefontaine. Bechtel was killed in action in the Vietnam War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously.
Sgt. Randall Erwin: He served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his heroism. Erwin was a long-time Logan County resident and lived there when he died last year.

All five men will be recognized at the ceremony, which will be held at the Statehouse in Columbus on Friday.

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Mouse, a Navy and Vietnam veteran, told News Center 7′s John Bedell that he feels privileged to play a role in honoring American heroes from Ohio.

“You get to have a feel, a flavor of some of the experiences that these folks went through and its very humbling, and we love doing it,” he said.