VETERANS

VETERANS
Pearl Harbor Day
CANFIELD -- American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 44's annual Pearl Harbor Day observance will be Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. at the Mahoning Veterans Memorial at the Canfield Fairgrounds. The guest speaker is retired Navy Lt. Commander Russell Brockway. Lunch will be provided, and nonperishable food for the Veterans Affairs Food Pantry will be collected.
Event for blinded veterans
Several area residents were among 127 legally blind veterans who participated in the 2003 annual Training, Exposure, Experience (TEE) Tournament for Blinded Veterans in Iowa City, Iowa. Conducted by the Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Iowa City, the event, co-sponsored by the Blinded Veterans Association and the VA, gives blinded veterans at all levels of sight impairment opportunities to travel and take part in leisure activities such as golf and bowling.
Area residents included: Irvin Fine, 81, of Youngstown, Marine Corps; Burton Thorpe, 77, of Cortland, Navy; Barbara Anzelmo, 60, of Girard, Army; Sidney Harris, 77, of Youngstown, Navy; John Bresko, 83, of Youngstown, Army.
RETIRING
Cryptology technician
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class James D. McCormick, a cryptology technician, is retiring effective Dec. 31 after 20 years of military service.
McCormick, a 1980 graduate of Campbell Memorial High School, served at several duty stations in the United States and overseas, including the Indian Ocean and with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, where he was personally responsible for transmitting the message that notified the commander-In-chief, the National Security Council, the secretary of defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the terrorist bombing of the USS Cole.
He served aboard several ships, including the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Saipan. His last assignment is in the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C., where he was assigned to the National Joint Military Intelligence Center as the team noncommissioner officer in charge. During his career, he received numerous decorations.
McCormick is the son of Margaret McCormick and brother of Shawn McCormick, both of Campbell. He has a son, Brandon McCormick of New Castle, Pa.
BASIC GRADS
Navy: Airman Apprentice Michael S. Kovacich (Howland High School, '03), son of Kim and Mike Kovacich of Howland.
ADVANCED TRAINING
Air War College program
Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Glen K. Richardson graduated from the Air War College's Non-resident Studies Program. Richardson is an assistant staff judge advocate with the 14th Air Force, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
He is the son of Marie A. Crown of Shore Court, North Palm Beach, Fla. His wife, Laura, is the daughter of Dale and Ann Sprague of Cortland.
Richardson is a 1974 graduate of Saugerties High School, N.Y., and a 1995 graduate of George Washington University, National Law Center, Washington, D.C. In 1981, Richardson earned a doctorate of law from Loyola University New Orleans.
PROMOTIONS
Air Force captain
Cheryl L. Hetherington was promoted to captain in the Air Force and has entered an Air Force Institute of Technology program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, to study for a master's degree in operations research.
Hetherington, an executive officer, is the daughter of John T. and Carol A. McClellan of Farmdale. Her father and mother-in-law, James E. and Carol L. Hetherington, live in Hiram. Hetherington graduated in 1990 from Maplewood High School, Johnston, and earned a bachelor degree in 1994 from Youngstown State University.
DEPLOYED
Same-ship sea swap
Navy Seaman Ryan S. Everett, 19, of Salem is aboard the USS John Paul Jones, a guided missile destroyer, training off the coast of California before replacing the crew of the USS Higgins as part of the same-ship sea-swap program. The Higgins crew will relieve the crew of the USS Benford, who will be flown home. Everett, who maintains and preserves the ship's surfaces and deck equipment, is a son of Brian Everett of Salem.
Assigned in Qatar
Air Force Capt. Michael R. Jesson has been assigned to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in Southwest Asia to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Jesson, a commander with 10 years of military service, is a son of Robert L. and Jeanne M. Jesson of Cuyahoga Falls. His wife, Tia, is the daughter of Bruce E. Adams of Homeworth and Linda S. Adams of North Canton.
The captain graduated from Cuyahoga Falls High School and received a bachelor's degree in 1993 from Kent State University. He earned his master's degree in 2003 from Central Michigan University through the military extension program in Honolulu.
Operations in Iraq
Several area residents are assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, home based in Camp Pendleton, Calif., which recently completed operations in Iraq. The MEU conducted more than 300 patrols in Southern Iraq, including 50 by the MEU's boat company, and trained local police in the setup of security checkpoints.
The area residents included:
Cpl. Steven M. Caverno, a 1999 graduate of Mohawk High School, Bessemer, Pa.
Lance Cpl. Nathan A. Diclaudio, son of Linda Dumas and Joseph Diclaudio, both of Hermitage.
Lance Cpl. James E. Harris, a 1995 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Youngstown, the son of Terrie D. and Richard D. Cecil of Youngstown.
Pfc. Michael A. Main, son of Michele M. and Richard W. Paige of Salem.
Lance Cpl. Keith D. Stabi, a 2000 graduate of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney High School, the son of Mary E. and Thomas J. Stabi of Youngstown.
XItems of note for the Military Roundup can be sent to The Vindicator, Regional Desk, P.O. Box 780, Youngstown 44501-0780, or e-mailed to alcorn@vindy.com.