VETERANS

VETERANS

Speaker at reunion

YOUNGSTOWN — Marine Col. Robert Durkin, commander of the 25th Marine Division, is the main speaker at the Marine Corps League Tri-State Detachment’s 29th annual reunion at 6 p.m. Saturday at ITAMS Post 3, 115 S. Meridian Road. For reservations, call Dick Mitchells at (330) 533-3433 or Frank Griffiths at (330) 533-2314. The deadline for ordering tickets, which are $22 each, is Wednesday. There are no ticket sales at the door.

Honor Guard recognized

YOUNGSTOWN — VFW Post 9571 Honor Guard, Ellsworth, was recently recognized by the Trumbull-Mahoning-Columbiana Funeral Directors Association for performing at 144 funeral services in 2007 and for various other community service activities.

The veterans also received proclamations praising their efforts from President Bush, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio Rep. Charles Wilson and the Mahoning County Board of Commissioners. Local artist Ray Simon and Briel Flowers provided items for display at the Post 9571 home. Post 9571 was founded in 1947.

Gulf War bonus program

The State of Pennsylvania offers a Persian Gulf War bonus program that allows for compensation to be paid to eligible service members, current and former, as well as certain surviving relatives of deceased veterans. To be eligible, the service member or veteran must have:

Served with the armed forces, a reserve component of the armed forces or the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Served on active duty in the Persian Gulf Theater of Operations during the period from Aug. 2, 1990, to Aug. 31, 1991, and received the Southwest Asia Service Medal, and been a legal resident of Pennsylvania at the time of active service during that same period.

Service members, veterans or their surviving beneficiaries are not eligible for the program, if a bonus, gratuity, or compensation similar to that provided by the Pennsylvania program has been received from any other state or if the service member or veteran has renounced his or her United States citizenship, or at any time during the Persian Gulf Conflict or thereafter, been separated from the armed forces under less than honorable conditions.

For more information, call toll-free (866) 458-9182 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

PROMOTION

Served with squadron

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas C. Chill, son of Kelly A. Chill and David F. Chill, both of New Castle, Pa., was promoted to his current rank while serving with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 10, Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, Calif. Chill is a 2000 graduate of New Castle Senior High School, and joined the Navy in August 2004.

ADVANCED TRAINING

Earned silver wings

Air National Guard 2nd Lt. Brandon M. Murphy has graduated from the 52-week Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., where he earned his silver wings with an aeronautical rating of pilot in the Air Force. His next assignment will be with the 147th Air Refueling Squadron, Coraopolis, Pa. Murphy is the son of Gary Murphy and Marsha Murphy, both of Greenville, Pa. He graduated in 2001 from Greenville High School and received a bachelor’s degree in 2006 from Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pa.

Will serve in Akron

Ohio Army National Guard Pvt. Sarah Sledd entered the basic military training under the Split Option Training Program and graduated from Army basic combat training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. She had advanced individual training at Fort Leonardwood, Mo., where she trained as a motor transport operator. She will serve with 1484th Motor Transport Co. in Akron. She is the daughter of John and Cornelia Sledd of Austintown, a graduate of Austintown Fitch High school, and is in the nursing program at Youngstown State University.

Will be military policeman

Army Pvt. Michael Saltsman, a member of the Ohio Army National Guard, has graduated from basic combat training and advanced individual training at Fort Leonardwood, Mo., where he learned the job skills of the military police. He will serve as a military policeman with the 135th MP Co. in Chagrin Falls. He is the son of Michael and Colleen Saltsman of Austintown and a graduate of Austintown Fitch High School.

BASIC TRAINING

Air Force: Airman 1st Class Scott E. Knight (Salem Wesleyan Academy, ’0’0), son of Fred Knight of Salem; Air National Guard Airman Nicholas M. Lane (Grove City, Pa., High School, ’07), brother of Daniel Lane of Grove City and son of Timothy Lane of Masury; Airman Dominique J. Rutland (Chaney High School, ’06), son of Liz and Chris Rutland of Youngstown; Airman Justin W. White (Austintown Fitch High School, ’05), son of Terrence White of Austintown.

Army: Pvt. Barry J. Wade (East Jessamine High School, Nicholasville. Ky., ’00), son of Barry E. Wade of Nicholasville and LouAnn Wade of East Palestine; National Guard Pvt. Vanessa L. Richardson (Farrell, Pa., High School, ’07), daughter of Lynn Zimmerman of Farrell and Ronald Turner of Bridgeport, W.Va.

Navy: Seaman Recruit Anthony M. Chuppa (Niles McKinley High School, ’07), son of Rebecca L. and Michael A. Chuppa of Niles; Seaman Recruit Greg M. Cullers, son of Bobbe J. Cullers of Erie, Pa., and Dan R. Cullers of Jefferson, Ohio.

XItems of note for the Armed Forces Digest can be sent to The Vindicator, Regional Desk, P.O. Box 780, Youngstown 44501-0780, or e-mailed to alcorn@vindy.com.