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Local vets to be inducted into military hall of fame in Columbus
COLUMBUS
Three Mahoning County men are members of the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor Class of 2015 who will be inducted in Columbus on Friday.
The 16th annual induction ceremony, which is open to the public, will be conducted in the atrium of the Ohio Statehouse beginning at 11:30 a.m. This year’s class of 30 brings the total number inducted to 287, including six who received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The Valley inductees and their citations:
Air Force Staff Sgt. Norman A. Paul of Berlin Center, who was born in Conneaut and entered the service from Cleveland, was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross.
“Sergeant Paul distinguished himself by heroism while participating in aerial flight as flight mechanic of a CH-53 helicopter near Koh Tang Island in the Gulf of Thailand on 15 May 1975. Sergeant Paul was a member of a helicopter crew which twice attempted to deliver a contingent of United States Marines to the small landing zone on the beach in spite of continuous hostile fire. With their aircraft streaming fuel and leaking oil from extreme battle damage, they still managed to assist in a rescue operation before recovering in friendly territory. This action aided in the recovery of the SS Mayaguez and its crew.”
Paul, 64, grew up in Cherry Valley Township and graduated from Pymatuning Valley High School in 1969. He served in the Air Force from Dec. 16, 1970, to Feb. 16, 1979, and worked for Sohio, British Petroleum and Buckeye Partners.
Paul and his wife, Betty, have three granddaughters. He has three stepchildren: Jennifer Hoffman of Lakewood, David Hoffman of Norton and Susan Hoffman of California. Numerous family members and friends plan to attend Friday’s induction ceremony.
Navy Reserve Lt. J.G. Kenneth P. Nagel of New Middletown was born in Youngstown and entered service from Youngstown. He received the Air Medal with “V” Device.
“Nagel, an ensign at the time, distinguished himself by heroism while participating in aerial flight on an operation against an armed enemy on 11 December 1944 while serving as the navigator of a Navy search bomber. Attacked by an enemy fighter, he contributed in sending it flaming toward the sea, and when his plane was later attacked two enemy planes, he again aided in the destruction of one. Then as his plane was returning to base, an enemy ship was sighted, though flying through a curtain of anti-aircraft fire in masthead attacks, Lieutenant Junior Grade Nagel, more than once did his job with such calm courage and professional skill that he materially contributed to the destruction of this enemy vessel.”
Nagel, 94, grew up on Florida Avenue in Youngstown and graduated in January 1939 from South High School. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve on Sept. 2, 1942, earned his commission and wings at Flight Training and Navigation School in Florida and was a pilot/navigator. After the war, he worked as a draftsman at Youngstown Foundry and Machine Co. He also worked at Wean Engineering and the L.W. Nash Co, and was a self-employed manufacturers’ engineering representative for 49 years.
He and his wife, Betty (Heinbaugh) have three children: Kenneth, a former Marine, who is deceased; Richard of Poland, a former Marine; and Ruth Anne Finney of New Middletown.
Army Specialist 4th Class John S. Koonse of Canfield was born in Youngstown and entered service from Cleveland. He was awarded the Air Medal with “V” Device for heroism while engaged in aerial flight in connection with military operations against a hostile force in Vietnam.
“These men distinguished themselves on 31 January 1967, while serving on a troop-lift helicopter participating as an eagle flight that was escorting an armed convoy of the 101st Airborne Division. The convoy was traveling along Highway 1, 30 miles south of Phan Rang, when it came under an intense mortar attack. They immediately identified the puffs of smoke coming from the Viet Cong mortar positions, and armed with their door mounted M-60 machine guns, they vectored their pilot on pass after pass at the enemy positions until they had expended all ammunition. They then grabbed their M-16 automatic rifles and again placed deadly fire on the enemy. When the convoy was ambushed a second time, they repeated this heroic deed and allowed the convoy to depart with a minimum number of casualties.”