VETERANS
Among the things that Machado, an Army veteran and Harvard graduate, was recognized for were his commitment to the Boy Scouts, the American Red Cross, his veterans ministry at his church, Honor Flight Columbus and to the Baltimore Downtown Restoration Committee.
The other 17 inductees he stood alongside — and two widows representing their late husbands — represented the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines and came from 13 counties across Ohio.
They have cared for sick children, found shelter for the homeless, mentored troubled teenagers and provided scooters to disabled veterans.
They clean up their neighborhoods, volunteer at local schools, organize events in their communities and raise money for their churches.
Among them were teachers, engineers, a nurse and a judge. There were women who lobby Congress on behalf of veterans and connect veterans to resources, and men who have served governors and presidents.
What each has in common is a passion Dr. Dana Robinson-Street, a Navy veteran, is inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame as Chip Tansill, left, director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, right, look on.
for doing good works for others, Chip Tansill, director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, said during the hour-long ceremony at Radiant Life Church in Dublin.
“I think we can all agree it takes a special kind of commitment and resolve to serve our great country,” Tansill said. These veterans “have one common purpose: a passion to serve and achieve so that others can enjoy more fulfilling lives. There is no greater purpose than enriching the lives of others.”
The first class of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame was inducted A plaque of the new inductees sits on stage during the induction ceremony. The 2018 class will join the other classes in a permanent display at the Riffe Center Downtown.
in 1992; each class is honored at a permanent display at the Riffe
Center Downtown. In addition to Machado, other central Ohioans in the class of 2018 are: Ronald Albers (Air Force), Merle Pratt (Navy), Dana Robinson-Street (Navy) and E.J. Thomas (Air Force), all of Franklin County. Army veterans Francis Clendenen, of Licking County, and Charles Murray, of Franklin County, were honored posthumously. Information on all the inductees can be found at www.dvs.ohio.gov/ main/veterans-hallof
As each veteran was introduced and accomplishments read aloud, the crowd of about 200 relatives and friends applauded thunderously. Many held up their phones and iPads to snap photos. There were more than a few tears shed out of pride, too.
Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor — who noted this was her last opportunity to address the hall of fame class as she has done for years because she is leaving office — said she wanted to acknowledge how service to country outlasts a uniform.
“The men and women honored here stand as exceptional examples of this community service tradition,” Taylor said. “Veterans never leave the service. They just change branches.”