Representative John Bartlett honors Hoosier military veterans

INDIANAPOLIS – As part of the annual Military Veterans Legislative Day, Indiana House members today joined State Representative John Bartlett (D-Indianapolis) in honoring the latest group of inductees to the state’s new Military Veterans Hall of Fame.

The 16 honorees recognized today will have their names placed in the hall, located near the American Legion’s Department of Indiana Headquarters in Lawrence.

“I am proud to have the opportunity to honor our fighting men and women,” Rep. Bartlett commented. “It’s the least we can do to raise awareness of the sacrifice that our Hoosier veterans make. I am very glad to be able to help give our Hoosier veterans the honor and respect that they truly deserve.”

The Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame (IMVHOF) was founded in 2013 in an effort to publicly recognize the service and sacrifices made by our local veterans and their families. Indiana is one of very few states to have an established organization honoring our veterans. The building will pay tribute to all five branches of military services and recognize veterans who have been inducted into the hall of fame, which began inducting members in 2014.

Construction for the hall began in September 2016. The building will be dedicated in the spring. The memorial will include a plaza and a memorial grove.

Donations for the construction of the IMVHOF Memorial were raised and contributed by Indiana Credit Unions, their leaders, and credit union business partners. Their efforts were recognized in a second resolution authored by Rep. Bartlett.

The 2017 class of inductees to the Military Veterans Hall of Fame includes: Command Sergeant Major Jerry O. Blake; Lieutenant Colonel Dale R. Crafton; First Lieutenant George C. Ferkes; Sergeant William T. Freeman; Brigadier General Benjamin Harrison; Colonel James H. Kasler; Captain Walker M. “Bud” Mahurin; Lieutenant General Thomas M. Montgomery; First Lieutenant Larry R. Moore; Private First Class William H. Myers; Walter J. A. Palmer; Captain Philip W. Patrick; Gunnery Sergeant Nicholas A. Popaditch; Justice Robert D. Rucker Jr.; First Lieutenant Richard M. Storm; and Frederick A. Taylor Jr.