The Ohio Department of Veterans Services and Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Foundation will honor the 2018 Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Class during its annual induction ceremony at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8 at the Radiant Life Church, 7100 Post Road, Dublin, Ohio 43016.
The 20-person class will be honored with medals by Ohio Department of Veterans Services Director Chip Tansill and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor.
MILICHJudge Robert P. Milich, of Youngstown, will be one of the inductees. Milich, 76, served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War.
Milich graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Akron in 1978. In 1980, he began his career in the law department of the City of Youngtown and succeeded to Director of Law in 1994. In 1998, he was appointed to Municipal Court by Gov. George Voinovich. He continued in this role until his retirement in 2017.
Milich served as presiding judge of the Youngstown Municipal Veterans Treatment Court from its inception in 2011 to his retirement from the bench in December 2017. He was instrumental in developing the court using counselors, mentors and community social workers to assist veterans in meaningful rehabilitation.
The Youngstown Municipal Veterans Treatment Court was the second such court in the state of Ohio and one of 50 in the nation with a primary mission of treatment and rehabilitation of non-violent misdemeanor offenders. The program has become a model within Ohio for treating and rehabilitating veterans.
Since its inception six years ago, 63 veterans have participated in the courts’ treatment program and 48 veterans have graduated from the program. The court convened twice a month and Milich personally oversaw each case, thus ensuring maximum positive results.
His success garnered him an appointment to the Ohio Attorney General Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Illness for Veterans Courts and Military Affairs Subcommittee.
Milich is also a member of the cabinet to establish the Youngstown State University Veterans Resource Center. The facility, the only of its kind in Ohio, serves veteran students with counseling, a computer lab, job placement and recreation.
The 2018 Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame inductees include: Fredric L. Abrams, Air Force, Warren County; Ronald L. Albers, Air Force, Franklin County; Cassie B. Barlow, Air Force, Greene County; Francis Leroy Clendenen, Army, Licking County (awarded posthumously); Dean Cooper, Army, Lawrence County; Haraz N. Ghanbari, Army and Navy, Wood County; James L. Gibson, Navy, Guernsey County; Paul D. Haller, Navy, Jackson County; Ronald J. Hartman, Army, Clermont County; Joseph A. Machado, Army, Fairfield County; Robert P. Milich, Air Force, Mahoning County; Charles L. Murray, Army, Franklin County (awarded posthumously); Merle J. Pratt, Navy, Franklin County; Fredrick L. Pumroy, Air Force, Greene County; Clifford Riley, Army, Clermont County; Dana L. Robinson-Street, Navy, Franklin County; Ronald A. Schwachenwald, Army, Lorain County; Douglas D. Theaker, Navy, Richland County; E.J. Thomas, Air Force, Franklin County; Robert J. Wilhelm, Marines, Guernsey County.
The Class of 2018 was chosen from among 119 nominations. The inductees, ranging in age from 37 to 88, span 13 different Ohio counties and four major branches of the United States Armed Forces – the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. This year’s class joins 858 Ohio veterans who have been inducted since inception and represent all eras, branches and walks of life.
Biographies for all 20 class members, additional information on the Hall of Fame and past inductees – listed by class, by county and alphabetically – can be found at OhioVets.gov….
The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame was established in 1992 by former Gov. George Voinovich to recognize outstanding professional achievement, service to the community and selfless acts of veterans following their military service. Charter members of the Hall’s Class of 1992 included the six Ohio military veterans who were elected President of the United States and all Medal of Honor recipients from Ohio. Honorees include astronauts, volunteers, community leaders, safety officers, veteran advocates and former government officials.
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