Submitted story and staff report
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The Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame will bring five more people into the hall at this year’s annual induction ceremonies on Veterans Day.
The five new members are Charles Christman who served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam; Delmer Click who was in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam era and will be inducted posthumously; World War II Air Force veteran and POW Henry Kuhn who will be inducted posthumously; U.S. Army veteran Clarence Long who served in Korea and will also be inducted posthumously; and Donald Wenner who served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy in World War II and the Korean War.
The induction ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. on Nov. 11 at Bucyrus High School. George Ondick of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Foundation will be the master of ceremonies for the night’s events. Robert Dunlap from the 179th in Mansfield will be the guest speaker. Pastor Jack Richards of Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church Bucyrus will give the invocation and benediction, the Sons of Amvets Squadron 1979 of Galion will post the service flags, Greg Shifley will perform on the bagpipes, and Colonel Crawford High School student Alex Gaffney will perform the taps. The rifle salute will be performed by the American Legion Post 405 New Washington.
This will be the eighth class inducted into the Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame.
Biographies of the inductees can be found below.
Chuck was born July 2, 1948 in Bucyrus to the late George H. and Florence W. Christman. He has two brothers Michael (deceased) and Dennis an Army veteran living in Bucyrus. He attended Norton Elementary School, Bucyrus Junior High and graduated from Bucyrus High School with the class of 1967.
While in High School he worked at Potter’s Sohio until being employed at General Electric Bucyrus Lamp Plant.March 14, 1968 he was drafted and was discharged March 19, 1968 so he could enlist. He took basic training at Fort Jackson South Carolina and AIT at Fort Knox Kentucky. In September 1968 he arrived in South Viet Nam and was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, D company 2nd Battalion (mechanized) Second Infantry Regiment stationed at Lai Kai where he was track mechanic. On February 27, 1969 he was wounded in a night mortar and rocket attack on the fire support base Thunder 4 at An Loc South Viet Nam. He was medivacked Quan Loi, Long Ben, then to Japan before being flown to Ireland Army Hospital at Fort Knox KY. He spent the next 4 months recovering before he was assigned to I Troop 17th Cav at Fort Knox. He spent the next 27 months with the 17th Cav and was honorably discharged on March 18, 1971. His awards were Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Viet Nam Service with 3 Bronze Service Stars, and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with device, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, Unit Citation Badge, Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal and First Class Unit Citation Badge.
Coming back to Bucyrus he was re-employed at GE and retired October31, 2003. He has been active with many Veterans organizations since his discharge. Life member of American Legion Post 181 and Past Commander (1982-1983) Life member Amvets Post 27 Past Commander (2009-2011 2013-2014) Life member DAV Chapter 100 Past Commander (2003-2012) Past DAV 5th District Commander (2003-2005) represented the DAV on the Crawford County Veterans Service Commission (2002-2012) Life member Military Order of Purple Heart, Life member of VFW 1078, Society of the First Infantry Division, Second Infantry Regiment Association, President Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame, Vice Presidentof Bucyrus Memorial Society. He has put flags on Veterans graves for over 30 years. He co-chaired the bean soup supper at the Crawford County Fair for 10 years. He is a member of Bucyrus Moose Lodge 669, Bucyrus Elks Lodge 156 where he was Elks Lodge 156 Elk of the year in 2008. He was Chief Union Steward for IUE Local 704 for 9 years and Junior Achievement advisor GE/IUE704 for 2 years.
Chuck lives in Bucyrus with his son’s Brian and Jonathan. In his down time he likes to fish and golf. He is a member of Good Hope Lutheran Church.
Delmer was born April 19, 1944 in Swamp Branch, KY to the late Jerry and Mattie Mae (Ramey) Click. He was a graduate of Oil Springs High School in KY in 1962. In 1962 he enlisted into the U.S. Army for 3 years. He served 28 months in Germany and France as ammunitions supply Specialist 4, shipping all orders for ammunition to bases outside the United States. He also served 3 years in the Army Reserves.
Delmer moved to this area in 1965 going to work for the U.S.Post Office for 34 years, last serving as Postmaster in Sulphur Springs, OH retiring in 2001.
Delmer belonged to the following organizations: Amvets, American Legion, VFW 1078, Moose Lodge 669, Elks Lodge 156, the Eagles and Masonic Lodge #343.His community involvement included the Bucyrus Preservation Society, Bratwurst Festival Committee, the Mural Society and the Bucyrus High School Band Parents.
As an active member of the Amvets he was Commander of Amvets Post 27 for 3 years, Amvets 12th District Commander for 2 years, Trustee for the State Convention Corp. for 3 years, State Provost Marshal, State 1st Vice-Commander and Amvets Department of Ohio Commander 2003-2004. He served 6 years as National Executive Committeeman for National Amvets. He was co-founder and President of the Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame which started in 2006.Delmer was club manager of Amvets Post 27 for many years.
Delmer was married Feb. 11, 1984 to Joan “Ginnie” Mason. He has 3 daughters, 11 grandchildren, and several great- grandchildren, stepson and a son, one brother and two sisters. Delmer passed away in August 2012.
Henry “Nick” Kuhn, born Dec 12, 1920 in Tiffin, Ohio. He moved to Bucyrus in 1950 and remained a resident for the remainder of his life.
Kuhn served in the Army Air Force from 1942-1945 as a Radio Operator and a Gunner on a B-25 Bomber. August 27, 1943 was Kuhn’s 22nd mission, his bomber was shot down over Benevento, Italy by German warplanes. He was the only survivor of the crew. He hid from the German troops in a crevice in the hills of Benevento for a day and a half. He made his way to a small village seeking help for the injuries he sustained from the crash. The family turned him over to German troops. He was taken to a German controlled hospital and was held a prisoner of war.
On October 5, 1943, General Mark Clark’s 5th Army freed Kuhn from the prisoner camp. After a brief stay in Africa, he returned to Washington DC where he was interrogated at the Pentagon. He then spent two years stateside and was released from duty on September 2, 1945.
During his tour, he received the following medals: Purple Heart, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, European, African, Middle Eastern Service Medal with 2 Bronze Stars and The Prisoner of War Medal.
Nick and his wife Hulda had a daughter, Virginia. He was a salesman for Prudential Insurance Company for 29 years, retiring in 1983. He was an active member of the American Red Cross, Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis, American Legion Post 181, Disabled American Veterans, and Holy Trinity Church.
Henry “Nick” Kuhn passed away on November 6, 1998.
Clarence E. Long, born April 12, 1933. He served in the United States Army from 1950 – 1953 and from 1957 – 1959.
Long served in the Army during the Korean War. He received the Korean Service medal with Silver Service Star, Combat Infantryman Badge, Purple Heart, United Nations Service Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Japan Clasp, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle and Carbine Bars.
Once Long returned home from the war, he worked for Spore Stone Quarry from 1959 – July 17, 1962 as a tunnel operator. On July 17, 1962, Clarence was involved in an accident at work that resulted in him losing his life.
Clarence and Marcia had a son, Clarence Eugene III.
Donald R. Wenner, born August 15, 1920. He was a freshman in Medical School at The Ohio State University studying the femur from his box of bones when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. A year later he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Medical Adm. Corps.
Wenner graduated from the ASTP program in September 1944 and followed up with an internship at Los Angeles County General Hospital. When his internship was over, he was called to Active Duty as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps. After he did not receive any further orders, he was notified by the Army to apply for a Navy Commission due to their need for physicians. He was sent to the separation center at Terminal Island in Long Beach to examine sailors being discharged from the service. After 15 months, he was put on inactive duty and returned to his civilian life in Bucyrus.
In 1952, after four years of returning to Bucyrus to practice medicine, he was called to active duty in support of the Korean War. Wenner spent six months at the Naval Training Center in San Diego and then was ordered to duty aboard the USS Windom Bay CVE92 as the ship’s physician. His tour lasted until 1954 and Wenner returned to Bucyrus.
Donald is married to Peg and they have four children. He retired his medical practice in 1990 and has been a very active member of the Bucyrus Community. He has been on the Bucyrus City School Board, Board for Council on Aging, Crawford County Chapter OGS Inc., Crawford-Marion ADAMH Board, Volunteer Taxpayer Assistance, Crawford County Mentoring Program, The Ohio Genealogical Society, YMCA Board of Directors and a member of the Kiwanis Club.
Community involvement and volunteerism is still a very important part on Donald’s life.