GREENE COUNTY — Two Vietnam veterans from the Miami Valley are getting a special honor for their service and heroism.
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Jim Moses, of Germantown, and Don Austin, of Spring Valley Twp., will be inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2025 on Friday.
Moses was drafted, and Austin enlisted during the Vietnam War. The Army awarded both of them a Bronze Star Medal with a “V” device for their actions during separate firefights.
“I just did my job, you know? I was a machine gunner and they depended on me (to) let them guys know we had firepower, you know, and that’s what I did,” Moses said.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, a “V” device means their medals were awarded for acts of valor or heroism during combat.
“That’s when I got wounded. The guy to my right had already been wounded, so I decided it was time to go, and I picked him up, threw him on my shoulder, and got back to the company lines,” Austin recalled. “And the fight continued, and eventually we got medevacked out.”
At a ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse on Friday, both men will be inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame and receive another medal.
Ted Mosure, president of the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors, spoke to News Center 7 about their mission.
“Our mission is to honor veterans born in Ohio, or entered the service from Ohio, who have been awarded a medal for valor in combat,” Mosure said.
Mosure, a Vietnam veteran himself, said Friday’s class includes 19 veterans who served from the Civil War to the global war on terror.
“It’s a very emotional, and we try to make it a little better every year,” he explained.
Austin and Moses told News Center 7 that they appreciate the honor this year.
“It makes me feel good, but it was a surprise because unless I’m asked, I don’t talk about it much,” Austin said.
“Tears in your eyes, you know?” Moses said. “It’s a great feeling to be recognized like this.”
After tomorrow’s ceremony, the total number of veterans in the Ohio Military Hall of Fame will be more than 500.
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