Salute to Veterans: Cullman County Veterans Hall of Fame honors 2024 class of inductees
Published 4:26 pm Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Robin Wilhelm, left, accepts a posthumous induction plaque on behalf of her father, the late U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Julian R. Campbell, into the new 2024 class of the Cullman County Veterans Hall of Fame. Pictured alongside Wilhelm is event emcee and U.S. Army veteran Col. (ret.) Don Fallin.
Jan Sutton, daughter of the late Infantry Rifleman James T. Watts, Jr., accepts a plaque from host Don Fallin to posthumously commemorate her father’s 2024 induction into the Cullman County Veterans Hall of Fame.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. (ret.) Hollis W. Baggett, right, pictured with Col. (ret.) Don Fallin as Baggett accepts his 2024 induction into the Cullman County Veterans Hall of Fame.
U.S. Army veteran Van T. Hutchins, right, accepts his 2024 Cullman County Veterans Hall of Fame plaque from fellow Army vet and event emcee Col. (ret.) Don Fallin.
Hall of Fame induction ceremony host Col. Don Fallin, left, presents 2024 honoree Richard L. Leigeber (U.S. Army) with one of the commemorative plaques that honor this year’s class of six new inductees.
U.S. Air Force veteran Clarence Benefield, right, celebrates his induction into the Cullman County Veterans Hall of Fame alongside founder and event emcee Col. (ret.) Don Fallin, a U.S. Army veteran.
Six service members who gave their best for their nation have been inducted into the Cullman County Veterans Hall of Fame, honored at a special Oct. 22 ceremony that paid tribute to veterans with local ties.
The ceremony marked the second induction for the local veterans hall of fame, an organization that launched with the induction of its inaugural class last year. Nominations for potential HOF members are submitted by the community before being elevated through a vetting process conducted by the group’s selection committee, with equal consideration given to veterans both living and deceased.
Two of this year’s new hall of fame memberships were awarded posthumously, while the remaining four inductees attended this year’s ceremony to receive the honor in person.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Julian R. Campbell and U.S. Army Infantry Rifleman James T. Watts, Jr. — each a combat veteran of WWII — were posthumously inducted into the hall of fame, with family members in attendance to accept the honor on their behalf. Present to receive their inductions firsthand at the event were Clarence E. Benefield (U.S. Air Force), Hollis W. Baggett (U.S. Army), Van T. Hutchins (U.S. Army), and Richard L. Leigeber (U.S. Army).
Clarence E. Benefield
— United States Air Force 1965 to 1971 – CH-3E Helicopter Flight Engineer and Door Gunner, 21St Special Operations Squadron, 56th Air Commando Wing – Nakhon, Thailand 1967 to 1968 – 78 Combat Missions Operating in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos
— Awards Include the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Two Oak Leaf Clusters — Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Good Conduct Medal — National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with Silver Star — Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Medal and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 Device — Also Recognized with the “Winged S” for his Role in Rescuing Two Downed Pilots
— Life Member and Chaplain of the Disabled American Veterans — Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars — American Legion – Life Member of the Vietnam Veterans of America — Cullman Veterans Park Board — Cullman Veterans Hall of Fame Committee – County Republican Executive Committee
Staff Sergeant (ret.) Hollis W. Baggett
— US Army from 1965 to 1988 – Combat Medic Republic of Vietnam; April 1966 to March 1967 with Company A, 4th Battalion, 23rd Mechanized Infantry, 25th Infantry Division (Tropic Lightning) – 91C Clinical Specialist – Recognized for Exceptional Performance while assigned as the NCOIC of the ICU at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York
— Awards include the Combat Medical Badge — Bronze Star Medal — Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and “V” Device for Valor — Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm — National Defense Service Medal — Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars — Army Good Conduct Medal (6th award) — Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
— Disabled American Veterans Chapter 101 in Cullman (Senior Vice) and Chapter 28, Oneonta (Chapter Service Officer) — Veterans of Foreign Wars – Active Participant in all County Veterans Events
Van T. Hutchins, Jr.
— US Army — Engineer with the 544th Engineer Company, 36th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, US Army Pacific – Vietnam 1967- 1968 – Army Commendation Medal — National Defense Service Medal – Good Conduct Medal – Vietnam Service Medal – Vietnam Campaign Medal
— Disabled American Veterans Chapter 101 (Life Member) – VFW Post 2214 (Life Member) Sergeant of Arms — Director of Flags and Member of the Burial Honor Guard — American Legion Post 4 – Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 416 (Life Member) — Chairman of the Alabama Veterans Vietnam Wall — Wreaths Across America for Cullman Country — Cullman County Rescue Squad -Charter Member of the Crane Hill Fire Department — Charter member of Smith Lake Baptist Church
— “He is most proud of the fact that he is a Christian and knows that God is in charge of his life.”
Richard L. (Rick) Leigeber
— US Army from 1967 to 1969 – Served with Company A, 4th Battalion, 23rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade in the 25th Infantry Division (Tropic Lightning) – 11B (Light Weapons Infantryman) — Vietnam 1968-1969, Cu Chi Valley – Tet Offensive
— Combat Infantryman Badge — National Defense Service Medal — Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 Device — Vietnam Service Medal — 1st Class Gunner (M60 — Machine Gun) — Sharpshooter (M16 Rifle)
— Life member of VFW and the American Legion – Member of the American Flag Detail for Highway 31 – Led the effort for the “White Crosses Memorial” for Cullman Honoring our Fallen Heroes – Led Fundraising Efforts Though his love for Fishing – Supported the Veteran Memorial Burial Team with the “Slow Salute” for our Fallen Heroes
Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Julian R. Campbell, USAF
— Army Air Corps and United States Air Force from 1941 to 1969 — B26 Pilot (his plane was named Campbell’s Caravan) — 40 Combat Missions in World War II against Nazi Germany over Sicily and Italy — Pacific Theater supporting the 11th Airborne Division – Flew Transport and Medical Evacuation Missions during the Korean War from 1950 — 1954 – Flew the C-47 in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967 – Authored “Memories That Must Not Vanish” which resides in the Alabama Department of Archives — Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Five Air Medals, World War II Victory Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two Battle Stars and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
— Deacon at Seventh Street Baptist Church — Lifetime Member of Cullman Chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars — Grand Marshall of the 2022 Veterans Day Celebration — Active Member of the Cullman County Republican Party
James T. Watts, Jr.
— US Army from 25 August 1944 to 11 April 1946 – Infantry Rifleman in World War II — Rhineland and Central Europe with G Company, 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Division – Wounded in Action Three Times in 21 Days — Participated in the Ebensee Concentration Camp Liberation in Austria – “Suicide Watch” Guard Duty at the Palace of Justice, Nuremburg Germany
— Awards include the Combat Infantryman Badge — Three Purple Hearts — European African Middle Eastern Service Medal with Two Bronze Stars – World War II Victory Medal – Army of Occupation Medal — Good Conduct Medal
— Disabled American Veterans — Holly Pond Lions Club – Deacon at New Hope #2 Missionary Baptist Church – Board Member Cullman Electric Cooperative
Whether in WWII or in Vietnam, each of this year’s inductees saw active deployment during a time of war. But combat service is only one of many criteria that qualify a candidate for entry into the hall of fame, as co-founder and event emcee Col. (ret.) Don Fallin explained.
“A successful candidate must have distinguished him or herself in the military, have an honorable discharge, be a native of or a citizen of our county for around 10 years, and have served his or her fellow veterans and our community in some way since leaving the military,” Fallin told the ceremony’s large crowd of local elected and business leaders, families and colleagues. “As you will learn tonight when these honorees are recognized, you’ll see that each of these folks today have done that — and more.”
As new members of the Cullman County Veterans Hall of Fame, each of this year’s inductees will receive a distinctive name tag and a plaque. The plaques, which each feature a photograph and brief summary of an inductee’s life and service, will be displayed inside the Cullman County Courthouse for one year.
The names of each inductee also will be added to the hall of fame’s perpetual plaque housed at the courthouse. The perpetual plaque serves as an ongoing memorial; one that expands annually as new members are added. In keeping with the hall of fame’s mission to honor both its current and past inductees, Fallin also recognized last year’s inaugural class, which consists of the following veterans:
— Lt. Col. (ret.) Johnnie R. Strickland, U.S. Navy / U.S. Army Reserves.
— Donald Michael (Mike) Martin, U.S. Marine Corps.
— Steven L. Larsen, U.S. Marine Corps.
— Robert R. Turner, U.S. Marine Corps.
— Col. (ret.) Ken Brown, U.S. Air Force.
— Tech. Sgt. (ret.) Jerry La Otto Willibey, U.S. Air Force (Posthumous).
About Amanda Shavers
Amanda Shavers joined The Cullman Times in 1997 as the paper's first staff photographer. She has been News Editor since 2008. She is also Content Editor for Cullman Magazine (quarterly), Cullman County Graduation magazine, Fall in Love With Cullman magazine, Salute to Industry magazine and the Senior and Retiree Directory magazine. She is also Content Editor for the weekly St. Clair News-Aegis and she assists with the twice-weekly Athens News Courier.
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