O'Neill Inducted to Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame
Former appellate judge honored for 'lifetime of service' by Gov. Strickland
COLUMBUS, Ohio (11/7/2007) - Gov. Ted Strickland inducted former Appeals Court Judge Bill O'Neill (D-South Russell) today into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. The award recognizes Ohio veterans with honorable military service who have gone on to lead a "lifetime of service." Twenty veterans in all were recognized, representing armed conflicts from the War of 1812 to Vietnam. Other local inductees include Robert R. Gutzky of Seven Hills, Ellen M. Leidy of Barberton and David Ingalls (deceased) of Forest Park.
O'Neill was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam and retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel in 1996, the same year O'Neill was first elected to serve on the 11th District of the Ohio Court of Appeals. He stepped down from that post in June when he announced his candidacy for Congress.
"We are humbled by the accomplishments of all of Ohio's veterans and the contributions they make to our communities and nation," Strickland said. "The inductees into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame stand out as wonderful examples of answering the call to a lifetime of service." Previous inductees include astronauts Neil Armstrong and John Glenn, and six presidents of the United States.
At the age of 50, O'Neill went back to school to become a registered nurse. He currently works on-call in the pediatric emergency department of Hillcrest Hospital, an affiliate of the Cleveland Clinic.
"It is an absolute honor just to be on this stage with my governor and this world-class group of veterans," O'Neill said. "It reminds me what my family and I have spent our entire lives fighting for."
O'Neill's father won the distinguished flying cross in World War II, and his son Shawn followed in his family's footsteps, serving in both Afghanistan and Iraq with the Air Force Reserve.
CONTACT:
* Toby Fallsgraff, 440-247-7340, toby-AT-oneill08.com