Saturday, November 8th, 2025
Honoring our veterans
St. Marys vets to speak at special Rider Talk
By Abigail Miller
Photo by Abigail Miller/The Daily Standard
Korean War veteran Marine Cpl. Don Martindale's uniform is displayed at the St. Marys Community Public Library. At right are Vietnam veteran Mike Clark's "jungle fatigues."
ST. MARYS - In honor of the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, several St. Marys organizations will host a free event tonight to shine a light on area veterans and their stories.
The inaugural Veterans Rider Talk event, presented by the Memorial High School Alumni Foundation, in collaboration with the recently formed Veterans Foundation & Museum of St. Marys, is set for 7 p.m. tonight at the St. Marys Theater and Grand Opera House.
"We are featuring our area military veterans and honoring them. We'll have a panel of people who have served to share their stories and experiences," said Dianna Dominguez, treasurer of the VFMSM and a Memorial High School Alumni Foundation advisory committee member. "The veterans foundation will have a display of military memorabilia, and we have all kinds of incredible door prizes and raffle prizes and things that (attendees) can purchase if they're interested to support our area veterans."
The event is open to the public. The event panel will feature area veterans involved in the Korean War and the global war on terror.
Korean War veteran Marine Cpl. Don Martindale is a featured speaker.
Martindale served in the U.S. Marine Corps, HQ Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division from 1951-1953 in Korea, according to a VFMSM history. He graduated from Tippecanoe High School where he was the captain of the football team.
While a student at Ohio Northern University, his roommate was a fellow football player, former St. Marys football coach Eugene "Skip" Baughman. They were lifelong friends.
Just before his sophomore year of college, Martindale received a draft notice.
"After basic (training) and infantry training, he was deployed to Korea as a wireman, running communication wires between various Marine elements," the VFMSM history reads. "After he was honorably discharged, Don completed his degree at Ohio Northern and, in 1959, was hired as a counselor and science teacher at McBroom Junior High (in St. Marys)," the history reads. "He also was on the MHS coaching staff with Skip Baughman."
Photo by Abigail Miller/The Daily Standard
WWII veteran Army Air Corps 1st Lt. Ralph W. Dennings' war memorabilia are on display at the St. Marys Community Public Library in honor of Veterans Day.
Christy Wibbeler, the daughter of World War II veteran Army Air Corps 1st Lt. Ralph W. Dennings will also speak on the panel.
Dennings enlisted in the Army Flying Cadets in September 1942 and trained as an aviation cadet, according to information provided by VFMSM. He graduated from Bombardier School in March 1944 as a 2nd Lieutenant, then was sent to Europe on July 11, 1944, and served there until Nov. 1, 1944, assigned to the Richard C. Baynes Crew No. 731, 466th Bombardment Group, 787th Bomb Squadron, Eighth Air Force, on a B-24 Liberator.
During his time in the service, Dennings was cited by Major General William E. Kepner, commanding the 2nd Bombardment Division, "for distinguished and outstanding performances of duty."
"The devotion to duty, determination and tenacity of purpose exhibited by personnel of the Group reflect great credit upon themselves, their organization and the United States Army Air Forces," according to the citation provided by VFMSM.
Dennings flew 35 missions over seven months in Europe and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters.
Wibbeler recently loaned the VFMSM Dennings' military uniform; letters he wrote to his family while in Europe during WWII; medals; photo albums; and other memorabilia to display for the month at the St. Marys Public Library. Also at the library is Martindale's uniform.
Both, along with Marine fatigues worn by Vietnam veteran Mike Clark, will also be on display at tonight's Rider Talk event.
Other veterans participating in the Rider Talk will be retired Army and Navy 1st Sgt. Preston Keith and Army Sgt. Justin Chisholm., both of the global war on terror.
In addition, all Rider Talk attendees will receive a free raffle ticket to enter and potentially win a trip for two to Tucson, Arizona, for the "Yankee Doodle Desert Trip."
Photo by Abigail Miller/The Daily Standard
VFMSM is displaying military uniforms; letters home; medals; photo albums; and other memorabilia from veterans of WWII, the Vietnam War and the Korean War at the St. Marys Community Public Library this month.
The package includes airfare, lodging and entry into the 390th Memorial Museum to meet 102-year-old WWII veteran and St. Marys native Richard Bushong, who volunteers at the museum.
A 1941 MHS graduate, he served the country for 32 years in the U.S. Army Air Force, U.S. Air Force and the Air Force Reserves. During his time in the service, he flew 25 missions.
The VFMSM and MHS Memorial Foundation will be selling copies of their recently published book, "Hometown Heroes of St. Marys, Ohio, Vol. 1." The book was written by Dominguez and VFMSM President Kim Reiher. It's the first in a planned series of books celebrating St. Marys' long list of war veterans.
"(The MHS Alumni Foundation) started our military Hall of Fame about five years ago, and we just keep building on our dedication to honoring veterans through the Alumni Foundation," Dominguez said. "We did the book and now we're expanding it into this Veterans Rider Talk to, again, hold an event that's free and open. We have wonderful sponsors who are underwriting the cost of all this so that veterans just can come out for a night, enjoy and be honored."
Additional organizations that made tonight's event possible include Honoring Hometown Heroes, St. Marys Eagles Aerie 767 and American Legion Post 323.
The St. Marys Theater and Grand Opera House is located at 119 W. Spring St., St. Marys.
