Post Updates
2025 Buckeye Boys State
Congratulations to Landon Dyar of Jonathan Alder High School for being selected to be the American Legion Post 248 Delegate to the 2025 Buckeye Boys State Program.
Special thanks to Mayor Jody Carney for her assistance in recruiting him for this program.
2025 Memorial Day Parade
May 26th at 10:00 am, the parade will step out from Pastime Park and proceed south to the Darby Township Cemetery where a wreath will be laid and three volleys of rifle fire will be fired in honor of our fallen veterans interred in that cemetery. From there the parade will continue south and turn left onto Cemetery Pike stopping at the bridge over Big Darby Creek where a wreath will be laid in the water to honor all veterans who lost their life at sea. Finally, the parade will continue into the Forest Grove cemetery where we will conduct a ceremony in honor of all veterans who have fallen. All Veterans are invited to join Post 248 in walking or riding the Veteran Wagon in the parade. Yes, we do have a VERY patriotic wagon to carry veterans along route.
2025 Memorial Day Guest Speaker Selected
The guest speaker for this year's Memorial Day observance is the Senior Regular Army Advisor to the Guard (SRAAG), COL Timothy L. Woodruff.
Here is COL Timothy L. Woodruff's biographical summary:
Colonel Timothy L. Woodruff enlisted in the Army in 1995 as a 96B All-Source Intelligence Analyst. His first assignment was with the 66th MI Group in Augsburg, Germany. He graduated from Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Army Air Defense Artillery Branch in 1998.
COL Woodruff’s combat and operational deployments include: Operation Joint Guard, Bosnia, 1997; Operation Southern Watch, Saudi Arabia, 2001; Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kuwait, 2007; Operation Spartan Shield, Kuwait, 2016; Operation Spartan Shield, Qatar 2020 and 2023.
His civilian and military education includes: BA in History/Political Science from Miami University, Oxford, OH; MA in Management from Webster University, St. Louis, MO; MS in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA, Command and General Staff College, Dual Status Commander’s Course, Joint Task Force Commander’s Course, Joint Firepower Course, Army Force Management Course, Combined Arms Service Staff School, ADA Captain’s Career Course, ADA Officer Basic Course, US Army Airborne School, and Officer Candidate School.
His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (1 OLC), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (6 OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (6 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (4 OLC), Army Superior Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1 Service Star), Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal (1 Service Star), Global War on Terror Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (2), NATO Medal, German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold), German Marksmanship Badge (Gold), Norwegian Marksmanship Badge, and the Basic Para chutist Badge.
He has been married to Lesley for 28 years and they have three kids: Ian (22), Katherine (19), and Sara (14). In addition to dedicating most of his free time to his family, he enjoys tennis and motorsports.
2025 Independence Day
STAND BY FOR NEWS ON THE 2025 PARADE
ALL VETERANS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE - All PLain City Arear Veterans participate and ride on the wagon during both this event and the Memorial Day Parade. We look forward to increased participation THIS year.
Fund Raising and Membership
We now have a PayPal account to accept donations as we have had several people comment that they were not carrying cash at the various events we have participated in. Here is that link.
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8REDEUDR22GMC
All donations go to supporting the veteran community, participation in community events, sponsorship of students to attend the Buckeye Boys and Girls State Programs, and the Union County Military Family Support Group which supports all of Plain City.
Upcoming Meetings: 7:00 pm first Wednesday of every month except January at Plain City Historical Society
2025 Schedule - Apr 2 (Cancelled due to conflicts) / April 19 Weapons Maintenance 08:30am) / May 7 / June 4 / July 2 / Aug 6 / Sep 3 / Oct 1 / Nov 5 / Dec 3
2026 Schedule - Jan (NO MEETING) / Feb 4 / Mar 4 / Apr 1 / May 6 / June 3/ July 1 / Aug 5 / Sep 2 / Oct 7 / Nov 4 / Dec 2
OHIO MILITARY HALL OF FAME
Congratulations to Ken Bonnell on his induction into the State of Ohio's Military Hall of Fame on November 7, 2024. WELL DESERVED!
2024 Buckeye Girls State Graduates
Congratulations! to this year's graduates of the 2024 Buckeye Girls State Program. All three are students at Jonathan Alder High School and will be recognized for their accomplishment at the upcoming Village Council meeting on August 26th, 2024 at 6:30pm.
Pictured from Left to Right are Anna Engle, Sophia Hicks and Sarah Malone - GO PIONEERS!
Jonathan Alder Football Game Flag Raisings
We have completed the 2024 Football Season. Congratulations on a hard fought season to the Pioneer football team. GO PIONEERS!!
Looking forward to next year when we will be conducting flag raisings during the playing of the National Anthem at all Jonathan Alder home varsity football games.
2025 Dates are to be determined: Aug XX / Sep XX / Oct XX / Oct XX GO PIONEERS!
Archived Information
2024 Memorial Day Guest Speaker Selected
The guest speaker for this year's Memorial Day observance is LTC (retired) Carl Ey of the U.S, Army.
Here is LTC(retired) Ey's biographical summary:
Born into a family full of military heroes, Carl had a notion at a young age that his family’s service would influence him to one day wear the uniform. Carl’s dad was a Prisoner of War in WWII and a retired Soldier and his older brother Bruce is a Vietnam veteran, retiring from the Army as well.
In the fall of 1984, Carl began his first year at the University of Connecticut. In 1988, Carl graduated and accepted a regular Army commission to embark on a 22-year career that would take him to Korea, Egypt, Somalia, all over Europe, Kuwait, and Iraq. Additionally, Carl was on site at the Pentagon on 9-11 approximately 90 minutes after the disaster took place and supported the recovery mission on site for two months. Carl has two particularly historical assignments in his career: he served on the Armed Force Inaugural Committee during the “Hanging Chad Election” and he served as a military escort for President Reagan’s physician when the country honored the passing of our 40th President. Carl retired in 2010 as a Department of Defense spokesperson.
Carl holds three master’s degrees, including an MA in Journalism and an MBA from American University. Additionally, he has a Master of Science in National Security Studies from the National Defense University (ICAF) with a concentration in Strategic Communication. Carl is currently a student in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State University working toward a Master of Public Administration degree.
In his spare time, Carl enjoys sports, particularly competitive softball, and works diligently to support various Veteran initiatives. He is the Executive Director of the Heroes Athletic Association assisting Service Members transition to civilian life through adult recreational sports.
Carl and his wife are members of the Leonberger Club of America, showing their Leonbergers; the oldest German K9 breed in the world.
Besides being a full-time at the Ohio State University, Carl owns his own Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Mammoth Global Partners, Inc. Mammoth provides public affairs services and strategic communications services to both private and non-profit clientele.
Originally, from Wethersfield, Connecticut, Carl is married to Jennifer Ann Kraly and has a wonderful 7-year-old daughter, Emerson Grace. The Ey family moved to Plain City in January 2023 and love being Ohioans!
Veterans Day
The 2024 Veterans Day Observance will once again be held at Jonathan Alder High School on November 11 .
Our own COL(r) Kenneth Ratliff the guest speaker.
Please fill out this RSVP by 11/06/24 to indicate if you are a veteran and would like to attend our (4th Grade) Veteran's Day Assembly on November 11th, 2024 at Jonathan Alder High School. https://tinyurl.com/PCVetDay
The schedule of events is as follows:
9:15am Refreshments for Veterans
10:00am Students arrive from PCES and MES
10:15am Ceremony begins
11:00am Moment of silence/Ceremony concludes