Twenty-three area veterans and members of their families received 129 overdue military medals in a ceremony Saturday at the Summit County Veterans Service Commission office on East Waterloo Road in Akron.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Avon, obtained the overdue medals for the veterans.
The medals include one Distinguished Flying Cross, four Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts.
Living veterans who received medals are
John Mesko, Hudson, an Army Vietnam veteran; Willard Campbell, Barberton, a Navy veteran; George Cantor, Ravenna, an Army Korean War veteran; Robert Dengler, Akron, an Army World War II veteran; Eugene Evans, Barberton, an Army World War II veteran; Thomas Evans, Seven Hills, an Army World War II veteran; Arthur King, Cleveland, an Army Vietnam veteran; William Combs, Mogadore, an Army veteran; Charles Lehman, Akron, an Army Vietnam veteran; Thomas Plisko, Cleveland, a Navy veteran; Melvin Runyon, Cleveland, an Army Vietnam veteran; Michael Smith, Stow, an Army veteran; David Smith, Akron, an Army Korean War veteran; Ernest Stadvec, Akron, an Army World War II veteran; Leland Vonach, Akron, an Army World War II veteran; and Raymond Johns, Cuyahoga Falls, an Army World War II veteran.
Deceased veterans whose families received awards are
Vincent Blanco, Akron, a Navy World War II veteran; Wayne Martin, Perryopolis, Pa., an Army Air Corps World War II veteran; Eugene Evans Sr. of Yugoslavia, an Army World War II veteran; Charles Snow, Akron, an Army World War II veteran; Lambert Kopilec, Cleveland, an Army Air Corps World War II veteran; Stephen Ruschak, Youngstown, an Army World War II veteran; and Francis Baumgardner, of Rootstown, an Army World War II veteran.
Veterans and survivors of deceased veterans may request military records and medals by contacting Brown’s Cleveland office at 216-522-7272 or by visiting the “Constituent Services” section of his website at www.brown.senate.gov or by contacting other members of Congress.