Photo By Timothy Koster | Connecticut Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner...... read more read more
The hall of fame was created in 2005 to honor and increase awareness of the accomplishments and contributions of Connecticut veterans who have continued to serve their community, state, and nation after honorably being discharged from the military.
“After serving their country with courage and dedication, so many of our veterans continue to serve by giving back to their local communities,” said Bysiewicz in a press release. “These men and women continue to go above and beyond to leave their country and their hometown better than they found it. The Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame not only recognizes and honors our veterans and their significant contributions to society by celebrates their legacies.”
The Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 2020 includes:
Harvey Curtiss Barnum, Jr. – U.S. Marine Corps
Colonel Barnum received the Medal of Honor for his actions while serving in Vietnam in December 1965. After a 28-year career in the Marines, he accepted a position as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserve Affairs, during which he advised the Department of Veterans Affairs, veteran service organizations, and corporate America on how to better care for veterans. He regularly volunteered for the Boy Scouts of America and the Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department. Today, he continued to serve as a board member for SEGS4VETS, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, and the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation.
Severio “Bob” Fodero – U.S. Army (Posthumously)
Colonel Fodero first became involved with the military through the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Connecticut. After commissioning, he was appointed as the commander of the ambulance unit under the 555th Medical Service Corps in Orleans, France. In 1996, he and the Veterans Affairs Committee started a free Memorial Day concert to help honor New Haven veterans. He served as Chair of the Orange War Remembrance Committee and helped develop a Veterans’ memorial garden. He served as president of the Connecticut Lung Association and the New England Public Health Association. Bob also served on the Governor’s Clean Air Commission.
Theodore “Ted” Graziani – U.S. Army
Ted volunteered for the draft at the age of 18 and was sworn in on August 22, 1966. He served in Vietnam as a member of the 539th Transportation Company before being transferred to the 610th Transportation Company in An Khe and Da Nang. He volunteered to extend his deployment and served in both the Tet Offensive and Counter Offensive Phase IV. He was honorably discharged on June 6, 1968. Back home, he joined the state legislature and worked to help give unemployment compensation to military spouses who voluntarily leave their job because of military relocation requirements. He also helped bring Interstate Compact on Military Education to Connecticut which created uniformed education standards for military families transitioning across state lines.
Edward Robert Karazin, Jr. – U.S. Army
Judge Karazin only planned to serve two years in the U.S. Army before the Vietnam War changed his plans. In November 1965, he served a one-year tour of duty as a civil affairs officer working the Pacification Program in Quang Tin Province. Upon his discharge, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Vietnamese government presented him with the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross. As a judge and lawyer, he supported veterans in a number of different ways: a good portion of his pro bono work was done on behalf of the VFW post 339. He has also been a director of multiple youth sports leagues, spoken at schools about military service, and worked as an adjunct professor at Western Connecticut State University.
Kristaps Juris Keggi – U.S. Army
Kristaps was born in Riga, Latvia and survived World War II as a child. In 1949, he arrived in Manhattan aboard a refugee ship and eight years later he volunteered for military service. After graduating from Yale University and Yale University School of Medicine, he served as the orthopedic surgery chief for Third Surgical Hospital, Mobil Army, in Vietnam from September 1965 – June 1966. Since his departure from military service, he has volunteered for many charitable endeavors and received many awards, local and international, throughout the years and created and endowed many educations efforts. As an orthopedic surgeon who trained at Yale and Served in Vietnam, whe was the senior author of the seminal American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Instructional Course on “Early Care of Severe War Wounds,” detailing how battlefield wounds should be treated.
Michael “Mike” Kellett – U.S. Navy
Michael served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Truett (FF-1905) until the mid-1980s. Since then, the has served with both the Shelton and State of Connecticut Fire Departments, he is a lifetime member of the American Legion Post 16 where he was worked to grow the organization, improve the building, and promote local programs to assist the community. As a legionnaire and father, he has spent a countless number of days volunteering to support education, public service, volunteer activities, and his community.
Kenneth R. “K. Robert” Lewis – U.S. Air Force
K. Robert was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force on Easter Sunday 1976. Since his discharge, he has served in a number of different capacities in the American legion, been a member of the National Legislative Council, and served on the executive committee of the Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission. He has volunteered as a representative of the Soldiers’, Sailors’, and Marines’ Fund to help aid needy and at-risk veterans and their families. He investigated proposed VA closures across the country as a member of the American Legion Facilities Advisory Committee, helping save the clinic in Windham.
Stewart Brett McKinney – U.S. Air Force (Posthumously)
Stewart enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1951. While serving, he was one of 40 Airmen selected to attend the Dwight D. Eisenhower Citizen’s Training Program at Columbia University. After he was honorably discharged, he graduated from Yale with a Bachelors of Art in American History in 1958. Stewart was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly in 1966 and reelected in 1968. During this time, he also served as a director at Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport Child Guidance Clinic, the Rehabilitation Center of Eastern Fairfield County, and Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce. In 1970, Stewart was elected to Congress and served until his passing in 1987.
Mirca Reyes – U.S. Navy
Mirca is a disabled veteran who began her service to her country by enlisting in the Navy shortly after graduating from New London High School. She served in the Navy for four years. After her separation, she has worked to support high-risk veterans, including those who are homeless, struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, and those seeking reintegration into society after incarceration.
Manuel Rodrigues – U.S. Marine Corps
Since being discharged from the Marine Corps, Manuel has focused on helping his fellow veterans and his community. He assists veterans who are in need of assistance getting to their local VA hospitals, he works with the Capt. Nathan Hale Middle School to promote the VFW Patriots Pen program, and he works with local Boy Scouts troops to promote a public flag retirement ceremony every year on Flag Day. He serves as the chairman of the Connecticut State VFW Scouting Program, instituted a Junior Air Rifle program to teach teens about firearm safety, and works with the Coventry Senior Center to help host Veterans Day ceremonies each year.
Heather Sandler – U.S. Navy
Heather served in the U.S. Navy from 1995 – 2005, completing four deployments aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-23. Since her discharge, she has worked as a legal administration specialist and Congressional liaison at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a senior constituent liaison for military and veteran’s affairs under Sen. Richard Blumenthal, and aided members of congress on veterans’ claims and appears with the VA. Her work with the VA in Connecticut to improve veteran experience has been used as a national model for other states and communities.
Thomas Eugene Williamson – U.S. Navy
Thomas enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 17 and transferred to the Navy after basic training to be trained as a medical corpsman. During the Vietnam War, Tom requested assignment to the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observation Group and went on to become Special Forces qualified and volunteered for the Phoenix Program, where he underwent several highly classified missions. Following Vietnam, he was selected for duty in the Ceremonial Guard Presidential Detail at the White House and served as a personal guard for President Richard Nixon. Following his military career, Tom began work as a correctional officer and served as a counselor for the incarcerated and paroled inmates. In the ongoing operations of the many organizations he is involved in, he has continued a life of service dedicated to human health and safety.
Each inductee received a commemorative medallion and certificate to recognize their induction.
To learn more about the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame, visit: https://portal.ct.gov/DVA/Pages/CT-Veterans-Hall-of-Fame
| Date Taken: | 07.29.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2021 11:05 |
| Story ID: | 411288 |
| Location: | HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, US |
| Web Views: | 148 |
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