Stories told of courage in service of country

CELINA - Mercer County is home to countless military servicemen and women who showed extraordinary courage on battlefields, among them a Celina man who saved the lives of hundreds of Marines at Iwo Jima.

Mercer County Veterans Service Officer Tom Risch this week shared with Celina Rotarians stories about past and present local veterans, who displayed immense bravery while serving their country.

Perhaps most striking is the story of Donald Howell, one that went undisclosed for years due to the Celina man's immense modesty, Risch said.

Howell, who died at age 84 on Nov. 30, 2009, served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1942-1945 during World War II, in the Pacific Theater and Iwo Jima. He was wounded on the next to last day of battle, earning a Purple Heart and the Navy Cross, according to his obituary.

"Don was the most highly decorated veteran in Mercer County. He received the Navy Cross, which is the second-highest honor for valor and bravery in combat, just below the Medal of Honor," Risch said.

Howell was asked by his fellow Marines to help raise the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima but declined because he couldn't leave his machine gun, Risch said. The moment was forever captured in an iconic photograph.

"He said, 'No, I can't. I have to stay on my machine gun,'" Risch said. "So the flag was raised and there was a photographer embedded with the Marines there at that particular time and saw an opportunity to capture this photo and possibly raise the morale of the American people and the soldiers themselves. So he asked them to raise the flag a second time and they did and he took the picture."

Risch, however, knew nothing of this story until Howell came into his office looking for assistance in getting replacements for his medals that were destroyed in a house fire.

"He handed me his discharge, and I was in awe that I was sitting across the desk from a man who had been awarded the Navy Cross," Risch said.

Risch said he went on to talk to Howell about his memories of that fateful day. Howell revealed that as soon as the flag was risen for a second time, Mount Suribachi "exploded" with Japanese fighters.

"They had tunneled into the mountain and he said, 'All I could do was just sit there and sweep back and forth with my machine gun,'" Risch recounted. "Don saved hundreds of Marines' lives that day. He could have possibly been the key for the successful capture of Iwo Jima."

Aside from Risch, only Howell and Howell's family knew the story, at least at that time.

"That's quite a story for a man from little cornfield county, Ohio. Don was always very modest of it," Risch said.

Risch had proposed a ceremony to present Howell with medals to replace those lost in the fire. Howell declined.

However, one Memorial Day, when services were moved indoors at the Celina Veterans of Foreign Wars post due to inclement weather, Risch said he spotted Howell standing at the back of the room.

Risch decided to announce to the crowd that they were in the presence of Mercer County's most highly decorated veteran.

"I knew that I was going to get in trouble, but I did it anyway," Risch said. "As a result of that, the crowd all went to the back of the room. They filed by and they shook his hand and thanked him and patted him on the back and he had this big grin on his face."

That announcement led to Howell's being chosen as grand marshal of the Celina Lake Festival parade that year, Risch said.

"They brought an … Abrams tank from Lima, drove it on the back roads all the way to Celina, and they got a manlift and (sat) him up on that tank and he rode proudly through the parade route," Risch said. "He finally got the recognition he deserved, but he was too modest to come out and tell anybody himself."

Risch then briefly touched on other Mercer County veterans who proudly served their country. A WWII veteran who served in the Battle of the Bulge was awarded four Purple Hearts for being wounded on four separate occasions.

"He told me he crossed the same river in France at least a half a dozen times - an ice-covered river," he said.

The unnamed veteran was forced to retire early from his business later in life because the wounds suffered in WWII, Risch said.

A young Mercer County veteran was severely wounded by an improvised explosive device in Iraq.

"He has traumatic brain injury. He has short-term memory loss. Fortunately, he works for someone who understands what his shortcomings are," Risch said. "He drives a semi. He has the same route to and from."

Today, about 2,700 veterans live in Mercer County, Risch said.

Risch is closing in on nearly 33 years as the county's veterans service officer. When he started, a couple of WWI veterans were still living in Mercer County. He said if he works another three or four years, he'll probably witness the passings of the remaining WWII veterans in the county, most of whom are in their mid- to late 90s.

"They're living history so if you have any family members or any friends who are WWII veterans, you might want to just take the opportunity and sit down with them and maybe learn a little about their experiences," Risch suggested.

Millions of dollars in total benefits continue to flow into Mercer County each year for veterans and their spouses and dependents, according to Risch.

Those dollars go toward compensation for service-connected disabilities and pension benefits, including medical care, education and insurance for those who have served during a period of war.