Salute

SALUTE

A TRIBUTE TO JOHNSON COUNTY AREA VETERANS

CHARLES FROMER PAGE 4

SALUTE is a publication of the Daily Journal, 30 S. Water St., Ste. A, Franklin, IN 46131

EDITORIAL CONTENT Amy May Daily Journal special publications editor 317-736-2726 or amay@dailyjournal.net

ADVERTISING 317-736-2730 ON THE COVER xxxx.

May is Military Appreciation Month

May is Military Appreciation Month, a special time for those in and out of the military. It is a time designated to honor and recognize the contributions, sacrifices, and service of the members of the armed forces, past and present.

Not only do we pause on Memorial Day to remember the sacrifice and service of those who gave all, but the month also marks several other military anniversaries and events, including Military Spouse Appreciation Day and Armed Forces Day.

Join Military.com as we honor the service and sacrifice of members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Space Force and National Guard as well as the contributions of their spouses and families.

Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month in 1999 to ensure the nation was given the chance to publicly show their appreciation for troops past and present. It serves as a reminder of the profound contributions made by service members in a pursuit of freedom.

Celebrate national Military Appreciation Month

National Military Appreciation Month is celebrated every May and is a declaration that encourages U.S. citizens to observe the month in a symbol of unity.

(U.S. Air Force)

What is Military Appreciation Month?

Military Appreciation Month plays a crucial role in fostering awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by the military community. It provides a platform for education and dialogue about the experiences of service members, veterans, and their families.

Each year, the president makes a proclamation reminding Americans of the important role the U.S. Armed Forces have played in the history and development of our country. May was chosen because it has many individual days marked to note our military’s achievements, including Loyalty Day, established in 1921, Victory in Europe (VE) Day commemorating the end of WWII in Europe in 1945, Children of Fallen Patriots Day, and the anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden.

Military Appreciation Day

Many locations also celebrate a specific Military Appreciation Day. Although not a nationally recognized holiday, areas use the day to hold parties and picnics in honor of their local active duty, Guard, Reserve and military veteran communities. Local businesses may offer discounts, while local sports teams may give free entrance to military families and veterans.

SENECA HARBIN PAGE 17

JOHN SUTTON PAGE 18

DANIELLE LEONARD PAGE 20

MARLENE JULYE PAGE 6

ROBERT TAYLOR PAGE 8

KEITH CHEZAM PAGE 10

JAMES COPP PAGE 12

Photo by Warrie Dennis

JIM COLEMAN PAGE 15

‘A LIFE WELL LIVED’ 102-year-old served in European Theater

STORY BY JOYCE LONG | PHOTOS BY MARK FREELAND

In uniform and on furlough from Camp Atterbury in mid-July 1945, Sgt. Charles Fromer was chatting with his buddies in downtown Greensburg when four girls driving by slowed down.

“Well, there’s Charlie Fromer,” shouted Winifred Smith. She stopped, chatted with Fromer, and soon they began dating. Five months later, they were married in her family’s home on South Broadway Street in Greensburg, on Saturday, Dec. 15, 1945.

His years leading up to that were busy. As a child his passion for numbers surpassed his desire to be a farmer on the family land located at Letts Corner between Greensburg and Westport. The youngest of five children, Fromer, after high school graduation, became the manager for the Nickel Nook, an iconic Greensburg sandwich shop.

In November 1942 his life pivoted when Fromer “got the greetings letter from Uncle Sam.” One of 18 men from Greensburg, he was inducted at Fort Benjamin

Harrison on Nov. 28, 1942. The next day Fromer transferred to Miami Beach, where he joined others in the newly formed Army Air Force. From there, he attended Administrative School in Denver, Colorado, then was sent to Grand Prairie, Texas, and later to San Antonio for overseas training.

Soon the 16th Air Depot Repair Group deployed from Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation in a banana boat, slang for a faster, smaller ship, spending five days in transit before reaching Newfoundland. Fromer spent his 21st birthday off Greenland’s coast experiencing bad storms and cold, choppy water. After disembarking in Liverpool, their journey continued to Bishop Stafford, 10 miles from London, and then later to Camp Stansted.

The thought of crossing the English Channel brought back a bad memory.

“It was the worst breakfast I’ve ever had — boiled fish and beans.”

Charles Fromer holds his service photo. The 102-year-old served in World War II.

Stationed in Reims (northeastern France), the 16th Air Depot Repair Group awaited orders. Disembarking at Omaha Beach 12 days after the Normandy Invasion, they discovered their St. Lo destination had not yet been taken so they camped out in an apple orchard where Fromer continued to monitor airplane status and the Repair Squad.

After Germany’s unconditional surrender May 8, 1945, his unit transferred from France to Germany. During his only furlough, he returned to the United States mid-July to mid-August when Japan surrendered.

Using the GI bill, Fromer began classes part-time at Indiana

CHARLES GEORGE FROMER

AGE: 102

BIRTHPLACE/HOMETOWN: Greensburg

YEARS OF SERVICE: November 1942-October 1945

BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army

ASSIGNED UNIT: 16th Air Depot Group

DUTIES: Administrative specialist

RANK: Sergeant

F Wife Winifred “Winnie” (deceased); children: Charla Simons and Sierra Collins

University and eventually completed his accounting degree from Butler University 18 years later. He worked 15 years for Pittman-Moore Pharmaceutical Co. as an internal auditor. After Dow Chemical acquired them, Fromer became business manager and especially enjoyed working on Dow Home Product Division’s yearly budget.

Retirement provided he and his wife more time to serve their church.

“Winnie and I worked with the young people and one Sunday each month, we’d take them on a picnic. Winnie got up at 4 o’clock to deep fry the chicken. My, those were good times and good food.”

Fromer’s astute memory reflected on more difficult times when he was eight years old, and his mother died in a car/train wreck. His father, in his mid-70s, accidentally set himself on fire and died a week later. Fromer noted the irony of his family emigrating from Germany to escape their conscription only to serve a few years later in the Civil War. Since then, the names of those sons have appeared in each generation of his family.

He thought for a moment before giving this advice: “If you’ve got something you really want to do, do it.”

Celebrate your veteran with a Beautiful Memorial Service

Inset: An escape pocket map made of linen, which was issued to Fromer in the war. Above: Fromer on the golf course.

FOCUS DETERMINATION

STORY BY JENN GUTHRIE | PHOTO BY DON MEYER

Growing up outside Glenview, Illinois, Marlene Julye sang cadences and wanted to be an Army Ranger.

The self-described Army brat was strongly influenced by her mother, Allison, who was a career soldier in the U.S. Army. However, though the benefits of military service are great and wide-ranging, choosing to enlist is a transformative decision that requires sacrifice —a lesson Julye herself would learn.

As a recent high school graduate who was eking by as a college freshman, Julye admits she was not prepared for college as she didn’t have the mindset or focus. It

was a TV commercial for the Navy Seals that changed her mind and her life’s trajectory.

Julye spoke with a friend and the pair went to the recruitment office, committed to a buddy contract, dropped out of college and joined the U.S. Navy. Before making the decision, the pair visited all the branches to see what they had to offer. All she’d known was the Army, so that seemed a logical place to start.

“Every single time the recruiter would talk about the job and spending time in the field, I asked, ‘Every job?’ and the answer was ‘Yes,’” Julye recalled. “I said, ‘I don’t like dirt.’”

Marlene Julye poses with the Navy logo at Proctor Park in New Whiteland. At right: Julye and her son, Asher.

MARLENE JULYE

AGE: 39

BIRTHPLACE: Fort Bragg, North Carolina

RESIDENCE: Greenwood

YEARS OF SERVICE: 2004– 2008

BRANCH: U.S. Navy

UNIT: HC-3; HSC-23

DUTIES: Helicopter mechanic

RANK: E4

MILITARY HONORS: Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist Insignia

FAMILY: Mother, Allison Julye; son, Asher

Julye answered in the affirmative when asked if she was serious.

“I’m not built for that and it isn’t going to work,” Julye said. “I love the people who do it and that’s great, like my mom, but that is just not something I do.”

Julye’s mother always instilled in her daughter that if you join the military “you have to have your contract,” before leaving. So, the Air Force was a no-go since they wouldn’t allow that and instead had new recruits list their top preferences for jobs and would pick from that list for the enlistee.

“So, I just went with the Navy,” Julye said.”They had the job that seemed cool and I was able to pick my contract.”

Going in, Julye had a general idea of what to expect and, ultimately, surprised herself.

“I picked to be a helicopter mechanic and I had never touched tools a day in my life,” she said. “It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be in the sense that my brain was able to pick it up easily.”

However, as with all new recruits, boot camp had the 19-year-old questioning what she’d gotten herself into.

“I’ve never failed at anything I’ve ever done and quitting wasn’t an option,” Julye said. “I was going to prove people wrong who thought I wasn’t going to be tough enough to do it. Sometimes I would sit and think, â ˜This is weird. What are we doing here?’ But, working in aviation, I think my world was a little different just because I went to work and went home. I didn’t have to do formations or hikes or anything like that.”

After ranking at the top of her class, Julye was stationed in San Diego, but wouldn’t be deploying to Hawaii as she’d hoped.

“When it was time for that, the guy who was in charge said I couldn’t go there because there was no space for women,” Julye said. “I was supposed to be on a deployable status from the beginning and he put me on shore duty, which made me undeployable for two years.”

Consequently, the situation negatively impacted Julye’s ability to advance.

“I wish I would have advocated more to get a different duty station, but I was also scared,” Julye admitted. “I took the safer route and stuck with San Diego and ended up there for the entire 4½ years.”

As her contract was nearing its end, the opportunity to extend was offered that would include deploying on the USS Rainier. She signed up for another six months that ultimately turned into seven.

Julye served alongside 30 servicemembers. She was th only female aboard when the ship left dock to complete its mission during the tail end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and start of Operation Enduring Freedom making stops in such locations as Dubai, Singapore and the Philippines.

“It was so cool to be a lead in that,” Julye said. “It was a search and rescue squadron and we also delivered stuff, like a Door Dash for a 7-11, delivering food, fuel and bombs.”

Upon her discharge, Julye returned to college, earning her bachelor’s degree in social work with a 4.0 GPA and later a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California.

Before her service, Julye said she dropped out of college with a “one-point-nothing GPA.” After her service, Julye returned to academia with a brand-new focus and determination.

BANG-UPS ON THE FRONTLINE

Korean War vet injured multiple times during combat

STORY

BY JENN GUTHRIE | PHOTOS BY AMY MAY

When most anticipate cards and a celebration for their 21st birthday, Robert Taylor got a draft notice.

Admittedly, Taylor says he didn’t really know what to say. And when he was told he would be deploying to Korea, he immediately asked, “Where’s that?”

The second world war wasn’t too far in the rearview and Korea was barely mentioned at all in school, he said.

“I said, ‘What are we going over there for?’ 93-year-old Taylor recalled. “It took me a little while to find out it was to keep communism from spreading, I guess.”

Taylor was initially sent to Camp Atterbury then shipped to Seattle, Washington, where he “caught a boat” and went to Japan, where he would be put through special schooling to train to handle the 155-millimeter caliber field gun nicknamed the “Long Tom,” which required two men just

to load the shells.

“Our guns were too big and we couldn’t put them up on the frontline,” Taylor said. “It was a shock; I’d never seen anything like it before. They don’t have them anymore, though.”

Taylor was assigned to the 937th field artillery unit where he was in command of four of 12 guns positioned across the line. It was while he was on

Left: Robert Taylor was drafted into the Korean War around his 21st birthday. Left: Taylors looks through souvenir books of his 2015 Honor Flight to Washington D.C.

Opposite page: Taylor’s service photo.

ROBERT TAYLOR

AGE: 93

BIRTHPLACE: Marion

RESIDENCE: Greenwood

YEARS OF SERVICE: 1951–1953

BRANCH: U.S. Army

UNIT: 937th Field Artillery

DUTIES: Direct fire for 155 “Long Toms”

RANK: Corporal

MILITARY HONORS: Purple Heart

FAMILY: Wife, Marilyn (deceased, 2006); sons, Steven and Michael.

one end of the firing line that a fellow soldier from a way down asked, “Where are all these soldiers coming from?”

It was then the U.S. realized the Chinese’s role in the conflict, Taylor said.

Not long afterwards, Taylor was inside his tent doing paperwork when an enemy shell came through the side and exploded, riddling the tent and mangling nearly everything inside. Taylor crawled out of the tent bloodied with a back full of shrapnel.

“I remember I had mess gear that we ate our food on and that mess gear was a mangled mess from the explosion,” Taylor recalled. “I remember, even though I was bleeding like everything, I got mad as heck at them North Koreans saying, “‘Now, what am I going to eat with?’”

Helicopters back then weren’t the sleek models of today, Taylor explained, so when he was rescued, Taylor was loaded onto a stretcher that was placed on prongs outside the helicopter and flown away from the area of conflict to a mobile army surgical hospital, also known as a M.A.S.H. Unit, where surgeons cut the shrapnel from Taylor’s back. Unfortunately, his thoughts of getting to go home were quickly dashed and

he returned to combat two weeks later.

“I had two other bang-ups while I was there,” he said.

While on what Taylor called a “suicide mission” to the frontline, the enemy was throwing everything they had and Taylor was forced to move to the side of a small mountain.

“Guns were smoking and a shell came in and blew up to one side and threw me off my feet,” Taylor said. “When I came down, I struck the side of my face on something – I don’t know what it was – and, after that, for a couple of days I looked like I’d been in a prize fight.”

Nighttime in the mountains proved nearly as deadly as the kinetic conflict, Taylor said, because temperatures would easily plummet to 40 degrees below zero. During a nearly four-day stretch of subzero temperatures, one of Taylor’s ankles froze while he was sleeping.

Many of his fellow soldiers faced amputation as a result of the severity of their frostbite. However, Taylor was determined to come home with both his arms and legs, he said, so he rolled the dice and took a chance, knowing the injury would cause issues later in life.

Taylor was discharged shortly before the signing of the Korean Armistice

Agreement and the formation of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

As he was readying to depart to come home, Taylor’s superiors asked if he would re-enlist and he declined.

“I said, “‘No, you about got me killed,” Taylor said.

And his future wife, Marilyn, was waiting for him at home.

When he returned to Marion, Taylor worked as a chemist for Erikson and retired nearly four decades later.

He and Marilyn married in 1953 and went on to have two sons, Steven and Michael, and remained married until her death in 2006.

“Dad is what I would call a very traditional dad,” Steven said. “I think he expected the same things of us that were expected of him when he was in the service. He just always wanted us to take care of business – whatever that translated to, like raising our families, going to work, etc...”

Over the years he and his father have had many conversations, Steven said, and during those talks Taylor often ruminates about how nothing good comes from war. Period.

Had he not been drafted and had a choice in the matter, the elder Taylor says he would have liked to have

TAYLOR PAGE 14)

(SEE

KEITH CHEZEM

AGE: 37

BIRTHPLACE: Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos), Texas

RESIDENCE: Franklin

YEARS OF SERVICE: 2005-2013

BRANCH: Army

ASSIGNED UNITS: 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment (Iraq); 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Afghanistan)

DUTIES: Mortar Team Leader

RANK: Sergeant

STORY BY BOB BROMELY | PHOTOS BY MARK FREELAND

When Keith Chezem joined the Army fresh out of Franklin Community High School in 2005, he was continuing a family legacy of military service that spanned four generations and dated back to the 1920s.

Chezem’s freshman year at Franklin Community High School.

That year became significant for another reason, when Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked four commercial airliners on Sept. 11 and carried out terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. Chezem remembers the day making a big impression on him and was part of the motivation for his later decision to join the Army.

Family tradition also played a big part.

FAMILY: Wife, Whitney; son, Rhys, 13; daughters, Kinley, 8, and Maryn, 4

His great-grandfather began the tradition, serving in the Army Air Corps in the mid-to-late 1920s. Chezem’s grandfather was in the Navy during the Korean War, serving as a navigator on transport aircraft ferrying wounded soldiers from the Korean peninsula. Chezem’s father was a Combat Engineer in the Army from 1980 to 1993, a stretch that included his service in the Persian Gulf War.

In addition, Chezem has an aunt who served in the Air Force and an uncle who served in the Army, while his brother is currently in the Army and has done a tour in Iraq.

With his father in the Army, the family moved a lot when Chezem was a child. He was born in Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos), Texas, but the family eventually made its way to Franklin in 2001, just in time for

“I remember watching ‘Band of Brothers’ with my dad growing up,” Chezem said. “My father took great pride in his service and still had his uniform.”

“I also had an adventurous spirit and thought it would be some sort of grand adventure.”

That adventure began in July 2005, when he went to basic training at Fort Benning (now Fort Moore) in Georgia, before moving on to Schofield Barracks in Oahu, Hawaii. Not long after, he was in Iraq.

Chezem was an Indirect Fire Infantryman, commonly known as a mortarman, and stationed in Hawijah,

Keith Chezem holds photos of his great grandfather, grandfather and father. Opposite page: a helmet cover and medals. Below: Chezam holds a bomb fragment.

a

town in northern Iraq. Soldiers there lived and worked out of Forward Operating Base (FOB) McHenry. One of his main duties was base defense.

“We got hit and run a lot,” he said. “The insurgents would fire rockets they had on trucks, then take off.”

The mortarman’s job was to fire back on those incoming mortars. You had to read the situation very fast, said Chezem. He also went out on convoy

operations, serving as security.

The mortars Chezem fired were 60 mm and 120 mm. The 60 mm mortar is for closer-in support of ground troops and would be used while on patrol, while the 120 mm would be for greater distances, traveling about 7,200 meters, Chezem said. The Indirect Fire Infantryman must be adept at maps and compass directions and must be very timely and accurate.

Originally, Chezem was to be in Iraq for 12 months. However, he was informed nine months into his tour that he would be serving an additional three months, bringing his stay to 15 months.

After Iraq, Chezem re-enlisted and was stationed at Fort Campbell, located astride the Kentucky/Tennessee border. Eventually he found his way back into a war, this time in Afghanistan for 12 months in 2010-2011. Afghanistan proved to be a tougher assignment than Iraq. Stationed at Combat Outpost Penich in the Khas Kunar District in the Kunar Province, Chezem saw much more action. He would helicopter into an area, then provide security for convoys or for troops as they cleared a village.

“We saw a lot of fluid situations,” Chezem said. “It might start as one thing, then develop as something else.”

Chezem had a number of close calls, saying that several times he was almost in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, he was never wounded. But his service did come at a heavy cost to his

physical and mental health. After Afghanistan he re-enlisted, but he was medically retired in August 2013.

Years of lugging around the mortar rounds and other heavy equipment caused wear and tear to Chezem’s back, knees and shoulders. He was also diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder and has dealt with the anxiety and depression that often accompanies PTSD.

But along with the struggles, Chezem has also experienced great success after his service. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, and had the opportunity to study abroad in Poland, studying the Cold War. Returning to Franklin in 2020, he is now married and has received two promotions at his job at Ivy Tech Community College, rising first to assistant director of financial aid, then recently to interim director.

Looking back on his two wars, Chezem finds that his love of history fuels his desires to get questions answered, noting that the Taliban are back in control in Afghanistan and Iraq remains very unstable.

“Why were we there for? Why did so many of my friends not come home?” he asked.

“I would like to see (our leaders) admit their mistakes and learn from them,” he added. “Let’s look at all solutions. It doesn’t always have to be a fight.”

But Chezem is quick to point out that he has no regrets.

“I’m proud of my service. I’d do it again.”

JAMES COPP: ARMY

‘IT’S A GREAT JOB’

STORY BY JENN GUTHRIE | PHOTOS BY WARRIE DENNIS

The day a 19-year-old James Copp told his best friend he had enlisted in the United States military, his buddy answered, “It took long enough.”

It was a conversation that makes Copp chuckle to this today.

The trajectory of Copp’s young life took an adventurous detour following his meeting with a ROTC recruiter while he was a freshman at Ball State University. The ROTC program the recruiter spoke of sounded like something he would enjoy, so Copp signed up without hesitation.

A National Guard recruiter showed up Copp’s first day in the program and he learned he could not only get training, but he could shoot machine guns, jump out of planes and his college would be paid in full.

“It was like, ‘Where do I sign?’” Copp said. “I did three years in the Army National Guard in the 76th Brigade Infantry Unit – one of the better units in the Guard. I was blessed, had great leadership and it set the tone for the rest of my career.”

Following his graduation from Ball State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, Copp went on active duty and deployed to Korea in 2003. From Korea, he deployed to Iraq and it was 18 months before he stepped back on United States soil.

“I did one trip around the world,” he said. “Which is cool to say when you think about it, but I didn’t do it in 80 days.”

Copp was stationed in Ramadi, Iraq, which, at the time, was literally like the Wild West, he said. As the time to return stateside neared, Copp made the decision to volunteer for Special Forces selection, was subsequently selected and graduated from qualification training in 2008. From there, he became part of the 5th Special Forces Group and completed several more deployments through the end of the Iraq War.

“We tuned the lights off, so to speak,” Copp said. “I was one of the last people out. And then turned right back around 15 months later or so — following the rise of ISIS — and my company was one of the first back in to defend the embassy and annex there at the international airport.”

It was while he was between deployments and stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, that Copp met Sara, who was serving in the Pennsylvania National Guard and would later become his wife.

“His roommate was friends with my neighbor and they invited me to a party,” 39-year-old Sara said. “I was very guarded in my heart and was not looking for any sort of relationship, but I fell head over heels for him. He has a servant’s heart and would give you the shirt off his back.”

One month after their meeting, he deployed again. Shortly after that, Sara left on her one and only deployment to Afghanistan. The couple kept in touch via email and the occasional phone call over the next several months.

“It worked out really well because it allowed us the time to get to know one another,” Sara said.

Eventually, the couple got engaged, were married on paper and then had a wedding one year later.

Copp was frequently on deployment leaving Sara home with their son, Jack, and their daughter, Hannah.

During his 25 years of service, Copp served on three deployments during Operation Iraqi Freedom and two deployments during Operation Inherent Resolve.

“The reason I stayed in so long is because I felt I was contributing to something greater than myself and that meant a lot to me,” 43-year-old Copp says. “Let’s be honest, it’s a great

Army veteran James Copp has been deployed all over the world during his 25-plus years in the service.

AGE: 43

BIRTHPLACE: Bloomington

RESIDENCE: Franklin

YEARS OF SERVICE: 1999–2024

BRANCH: U.S. Army

UNIT: 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell

DUTIES: Detachment commander, company commander, operations officer

RANK: Lieutenant colonel

FAMILY: Wife, Sara; son, Jack; daughter, Hannah

job. There aren’t too many lines of work where they will pay you to jump out of a plane or go scuba diving. Yeah, it’s dangerous stuff, but it’s also fun and you are doing it with the best people who are out there.”

One thing about military service is that it makes you grow up fast, Copp says.

While on leave in Colorado a 24-year-old Copp was having lunch with his dad, Jim, when two young men in uniform approached them. Witnessing the respect with which the pair addressed his son seemed a bit of a reality jolt for Jim as he still thought of his son as a bit “wet behind the ears,” Copp said.

“I took those kids into harm’s way and brought them back,” Copp said. “And that is something you don’t get in any other job. The thing the Army gives you is a very fast maturation process and a sharp learning curve when it comes to what you have to do be an effective leader.”

Military service is certainly a calling that some people get, he says, “and I got it.”

When Copp reflects on how his service has influenced him as a son, husband and father, he admits that some aspects made him more patient and tolerant while other aspects did the opposite.

Copp recently retired from his more than two-decades long career and says he already misses it horribly. However, he is settling in and enjoying his work as director of business development for Patriot Products in Franklin and being present as a husband and father.

Should his children express interest in enlisting when they get old enough neither he nor his wife will dissuade them, he said.

“When we moved back to Indiana, my son was three years old and had lived in four different houses,” he explained. “So, you’re making trades and I’ll tell them that. It is a great life and a wonderful thing to do, but you make trades and there’s sacrifice in service.”

When given the opportunity to speak with young people about the possibility of military service Copp’s message is modest.

“Talk to a military recruiter and see if it is an option that appeals to you,” he said. “You can’t make an informed life decision without having good information.”

JULYE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

“One thing I learned about myself being in was that nothing is impossible,” the mother of one said. “I really developed this headstrong attitude like I was going to do it no matter what and I’m not going to accept ‘No’ for an answer.”

Today, Julye is a social worker with Veterans Affairs and enjoys spending time with her son, Asher, who is very active in sports, including basketball –Julye’s first love.

“I enjoy gardening, crafting and the normal suburban mom stuff,” she said. “I travel a lot.”

Julye said she finally realized she loves advocating for veterans, giving back and being a voice for positive change. She hopes to build a team of others of like mind and do more for area veterans in Johnson County. And though her service was difficult at times and bit tumultuous, Julye said she wouldn’t change a thing.

“I feel like it was the best decision that I could have ever made, specially looking at how my life has gone so far being a single mom,” she said. “I would have never been able to get where I am today had I not been in the military.”

TAYLOR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

joined the Coast Guard and made a career of it. Regardless of the branch one joins, service is important, he added. But there’s got to be a better way than war.

“It’s ugly and it causes huge pain and suffering to not only those who went through the war, but those who were back home,” Steven said. “That is one thing he’s always said in our conversations: “We need to find a better way to solve our problems other than just going to war all the time. Sometimes, you have to, but we can’t always turn to war.’”

Marlene

Left: Robert Taylor’s souvenir books of his 2015 Honor Flight to Washington D.C. Above: Taylor displays the case full of medals he earned in the Korean War.

KEEPING THE BEAT

Coleman still drumming through life’s highs and lows

ISTORY BY AMANDA STEVENSON-HOLMES | PHOTOS BY MARK FREELAND

n October 1978, Jim Coleman was an impressive and accomplished high school musician, a drummer specifically. He had two ideas as senior year ended – one was attending Ball State and studying music and the second was joining the U.S. Army Band. So, he and a friend went through all the physical and musical testing for the U.S. Army Band. During the music test, Coleman was only allowed seven mistakes as he played the 15 sheets of music. On the 12th sheet, he made his eighth mistake.

“I was just so exhausted after the day and the recruiter was pretty slick,” Coleman said. “He was like let’s just start you in one career field, then we can switch you over to music. And I signed the papers. All the way home, I thought what I have done?”

Jim Coleman poses with his service-era photograph.

Even though Coleman questioned his military start, his impressive and important commitment lasted for 23 years of activeduty service and full time Indiana Army National Guard service at Camp Atterbury. Coleman has two moments he’s most proud of over his years of service. The first was saving his military partner’s life and the victim’s life during a domestic violence call. The second moment was when he

(SEE COLEMAN PAGE 16)

COLEMAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

received the Meritorious Service Medal for his work creating the recreational program as director of personnel and community activities at Camp Atterbury.

“I have experienced many highs and lows in life like anyone,” Coleman said. “I have lost the love of my life and mother of my children to cancer at the too-soon age of 38, and I lost my son to an accidental overdose. Then, I experienced full paralysis from the waist down.”

JIM COLEMAN

AGE: 63

BIRTHPLACE/HOMETOWN: Edinburgh

RESIDENCE: Franklin

YEARS OF SERVICE: 23

BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army; Indiana Army National Guard

But Coleman suggested that becoming paralyzed actually changed his life and put him back on track to being a happy, successful person once again.

“I was taken to the VA (Veterans Affairs) Hospital in Indianapolis where they performed an emergency spinal cord operation, and then sent me to the Chicago Hines VA Hospital where they have a specialized spinal cord wing, focusing on these types of injuries,” Coleman said. “At Hines, I went through four to six hours of physical therapy, six days a week, learning the basics of walking, sitting and standing all over again.”

While at Hines, he was connected with a veterans advocacy group, Partners in Housing. The group provided him with an apartment without rent or utility costs for two years, while he continued his rehab.

“It was during this time I was persuaded to play the drums again, eventually leading to meeting up with old friends and some new fellow musicians,” Coleman said. “We started a band and started playing at various clubs several nights a week.”

Additionally, during this time, his Social Security disability claim was finally approved, so he started receiving an income again and he qualified for his military retirement payments.

“Today, I get to enjoy a modest lifestyle, living with my daughter and her family and get out a couple of weekends a month with one of the two bands I’m playing in,” Coleman said.

Catch Coleman as he performs with the band Ragtop Deluxe or his Jim Jam and the Scrim Scrams, the band he’s personally assembled with all-star musicians.

ASSIGNED UNIT: INSCOM Military Police (active) and Installation Support Unit, Camp Atterbury (INARNG)

DUTIES: Military police (active); director of Personnel and Community Activities, recreation director, publications officer, hunt master, COR security, marketing/media rep, post sergeant major duties, admin officer (at Camp Atterbury)

RANK: Master sergeant

MILITARY HONORS: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation (2), Army Achievement (2), Good Conduct Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Indiana Commendation, Indiana Military Volunteer Emblem, NCO Professional Development Ribbon (4), Expert Marksman Badge (Pistol, Rifle Grenade), Wheel Badge (Driver) and Unit Presidential Citation

FAMILY: Wife Cheryle Coleman (died 2002); son Brock Coleman (died 2012); brother Ron (Michelle) Coleman; daughter Brooke (Curtis) Coleman Thompson; Damerah Coleman, Shaina (Nick) Whited, Samantha (Matt) Fallor, Zoe Smith, Nick Smith; 16 grandchildren

Above: Jim Coleman still has his own and his son’s military uniforms. Far left: Coleman holdis a base drum cover with band’s name.

Left: Coleman at his Franklin home.

VETS HELPING VETS

ASTORY BY AMANDA STEVENSON-HOLMES I PHOTO BY WARRIE DENNIS

hometown hero, Seneca Harbin grew up in Greenwood and attended Isom Elementary School, as well as Greenwood Middle and High School.

“9/11 happened my freshman year of high school, so I wanted to join the military and do my part to defend my country,” Harbin said.

He had seen the popular movies of the time, like “Black Hawk Down” and knew the Army Infantry program was his next step after high school. Harbin went on to serve seven years in the United States Army Infantry from 2005 to 2012. He served six tours overseas, one in Germany, one in Kuwait and four combat tours in Iraq.

In the army, Harbin found a sense of team, the greater good and a mission beyond himself.

“The military was the first time I realized the world was a lot bigger than just me,” said Harbin, who ranked very quickly and reached staff sergeant in only four years.

“I was leading platoons before I could drink alcohol,” Harbin said with a laugh.

“Military service comes with residuals. We all know that,” explained Harbin. “But I am extremely proud of the opportunities to grow past what I would have if I had never joined. The military was the first time I ever took anything serious.”

But speaking of residuals, Harbin did not reintegrate well into civilian life in 2012. He found being out of the military was a hard adjustment and he was not prepared to take advantage of support structures.

“I went into the Disabled American Veterans office, got help filing a claim and walked out with a job,” Harbin said.

“That was instrumental in changing the entire path of my life.”

Currently, Harbin helps other veterans find those support structures in his role as the director of veterans affairs for Johnson County. The Johnson County Veterans Affairs

Seneca Harbin, director of Veterans Affairs for Johnson County, stands in front of the courthouse. Right: Harbin works in his office.

OLD FRIEND finding an

Beloved wartime Huey found on display in California

JOHN SUTTON

AGE: 76

HOMETOWN: Greenwood

RESIDENCE: Worthington

YEARS OF SERVICE: 1968-1971

BRANCH: U.S. Army

ASSIGNED UNIT: Headquarters and Headquarters First Brigade Aviation Platoon, 101st Airborne Division

DUTIES: Crew chief

RANK: E5

MILITARY HONORS: Soldier’s Medal, Bronze star

FAMILY: Wife, Stephanie; sons Stephan, Patrick and Johnathan

ASTORY BY JENN GUTHRIE | SUBMITTED PHOTOS

dopted at a young age, John Sutton grew up in a volatile household just off State Road 135 south of Stones Crossing with his brother, Bruce. Little did either know, but war would strengthen their bond.

Soon after a 20-something Bruce left for Vietnam in 1968, a then-19-year-old Sutton graduated high school one day and was at Fort Knox in Kentucky the next, he says. From Fort Knox, Sutton was shipped to Fort Rucker in Alabama where he trained to become a crew chief in the United States Army.

“I tried to put in to go with my brother’s unit, but they diverted me because they detected he was in Vietnam,” Sutton recalled.

Since going to Vietnam would put both sons in harm’s way, their adoptive parents had to sign special papers to allow the younger Sutton to follow, which they did without much reservation.

Sutton says, and he was sent to the fourth core when he arrived as his brother was serving in the first. Despite his attempts, no one would believe Sutton when he tried to tell them he and Bruce were supposed to be serving together.

From Fort Rucker, Sutton was shipped to Fort Eustis in Virginia then on to Vietnam as part of the 9th Infantry 162nd Assault Helicopter Company, which was later disbanded.

Adjusting to military life was pure shock. And then there was the violence and war that waited half a world away.

“When you see the enemy dead, it was a sad thing; not a victorious thing,” Sutton said. “There was a young man on the road dead and crowd around him. At the same time a bicycle came by with a woman tied to the back of the bike by her hands. She was running alongside screaming and you could tell that man was either her husband or brother. You actually thought, ‘What is this all about?’ It was crushing.”

Vietnam was divided into four cores by the U.S. Army,

While stepping out to the PX, or exchange store, one day, Sutton stopped by an American Red Cross tent. Speaking with a representative there, Sutton pled his case and the gentleman took notes.

“One week later, I was up on a helicopter working on it and the first sergeant walked in and said, “‘Specialist Sutton, are you ready to go to the 101st?’” Sutton said. “I could have fell off that helicopter. ‘Yes, Sir,’ I replied. He said, ‘I want you out by morning.’”

Back then, you had to find your own way, Sutton said. So, he packed his duffel bag and made it up to one core by hitching a ride on a truck. As he made his way up the hill to the 101st’s Camp Eagle encampment, he was immediately overwhelmed with joy – a feeling shared by his very surprised brother who greeted him with “Hey, Johnny! Where did you come from?” he said.

From that moment on, Sutton served in the Headquarters and Headquarters First Brigade Aviation Platoon, 101st Airborne Division as a crew chief alongside his pilot brother.

Each day it was Sutton’s job to ready the helicopter for the next 10 to 12 hours it would spend in the air.

“We were above everyone seeing what was going on,” Sutton said. “It was command and control. Mainly we carried the general around to see what the division — which was broken into brigades — were doing. Once in a while, we would machine gun where they told us.”

On Sept. 3, 1969, the helicopter Sutton and the four-man crew were aboard crashed. Sutton escaped the burning wreckage with a broken collar bone and crushed leg, but not before pulling the commander pilot — who had lost both legs — to safety.

John Sutton is shown at Firebase Ray with a Huey helicopter during the Vietnam War shortly before it crashed. Above: John and Stephanie Sutton at a military function.

To this day the 76-year-old recalls the sounds as the helicopter ripped apart.

“I begged God to let me live,” Sutton said. “And he did. When the investigating team came to me, they said, ‘So, you’re the one who snuck away from death.’ It has all been a joy from that point on, because God let me live.”

While Sutton was recuperating from his injuries over the next couple of weeks, Bruce was off to Da Nang to pick up another helicopter that Sutton would meaningfully christen Theophilus, meaning friend of God.

“I wanted to be a friend of God,” Sutton said. “They painted the name on the machine gun mount in blue. I loved that helicopter. I painted it and it became my friend.”

Sutton maintained Theophilus for the next nine months until he was discharged on April 1, 1970, and kept his promise to his sweetheart, Stephanie, back home, that he would return.

Lots of prayer, patience and regular correspondence kept her going while Sutton was away, she said.

“I was still in school my senior year and his mother called and asked if I wanted to go to the airport because he

was coming home,” she recalled. “My parents said I could go, but I had to go to school the next day regardless of when I got home.”

Upon his return, the pair embraced with immense relief and gratitude to be back together.

The couple went on to marry and have three sons, 12 grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

However, Sutton has carried the memories of war to this day.

“Them killing people and our people getting killed goes deep into your mind and no matter what anyone says, it stays there,” Sutton said.

Sutton was awarded the Soldier’s Medal in 2016 for his actions in saving the commander that September day. And his beloved Theophilus eventually found its way to the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California, where it’s been restored to its former glory and is now on display. Sutton admits he cried when the museum reached out in 2023 to verify his story and association with the aircraft.

He now resides on a relaxing 70-acre property in Owen County, where he enjoys spending time with his family surrounded by the tranquility and beauty of nature.

Despite the trauma, Sutton says there is immense value in military service.

“There isn’t a country like ours that has the Constitution and freedoms we have,” he said. “That is the greatest thing and worth fighting and dying for. America is a wonderful country. You go find your tree to live under and I will find my tree and we won’t hurt each other. We will love each other and that is the bottom line.”

helicopter. Bottom: The wreckage of the helicopter Sutton was riding in.

Top left: John Sutton and Stephanie say goodbye before his deployment to Vietnam. Below: A paper with specs for the Huey

STRUGGLES TRIUMPHS &

Veteran has new lease on life after addiction fight

STORY BY CHERYL FISCUS JENKINS | PHOTOS BY WARRIE DENNIS

The day Danielle Leonard listened to a U.S. Navy advertisement and decided to enlist changed her life for better and for worse.

The military allowed her to see many places and gave her skills and knowledge to be independent and reliable. Leaving her Indianapolis roots, she served as a marching and drill leader in boot camp to more than 100 other servicemen at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois.

It was a glowing start to a new career after graduating in 2009 from Perry Meridian High School, but events would soon take a downward spiral to selfdestruction.

Leonard describes running uphill on gravel then falling while stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, where she trained as a heavy equipment operator. She injured her back and became addicted to pain medications military doctors had prescribed.

Drug and alcohol misuse is a common problem among veterans, said Crystine Cox, a peer mentor for Johnson County Problem Solving Court. Veterans often return home with injuries, no coping skills, benefits taken away and without the assistance they need. The former Greenwood Probation Department office manager met Leonard at a desperate time as she entered Greenwood Veterans Treatment Court for drug abuse.

“She was at her bottom,” Cox said. “I saw her climb so hard to get out. She just had so many struggles. I ultimately saw her decide she was worth it. I watched her take charge and become the person she’s wanted to be.”

When the two became acquainted, Leonard, now 33, had been to jail three times, lived in “trap” houses with other addicts, lost custody of her two girls, stole from her family and employers and eventually, after years of this repeat cycle, realized she had more potential.

She traveled from Fort Leonard Wood to serve on the military base construction team in Corpus Christi, Texas. She loved the job but found herself in the middle of a sexual harassment Naval case,

AGE: 33

BIRTHPLACE/HOMETOWN: Indianapolis

RESIDENCE: New Whiteland

YEARS OF SERVICE: 2009-2011

BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy

homesick and finding comfort in taking more prescribed pain and anxiety drugs.

Officials eventually discharged Leonard from the service for underage drinking in 2011. With no military career or health insurance to see local physicians, the then 20-year-old moved back home with her parents and medicated herself with pills from friends and family – anyone who would give them to her.

“I really didn’t know what to do,” she said. “I was also depressed.” By 2013, Leonard had married and was seeing a therapist and pain management for medications. She also found a neighbor who would supply her with extra drugs. The marriage lasted two years and resulted in the birth of their daughters Evelyn, 10, and Vivienne, 9.

Living with her grandparents after the divorce, Leonard began dating a man who was also an addict and was arrested while with

ASSIGNED UNIT: Seabee

DUTIES: Heavy equipment operator

RANK: E3

MILITARY HONORS: National Defense Service Medal and Marksman Shooting Ribbon

FAMILY: Daughters Evelyn, 10, and Vivienne, 9

DANIELLE LEONARD

Danielle Leonard sits under a photos of herself and her daughters. At right: Leonard poses with a quilt made for her by her great aunt with the Song of the Seabees in the middle.

him and her children in Johnson County for driving under the influence. At that point, she was taking 15 Percocet and several Klonopin daily. After release from jail 12 hours later, she eventually moved in with her boyfriend and started shooting heroin.

“I like to tell my story whenever I can,” Leonard said. “I felt like a failure for not being able to go through the military the whole way. I didn’t know what to do with myself anymore. The only thing that didn’t make me think about stuff was the drugs. They made me feel better.”

In July 2016, Leonard was arrested a second time for theft after stealing from the bank where she worked. Her grandmother bailed her out of jail, and the family learned of her heroin addiction, which she admits to covering up well.

Shortly after release, the New Whiteland resident moved in with her boyfriend and a house full of other addicts where they would do drugs and steal for food and clothing. She returned home around Thanksgiving and tried to detox by laying on the shower floor and running water over herself repeatedly. After Christmas, she relapsed on heroin and methamphetamines, house hopped for a while, then found herself alone when her boyfriend decided to get clean.

“I really didn’t know where to go or what to do,” she said.

Leonard called her father for help, rested in a hotel room for one night, then turned herself in for a third stint in jail for a Johnson County warrant of violating probation. A turning point happened when she attended church service the first week in jail. Bible verse Joshua 1:9, commanding her to be strong and not afraid, renewed her faith and changed her perspective.

After 24 days, she was released to Greenwood Veterans Treatment Court where she reported daily, took regular breathalyzer tests, met with the judge weekly, attended narcotic and alcohol meetings several times a week and participated in intensive outpatient treatment through the Veteran’s Administration.

Leonard finished the program in May 2018, feels grateful for the extensive military resources on her road to sobriety and also for her sponsor and now friend, Cox, who has been 20 years clean from alcohol and cocaine.

“She understands everything I went through,” Leonard said. “She understands different feelings addicts can have like stress and feeling overwhelmed. She will also tell you how it is. She is very stern. She is a good person to have around.”

Cox celebrates all of her friend’s victories, especially in getting her children back. She is also thrilled with how Leonard pays it forward by helping other addicts and families of addicts she meets through her professional and personal life.

“She’s always done what she’s needed to do to stay clean and sober,” Cox said. “She is so determined since she’s been given a second chance.”

Leonard celebrated seven years clean on May 14. She lives in a two-story home with her daughters and has thrived working at Ray Skillman, where she is the in-house finance manager at Westside Auto Mall.

Tears come to the mother’s eyes as she remembers the old days of choosing drugs over her children. She tries to make up for it by being present, being a good mom and sharing her story with them and others so no one will travel this difficult path. Leonard posted a Tic Tok video after five years of sobriety and is finding more purpose by writing a book about her struggles and triumphs.

“I wouldn’t change anything because this has made me who I am today,” she said.

Danielle Leonard holds a cross that she received at the Navy Ball for being the youngest there.

HARBIN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

office assists veterans and their families with VA disability and educational benefits.

“I found my niche — my people, the veterans community,” explained Harbin. “You got to be yourself and you didn’t have to hide. It all clicked.”

He is also very thankful for his family, especially his wife, Mary, and the positive support structure she’s offered him since they were teenagers.

“It’s been a rough road and she’s endured a lot,” Harbin said. “I just want to say thanks for always sticking by me. A lot of soldiers don’t get that.”

A licensed pastor, Harbin’s faith is very important to him. He founded and is the president of Veteran Support Ministry and Christian Centered Counseling. Open to all

Three ways to support veterans in your community

BY FAMILY FEATURES

As a group, United States military veterans have played an important role in protecting the rights and freedoms enjoyed today. However, the sacrifices made by service members can become easy to overlook with the passage of time.

Consider these three small gestures to help show appreciation to the veterans in your community as they reacclimate to civilian life following their service.

1. Send a “Thank You” card

Offering a heartfelt acknowledgment of the challenges veterans faced is one of the simplest ways to show them your appreciation and provide an emotional boost. If you know a veteran in your community, consider sending a handwritten “thank you” note. Or consult with a local veterans service organization that may be able to help you share a letter, card, care package or supportive email with former military personnel in your area.

2. Encourage veterans to share their stories

veterans, the ministry meets every Monday night from 7-8 p.m. at 3209 W. Smith Valley Road in Greenwood.

Additionally, Harbin is a chaplain for Main Street Hospice and the chaplain for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. He is a board member for the Johnson County Veterans Court. In his spare time, he offers motivational speaking and coaches youth sports.

For those considering the military or currently in the military, Harbin offers this advice: “Embrace the moment more. I was always worried about the next best thing. I wish I would have slowed down and enjoyed the friendships and opportunities.”

SENECA HARBIN

AGE: 37

BIRTHPLACE/HOMETOWN: Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky but raised in Greenwood

RESIDENCE: Whiteland

YEARS OF SERVICE: Served seven years in the United States Army Infantry, 2005-2012.

BRANCH OF SERVICE: Army Infantry

ASSIGNED UNIT: Two units during service – 1st Armored Division and 1st Calvary Division

DUTIES: The job of the infantry is to locate, engage and destroy enemy personnel

RANK: Staff Sergeant/E6

MILITARY HONORS: Iraq Campaign Medal w/ Four Campaign Stars, Army Commendation Medal (3rd award), Army Achievement Medal (2nd award), Army Good Conduct Medal (2nd Award), National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (2nd Award) and Combat Infantryman Badge

FAMILY: Wife Mary and three daughters, Lily, 13, Daisy, 10, and Violet, 2

The stories veterans carry with them are powerful and often help shape who they are. These stories can hold valuable lessons, details of accomplishments and battles won or memories of friendship and camaraderie. They can also serve as reminders of sacrifice and hardship.

Through the Veterans History Project, the Library of Congress collects and preserves the firsthand remembrances of U.S. military veterans like Martinez and makes them accessible. The project allows future generations to hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service.

Participating in the program involves submitting a 30-minute (or longer) unedited video or audio interview sharing service details and/or a collection of original

photographs or correspondence. Veterans, or families of deceased veterans on their behalf, may also submit a minimum 20-page journal or unpublished memoir and/ or 10 or more original photos or letters. To get started, visit loc.gov/vets and click “How to Participate” to download a how-to field kit for details, instructions and required forms.

3. Volunteer at veterans facilities or organizations

Many veterans organizations, including Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and medical facilities, welcome volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks such as clerical work, organization, transportation and simply visiting with wounded veterans to brighten their days. After locating a facility near you, contact the staff to arrange a visit and learn more about opportunities to volunteer your time and skills.