2024 Recipients
Take a moment to recognize and read about our recipients from our 2024 induction ceremony.

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Alfred William Camp of Toccoa, GA enlisted in the US Army on 13 September 1949. He was assigned as an infantryman in Company D, 19th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division. Upon North Korea’s invasion of South Korea in June of 1950, Camp deployed as a heavy weapons infantryman and arrived in theater as combat operations intensified. On January 1, 1951, while attached to Company A, enemy forces launched an attack which drove their positions to within close range of Company A’s front lines. In a desperate attempt to knock out the machine guns, which had been inflicting great losses on the enemy, several grenades were thrown into Company A’s fighting positions, one of which Camp occupied. The explosion caused serious wounds to his face, blinding him in one eye. Without hesitation and ignoring the pain of his wounds, Camp remounted his weapon and resumed devastating fire causing the enemy to abandon their attack. As a result of his courageous actions, Private Camp was awarded our nation’s third highest award for valor, the Silver Star.
Alfred William Camp
Valor (Posthumous)

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Ralph C. Colley of Dahlonega, GA was commissioned in 1966 upon graduation from North Georgia College and deployed to Vietnam shortly thereafter. While assigned to 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, 1LT Colley was given command of Company C, where he quickly established a phenomenal rapport with subordinates and superiors alike. During combat operations conducted between 10 and 21 July 1968, 1LT Colley was given multiple reconnaissance and combat assault missions. On 21 July, 1LT Colley was directed to establish a pick-up zone and to conduct a combat assault near Trung Lap. While moving his company to the LZ through a heavily mined area, their movement rate was slowed by enemy harassment. He quickly moved to the front of the formation exposing himself to enemy fire while also pointing out booby traps. 1LT Colley was hit by one of those mines and although critically injured, he continued to command his company until losing consciousness. For these actions, 1LT Colley was awarded our nation’s third highest award for valor, the Silver Star.
Ralph C. Colley, Jr.
Valor (Posthumous)

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US Army Brigadier General (Retired) Fred W. Collins of St. Simons, GA began his career in the Army Reserves in 1938 after graduation from the University of Georgia. In July 1939, he was ordered to active duty and assigned to the 8th Infantry Regiment at Fort Screven, GA with subsequent assignments at Fort Benning, Gordon, and Dix. He deployed overseas with the 8th Infantry and was part of the D-Day invasion on Utah Beach on 6 Jun 1944. BG Collins assumed command of 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division on 5 August 1944 as the unit valiantly participated in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Ardennes Campaigns. It was during the Battle of the Huertgen Forest that the 4th Infantry Division was given the mission to clear the forest and prepare follow-on forces for the counteroffensive in Ardennes. Against a well-entrenched German Division and facing weather conditions that heavily favored the defending force, (then) Major Collins led his battalion with distinction and intrepidity, and on 21 November 1944 his courageous actions resulted in him being awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Fred Wilbur Collins
Valor (Posthumous)

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Former First Lieutenant Virginia “Ginny” Dornheggen of Eatonton, GA was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1970 after graduating from the Army Student Nurse Program at Harrisburg Hospital School of Nursing. She distinguished herself as an Army intensive care/recovery nurse in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star Medal while serving with the 67th Evac Hospital in Qui Nhon. And she has continued to serve in the medical field as an intensive care nurse, open heart recovery, home-health care, and certified wound care RN since leaving the military in 1971. As a resident of Reynolds Lake Oconee, Ginny has served on the Reynolds Veterans Association since 2014 spearheading rehabilitation and other related veteran services provided in US government healthcare facilities. Her ongoing advocacy for long-term care as it relates to traumatic brain injury is reflective of the expert level of care she provided for her soldiers as they were brought off the battlefield in Vietnam. His assignments encompass duty with both the 3d Infantry Division and the 1st Infantry Division as well as post in the United States, Germany and Korea. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster as well as others. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
J.P. recently completed tenure as the Executive Administrative Manager for the just completed Hartsfield-Jackson Development Program at the Atlanta airport. Following those duties, he assumed the role as the Project Accountant for an international engineering and consulting company that is the Program Manager for the next expansion at the Atlanta airport, ATLNEXT.
Virginia Lee Dornheggen
Service

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US Navy Captain (Retired) Ed Ettel served on active duty for 4 years and for 22 years in the US Naval Reserve, retiring in 1989. He, along with his wife, created Project Mail Call in 2005 to fill a much-needed void in ensuring deployed service members received morale-boosting letters and boxes while connecting them with grateful citizens appreciative of their service and sacrifice. In the 19 years since Project Mail Call has begun, over 11,000 volunteers have completed 623 packing sessions resulting in 11,787 care-boxes and over 40,000 letters of support and encouragement being sent to nearly 200,000 service members deployed in harm’s way, both on land and at sea. In addition, Ed has made over 140 presentations about this amazing non-profit and the benefit it brings to so many. The success of this non-profit has, and continues to be recognized at the local, state, and federal level, to include three United States Presidents.
Edward Emil Ettel III
Service

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Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Dick James of St. Simons, GA enlisted in the US Army in 1959, graduated from West Point in 1963, and served in critically sensitive positions throughout his 23 plus years of military service. As a Military Assistance Command - Vietnam Advisor to a Vietnamese infantry battalion in II Corps, (then) Lieutenant James distinguished himself in combat earning four bronze stars. During his second tour in Vietnam, (then) Captain James commanded with distinction in the 173rd Airborne Brigade, conducting 450 long range reconnaissance missions with 229 of those missions resulting in close combat with the enemy. As a Major, he was assigned to the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Defense advising their forces on conventional and special warfare operations and was part of a State Department program that trained and armed the North Yemen Army. After retirement, Dick continues to serve through volunteer efforts to counsel service members with PTSD and also as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), where he has represented over 200 children in court, placing them in safe and stable housing.
Richard David James
Service

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US Army Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Charles Mendoza of Waverly Hall, GA enlisted in 1953 and subsequently graduated from Infantry Officer Candidate School in 1955 with his initial assignment being with the 2nd Infantry Division. From there, he deployed to Vietnam several times serving with multiple infantry and special forces units from 1964 to 1968. On 7 February 1965 while serving with Military Assistance Command - Vietnam (then) Captain Mendoza was given the mission to destroy a Viet Cong roadblock. While maneuvering towards the objective, his element came under heavy enemy fire. He immediately deployed two mortars and directed his forces fires against the enemy positions. So as not to lose momentum, Captain Mendoza mounted a truck with a machine gun and began to lay down suppressive fire while directing one of his men to drive towards the roadblock. These heroic actions resulted in him being awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor in addition to previously earning three Army Commendation Medals for Valor.
John Terrell Lawrence II
Valor (Posthumous)

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US Army Colonel (Retired) John “Johnny” Lawrence of Douglasville, GA was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field artillery upon graduation from North Georgia College in 1966. After Airborne and Ranger training, he was assigned to Battery A, 139th Field Artillery, 101st Airborne Division, and deployed to Vietnam. On 16 September 1968, his firebase came under heavy mortar, rocket, and ground attack. (Then) Captain Lawrence moved through direct and indirect enemy fire to conduct counter fire operations against two battalion of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese regulars. He simultaneously directed five artillery batteries and a 4.2 and 81mm mortar section to repel the enemy advance. The enemy suffered 135 killed, and the indirect fire that he brought to bear resulted in the successful defense of the firebase. As a result of his actions, (then) Captain Lawrence was awarded our nation’s third highest award for valor, the Silver Star.
Charles John Mendoza
Valor

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US Marine Corps First Lieutenant Harold Ressler of Marietta, GA entered the Marine Corps on 3 August 1965, attended helicopter flight school and immediately deployed to Vietnam after training. He was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163. On 10 March 1966, he was assigned to participate in a mission to evacuate a large number of American and Vietnamese personnel from the besieged garrison at As Hau, where enemy forces had overrun the outpost forces and were firmly established in anti-aircraft positions. 1LT Ressler courageously landed near the outpost, fully exposed to enemy fire, while 19 evacuees boarded his aircraft. Realizing he was overloaded, he expertly maneuvered his aircraft by bouncing it through tall elephant grass until he became airborne, all while mortar and small arms continued to pelt the area. For his courageous action and aerial skill, this would be the first of two Distinguished Flying Crosses Ressler would earn during evacuations while engaged with enemy forces.
Edward Harold Ressler
Valor (Posthumous)

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US Army Sergeant Major (Retired) Preston Rowser of Duluth, GA enlisted in December 1958. He attended Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Gordon, GA. After changing his MOS from Signal to Infantry in 1967, (then) SFC Rowser deployed to Vietnam and was assigned to 2/27th Infantry (Wolfhounds) 25th Infantry Division. On 23 February 1969, Rowser distinguished himself through exceptionally valorous actions against an enemy force. During a mortar and ground attack on Patrol Base Diamond, as he was pouring fire into the advancing enemy, a rocket propelled grenade destroyed his bunker wounding him in the neck, shoulder and chest. While moving to a secondary fighting position, he continued to place accurate f ire on several enemy who had breached the perimeter. After halting their advance, SFC Rowser organized a counter-attack while continuing to brave withering enemy fire, ultimately preventing the overrun of the patrol base. These courageous actions resulted in him being awarded our nation’s second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.
Preston Rowser
Valor (Posthumous)

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US Air Force Captain Steven Ryf of Johns Creek, GA was commissioned and entered active duty on 17 November 1967. After completing flight training, he deployed to Southeast Asia as part of the Vietnam War effort. He served as an AC-130 Specter Gunship Pilot in the 16th Special Operations Squadron based out of Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. During his one year combat tour, he was awarded several awards for aerial valor while conducting missions over Laos interdicting enemy personnel, vehicles, and logistical sites. During the period from 24 February 1971 to 9 April 1971, he was awarded four Distinguished Flying Crosses for superior airmanship while operating in an area that was known for heavy enemy air defense fire. During his most daring mission on 9 April 1971, Captain Ryf successfully maneuvered his aircraft through 700 anti-aircraft artillery rounds allowing his crew to successfully strike 37 enemy vehicles that resulted in 124 secondary explosions. He went on to receive six Air Medals until he completed his combat tour in July of 1971.
Steven Robert Ryf
Valor

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US Army Colonel (Retired) Richard “Dick” Taylor of Kennesaw, GA graduated from North Georgia College in 1966 as a distinguished military graduate. He received his commission in the infantry and immediately attended Airborne and Ranger School. Serving two tours in Vietnam, Taylor was awarded for several heroic actions on the ba tlefield. On 7 October 1967, (then) 1LT Taylor distinguished himself through heroic actions during an attack on his unit by a Viet Cong battalion. As his battalion commander maneuvered two rifle companies, Taylor dashed through a hail of enemy fire to better assess the situation. Having lost his communications from enemy fire, he ran to several positions marking them with smoke to avoid casualties from friendly gunship attacks. He then acquired a Vietnamese radio, re-stablished communications with his higher headquarters and also re-directed gunship attacks which ultimately repelled the enemy attack. For these actions, 1LT Taylor was awarded our nation’s third highest award for valor, the Silver Star.
Richard Harry Taylor
Valor (Posthumous)

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US Army Lieutenant General (Retired) James Terry of Chatsworth, GA was commissioned in 1978 as an Infantry Officer upon graduation from North Georgia College, and was also a distinguished military graduate. He commanded with distinction at every level through Theater Army command. He commanded at the battalion and division level in the 10th Mountain Division, which he deployed and operated as Commander ISAF Regional Command – South in Afghanistan. Other strategically important positions LTG Terry held were Commanding General, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command and Commanding General, US Army V Corps. As Commanding General, Third Army US Central Command he was appointed by the Centcom Commander to assume command of Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, which had the mission of defeating ISIL/Da’ish elements in the combined joint operating area including both Iraq and Syria. In 2021, LTG was inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame.
James Lewis Terry
Achievement

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James Walters of Snellville, GA enlisted in the US Navy in February 1967 and served honorably until his discharge in December of 1977. Although his time in uniform was noteworthy, it is what he has accomplished out of uniform that can be considered distinguished, noble, and selfless. James’ post-military life, both as a self-made business man and multi-civic organizations contributor, will leave an amazing legacy for future generations. For 50 plus years, he has disseminated a multi-page document, that he developed, to living veterans that help prepare their family for his/her passing and enables a seamless burial process performed with the utmost dignity and respect for their service to the nation. As an elected city council member, he single-handedly directed the city’s endeavor to honor all military, veterans, and their families in the Annual Snellville Days Weekend celebrations. His involvement in POW/MIA issues, the certificate program to all entities flying the American Flag and the erection of the Snellville War Memorial earned him the highest recognition from the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge with the George Washington Honor Medal for Community Service in 1991.