Click on the picture to visit the Miami Valley Military History Museum

Veteran "Thank You" packages are now available.

We’ve put together a small box of gifts as a way of saying Thank You for Your Service and Sacrifice!

If you would like to order one, please

e-mail us .  If you would like a personalized Bio Sheet created, please send or e-mail a picture and service time-line of the individual (include rank, places served, honors/medals received and any other points of interest).

Great gift idea!  Donations are accepted for these packages.

Ralph Hangen enlisted on August 24, 1942 in Cincinatti, Ohio.  He served during WW II as a cook. 4 Freedom proudly wears his uniform when presenting the American flag. V

(Great-Uncle of Leah Edwards, Uncle of Linda Goodpaster)

Bob Ganger was a Buck Sergeant in WW II from 1943 to 1945.  He was in the 1st Battalion Headquarters 133rd Infantry, 34th Division, Iowa National Guard.  He was part of a convoy of 85, headed to Europe (Anzio Beachhead), toured Italy, spent one day in Austria, took a short vacation to Switzerland and came home when the war was over.  His job was laying communication lines.  Thanks Bob, for sharing your stories of the service with us!

(Uncle of Linda Goodpaster, Great-Uncle of Leah Edwards)

Larry Eastridge was a Specialist 4th Class in the Army National Guard, he enlisted in 1965.  He completed basic training in Fort Knox in 1966.  He was called for duty many times while in the service.

(Cousin of Linda Goodpaster)

SSG Timothy Apple enlisted Ohio Army National Guard on March 18, 1978 in Covington OH.  He went to Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO.

(Advanced Individual Training and Motor Transport Operator).  His missions included Operation Hayride in 1986 [for SC drought], Operation Desert Shield & Desert Storm - Saudi Arabia-Kuwait-Iraq 1990-91 [Liberation of Kuwait]. He served on Task Force 371st Desert Mirage 1998 and was then sent to National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California.  Tim served honorably until March 18, 2002.

(Friend of 4 Freedom Equestrian Team)

Dick Landis served from 1951 to 1953 as a Corporal.  His medals include Good Conduct and Sharp Shooter.  He was involved in baseball, softball and basketball.

(Brother of Linda Goodpaster, Uncle of Leah Edwards, Great-Uncle of Brittany Steck)

Roger Edwards served from August 1958 to August 1961, his rank was Corporal.  He was a topographical and construct drafting Specialist and also served as battalion draftsman and training schedule clerk.  S3 Intelligence Section, Headquarters and Service Battery, First Light Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion, Fleet Marine Force Pacific, Twenty-Nine Palms, California.

Nickname: Possum

Second Class Radarman Wells Behee was drafted into the Navy in 1944 as he attended St. Lawrence Theological School where he was studying for the Universalist Ministries. He was aboard the USS Antaeus transport ship, next the USS Pennewill and last the USS Wrangell, where he served during the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.  In Iwo Jima, Wells saved his ship and shipmates twice from kamikaze aircraft.  His most vivid memory was the raising of the American flag on Mt. Suribachi. In May of 1946, after the war was over, he was granted an Honorable Discharge and retuned to college in New York.                 

His awards include: Combat Action ribbon, American Campaign medal, European-African-Mid Eastern Campaign medal, Asiatic-Pacific medal w/3 Bronze Stars, WW II Victory medal, Phillipines Liberation medal

Boyd Goodpaster  served as Seaman 1st Class, SV6 on the USS Casablanca from 1943 to 1946.  He received the Victorian Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal, American Area Medal and the Philippine Liberation Medal.  He completed basic training at Camp Perry Great Lakes Training Naval Base.  He did tours in the Philippines and the Pacific Ocean.  V

(Brother-in-law of Linda Goodpaster, Uncle of Leah Edwards, Great-Uncle of Brittany Steck)

Gerald (Jerry) Goodpaster  served from June 1959 to January 1965.  He served on the USS Canberra as a Gunner's Mate Gunner.  He was active duty from 1960-1962.  He did tours in the Mediterranean twice while serving from 1960-1961.  While on tour, he visited Rome during the 1960 Olympics, France, Greece, Turkey and Sicily.  He also did a tour of the Caribbean.  He now resides in Florida.

(Husband of Linda Goodpaster, Father of Leah Edwards, Grandfather of Brittany Steck)

Joel Goodpaster  served from 1989 to 1991 in the Navy Reserves. He went to Basic Training in San Diego, California.  He then went to Memphis, TN to attend Jet Engine School before completing his service in 1991.

( Father of Brittany Steck, Son of Linda Goodpaster, Brother of Leah Edward)

MSgt Mark Conrad: Enlisted in the Delayed Enlistment Program on 19 January 1980; left for basic training on 08 October 1980. After basic training, was assigned to the 3413^th Student Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi, 21 November 1980. Was a Student Leader responsible for approximately 60 Airmen. Completed Telecommunications Systems Control Course (Tech Control) in May 1981. Assigned 1936^th Communications Squadron, Lajes Field, Azores Islands, Republic of Portugal. Selected for promotion to Senior Airman Below The Zone. Reassigned to 3410^th Technical Training Group, Keesler Air Force Base, 28 July 1984. Promoted to Staff Sergeant. Awarded Air Training Command Master Instructor Badge. Selected as Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC), Base Honor Guard Mortuary Affairs. Reassigned to 1964^th Communications Group, Ramstein Air Base, Federal Republic of Germany, 22 February 1989. Promoted to Technical Sergeant, May, 1991. Deployed as Communications NCO attached to 7^th Signal Brigade, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 72^nd Signal Battalion, Zakho, Iraq and Silopi, Turkey, July - October 1991, Operation DESERT STORM/PROVIDE COMFORT. Deployed to Joint Task Force Fox-Green, Normandy, France, May-June 1994. Promoted to Master Sergeant. Deployed to Combined Air Operation Center, Joint Task Force PROVIDE PROMISE/DENY FLIGHT, NATO Air Base Tomaso Da Molin, Vicenza, Italy, August 1994 - February 1995. Assigned 1^st Combat Communications Squadron, NCOIC Deployable Technical Control, June 1996. Deployed to 4401^st (P) Air Expeditionary Group (Provisional), Eagle Base Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina, August 1996-December 1996 for Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR as part of the Implementation Force (IFOR) as outlined in the Dayton Peace Accords. Selected as Communications NCO, Operation COMBINED ENDEAVOR; deployed to Tallinn, Estonia, February 1997. Deployed to Warsaw, Poland, March 1997. Deployed to Germesheim, Federal Republic of Germany for Partnership For Peace Operation COMBINED ENDEAVOR, May-June 1997. Success of this communication exercise lead to the acceptance of the former Warsaw Pact countries of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland into NATO. Reassigned Headquarters, Air Force Materiel Command, Communications Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, February 1998. Deployed to Eskan Village, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as NCOIC, Joint Command, Communications and Control directorate, Operations SOUTHERN WATCH and DESERT FOX, July - December 1998. Selected as NCOIC, Network Operations and Control Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, January 1999. Retired, 01 November 2000. 

 (Friend of 4 Freedom Equestrian Team)

Layne Landis joined the Air Force in 1981 and went to Lockland AFB for basic training.  He then went to Chanute AFB in Illinois for Base Maintenance tech school and was trained to work on big construction equipment.  While in tech school, he became a senior student leader.  He was then given orders to go to Hurlbert FLD Florida to be part of a squadron called RED HORSE (Rapid Engineering Deployment Heavy Operations Repair Squadron Engineering).  He then went to Korea for a year and then came back to RED HORSE for another tour and was then sent to Panama Canal as part of the operations that ousted Noriega.  From there he was sent to George AFB in Ca. where he became Staff Sergeant.  He spent 3 yrs. in Mildenhall, England and was then sent to Dover AFB.  He was given a Medical Discharge under Honorable conditions and was released in Dec. 1999.

( Nephew of Linda Goodpaster, Cousin of Leah Edwards & Brittany Goodpaster)

ACTIVE DUTY

Army Specialist Benjamin Albert attended Basic Training at Ft. Sill, OK in March 1996.  He was stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC where he completed Air Assault training.  He was deployed with a National Guard Unit in Operation Iraqi Freedom to Mildenhall, England in 2004 to guard an Air Force Base.  He was again deployed to Gulfport, Miss. after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

(Second cousin of Leah Edwards)

Private First Class Zachary Albert attended Basic Training at Ft. Benning, GA in January 2007.  He then completed Army Ranger Training in March 2007.  He is now serving in the 3^rd Ranger Battalion and has been deployed to an unknown location.

(Second cousin of Leah Edwards)

LCPL Nathan Albert served two tours in Iraq.  His job is a tank driver.  He attended Boot Camp at Paris Island, SC in Nov. 2004 and was stationed at Twenty-Nine Palms, CA and Camp Pendleton, CA.

(Second cousin of Leah Edwards)

 HOME