Three veterans from Bowling Green were enshrined in the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame this week. They are Mary Hanna, David Ridenour, and David Chilson (posthumously).
Following is information on the three:
David Chilson
David Chilson earned both a master’s and doctoral degree from Bowling Green State University. After a lengthy and distinguished military career, he retired as a captain from the Naval Reserve in 1996. Chilson also was a professor of computer science at BGSU from 1978 until his retirement in 2009.
At Bowling Green, he brought recognition to the ROTC programs and was a well-respected mentor to many students and cadets. He helped create the BGSU Student Veteran Task Force and served on the school’s Veterans Memorial Committee as well as boards for the Army and Air Force departments.
Chilson also oversaw the placement of five POW/MIA Chairs of Honor at various athletic venues on campus. He never lost sight of the magnitude of his service and the importance of aiding the community. He was an active member of the American Legion, served as president of both the local Kiwanis Club and the BGSU Retirees Association, was a Brush High School Alumni Association trustee, and was a deacon at First Presbyterian Church in Bowling Green.
Chilson was passionate about serving as guardian for numerous Honor Flights. He also was a board member for Honor Flight of Northwest Ohio and spearheaded fundraising efforts to bring in more than $500,000 for the organization.
He was inducted into BGSU’s Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC Halls of Fame. Chilson passed away in July 2017 at the age of 69, leaving behind a long-standing legacy of selfless service to others – which qualifies him as worthy of entry into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.
Mary Hanna
Following her time in the military, Mary Hanna embarked on a stellar career of service to veterans and the community, producing many “first-in-the-state” initiatives.
As executive director of the Wood County Veterans Assistance Center, Hanna was one of the first nationally accredited veterans service officers in Ohio and the first woman in the state named executive director. Under her leadership, the Wood County office was first to computerize, offer veterans photo ID cards, and pilot a Tele-Mental Health initiative.
As an appointee to the first Governor’s Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, she conducted public hearings across Ohio that revealed many women veterans were uninformed about their veteran status and the benefits they had earned. She advised the Governor’s Office of Veterans Affairs, offering testimony in 1994 before the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives to remove gender-biased language from Ohio veterans’ laws, ensuring change in the Ohio Revised Code.
Hanna served two terms on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Ann Arbor Healthcare System Executive Quality Leadership Board. She currently serves on the VA National Task Force for Whole Health, which consults VA healthcare facilities.
She was founding chair and managing director of The D.O.V.E. Fund and helped the nonprofit raise more than $600,000 for projects in Quang Tri, Vietnam, including construction of schools, water wells, and medical clinics. She received the Congressional Commendation for her efforts to reconcile the people of Vietnam and the United States. Hanna enters the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame at 69.
David Ridenour
David Ridenour is a man of action whose nearly 50 years of service have greatly contributed to his community, including his alma mater, Bowling Green State University (BGSU).
He led efforts to research and fund updates for the BGSU Memorial Hall of Fallen Heroes, resulting in the addition of the names of 34 BGSU students who died in service to the country. To further foster honor for the fallen, Ridenour directed the placement of POW/MIA chairs at BGSU sports venues. He helped form the BGSU Army ROTC Alumni Society in 2003 – serving as president since its inception – and served on the BGSU Veterans Memorial Committee.
Ridenour served veterans while on the Wood County Veterans Service Commission, acting as president for 15 of those years. He served in multiple leadership positions with the Ohio State Association of Veterans Service Commissioners and on the American Legion Buckeye Boys State staff, where he was elected to the Board of Trustees and has served as vice president.
In addition, Ridenour served on the Strategic Planning Committee to develop a Veterans Service Office Manual for use in all 88 Ohio counties. In his spare time, he has participated in parades and demonstration rides with Rolling Thunder and has served as an Honor Flight guardian.
A Vietnam veteran with a talent for photography, Ridenour published a book of images he captured during a return trip to the country in 2013. He often has shared these images and associated experiences at events and exhibitions. He also has advocated for other veteran artists, creating the first Veterans Art Exhibit of Northwest Ohio to feature their artwork. Ridenour enters the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame at age 72.
