Knight
Courtesy photo
By Charlotte Caldwell
[email protected]
COLUMBUS — Army veteran and Sidney High School 1966 graduate Kent Knight became the eighth Shelby County inductee to the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor at an induction ceremony on Friday.
To be inducted, veterans must have been born or entered the service in Ohio and received medals for valor while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
According to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine when he spoke at the induction ceremony, the class of 2024 Hall of Fame inductees consisted of 17 veterans, seven of whom have died. They fought in WWII, Vietnam and Afghanistan. The inductees have received either the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star with “V” Device for valor, or Army Commendation with “V” (valor) Device for valor.
Knight was awarded a Bronze Star with “V” Device in 1969 for his actions while in Vietnam. While Knight was on a reconnaissance operation, his company came upon a large enemy force. He placed suppressive fire on the aggressors, contributing to the success of the mission. Knight was on active duty in the Army from 1969 to 1971 with the title of private first class and achieved the rank of sergeant upon separation from active duty.
Knight died in 2020 due to an illness, so his wife of 51 years, Carol, accepted the award.
According to Knight’s obituary, Knight was “a highly decorated soldier, earning the Bronze Star, Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device Air Medals.”
After the military, Knight was involved in youth and high school sports in Shelby County, including tee ball, softball and wrestling. He was also influential in Sidney High School’s 200 Club to raise funds for Sidney’s athletic teams and helped bring American Legion baseball back to the area. His other accomplishments included being a Prudential Insurance agent for 34 years and being an active member in many veteran organizations.
Other Shelby County natives who have already been inducted for valor are Robert Prieser, Donald Wehrman, Robert Gold, Jim Locker, Arthur Kemp, Steve Van Horn, and Mark Deam. Ohio veterans can also be inducted into the Hall of Fame for post-military efforts and contributions to their communities. Those who have received this honor from Shelby County are Kathleen Hayes, Michael Bennett, Thomas Francis, James Moorman, Darrin Adams and John Looker.
Deam helped Carol fill out the Hall of Fame application and is willing to help other veterans in Shelby County who may qualify but don’t know about the Hall of Fame. Deam can be contacted at 937-489-3137 or [email protected].
For a list of all inductees to the Ohio Military Hall of Fame, visit http://ohioheroes.org/.
