The Kenton Times

Times photo/Dan Robinson
Keeping in touch
Dave Roby salutes the grave of his friend, John Merschman, in a cemetery outside of Delphos. Roby began visiting the final resting place of his "twin" soldier last year and plans to return to the site each Memorial Day to care for his grave.
Veteran keeps promise to ‘twin’
By DAN ROBINSON
Times staff writer
When Dave Roby met his "twin,"John Merschman, in the Army nearly 40 years ago, the two men vowed to keep in touch when they returned home. It has taken most of his life, but Roby is now fulfilling that commitment each Memorial Day.
Roby was drafted into the Army in March, 1969, after graduating from Ridgemont High School. He was sent to South Carolina for basic and advanced training. Away from home and feeling alone, Roby was surprised to meet a fellow draftee from the same area of Ohio.
Merschman had been called into the Army after graduating from Delphos High School. As he and Roby talked, they began to realize they had more in common than being from northwest Ohio.
"We had the same birthday,"said Roby. "The same day and year. The guys in our company called us the twins.”
The two Ohio men became close friends, but went their separate ways after training. With a promise to keep in touch, Roby and Merschman were each sent to Vietnam. Merschman was a door gunner in a helicopter unit, while Roby was a radio operator "in the bush.”
The "twins"were stationed in the same area, said Roby, and continued to run into each other occasionally.
"We saw each other once or twice, but we stayed close,"Roby remembered.
(Refer to page 1 of the Kenton Times)

FRIDAY MAY 23, 2008

Times photo/Dan Robinson
Replacing the lost
Lloyd Ford gets a refurbished bronze standard from the trunk of his car in Hale Cemetery Thursday. The cemetery, just west of Mount Victory, was one of several hit by scrap metal thieves recently. Veterans’ Services Director Don Dunahue said the 1,000 stolen markers in the county are not only expensive to replace, but make honoring veterans more difficult.
Standards markingveterans’ graves target of scrap metal thieves
By DAN ROBINSON
Times staff writer
MOUNT VICTORY - Each year, a few weeks before Memorial Day, Lloyd Ford begins paying visits to the graves of veterans. He makes sure the standards are in good shape and have American flags.
Ridgeway Cemetery is traditionally the first of the seven graveyards Ford cares for, but when he began his rounds this year, he found someone had visited the graves before him. Normally Ford would place 51 flags in the bronze standards at the resting place, but when he arrived, there were only four left.
As he continued on to Hale, Byhalia and other area cemeteries, he found the problem repeated. Someone, it appeared, was taking the bronze veteran standards to cash in on the high scrap metal market.
Ford was not alone in his discovery, said Hardin County Veteran’s Services Director Don Dunahue.
(Refer to page 1 of the Kenton Times)

Times photo/Tim Thomas

Grant accepted
Don Hensley (left), a member of the Alger Memorial Day Committee, accepts a $2,000 grant from Charles VanDyne, chairman of the grant-making committee with the Hardin County Community Foundation. The money will be used to erect a storage building.
Foundation presents $60,990 in grants
By the Times staff
The Hardin County Community Foundation presented 53 grants totaling $60,990 to community organizations during a program Thursday at the Kenton Armory.
During its 17-year history, the foundation has given $450,000 in grants. Its assets are at $2.8 million.
This year’s grant recipients are as follow:
Hardin County Veteran’s Memorial Park District, $1,000 for improvements at Boy Scout Lake.
Hardin County Players, $1,000 for six body microphones and three base units.
Heartbeat of Hardin County, $1,000 for an infant car seat program.
Hardin County Armory Restoration Foundation, $1,500 for a public address system.
Salvation Army-Hardin County Unit, $2,000 to provide assistance to senior citizens.
(Refer to page 1 of the Kenton Times)