A Celebration of Freedom
Memorial Day Activities
Vietnam Memorial Wall
American Veterans Traveling Tribute
Salute to Veterans
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SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
FRIDAY, MAY 27, 7 - 9PM
REVEREND DAMON LYNCH, JR.
Reverend Damon Lynch, Jr. is the Pastor of New Jerusalem Baptist Church, a position he has held
since 1970. Reverend Lynch is the former president of the Baptist Ministers Conference and is a
founding member of the Board of Directors of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
He graduated from Cincinnati Bible Seminary, and received his Masters degree from the Graduate
Theological Foundation at Notre Dame. At his core, Lynch is a preacher and a man of God. He is
often referred to as 'Cincinnati's Preacher'. Anyone who has ever attended a Sunday service at
New Jerusalem Church in Carthage understands why he was inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Hall of Fame for Preachers. For almost 40 years at New Jerusalem, he has preached the Word
powerfully, as he built the congregation from 65 members to more than 2,000 members. Reverend
Lynch has been a member of the Board of Directors of Spring Grove's funeral home, the Gwen Mooney
Funeral Home, since 1999 in addition to the many other Boards he shares his talents with within
the community. Reverend Lynch and his wife, Barbara have two children and four grandchildren.
GWEN MOONEY
Gwen Mooney, President and Managing Director of Spring Grove's funeral home, has been involved
in the cemetery and funeral industry for 18 years and has been a member of The Spring Grove Family
for over 11 years. In 1999, Gwen was one of two senior managers to open and operate the funeral
home owned by Spring Grove Cemetery. Gwen created and managed the funeral home's Pre-Planning
division for 8 years and was promoted to Managing Funeral Director in June of 2007. Gwen graduated
from Berkshire Community College in 1990 with an Associate's Degree in Arts and received her
Bachelor's Degree in Mortuary Science from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1992.
As an active member of her community, Gwen has served as a Board Member from 2005 - 2010 for
Community Services West (CSW), a non-profit organization providing meals on wheels, senior
transportation and in-home counseling. Gwen was integral to CSW in receiving a grant in 2007 for
the purchase of a new meal delivery van. In 2009, Gwen was elected President of CSW.
Also in 2009, Gwen was elected to be on the Board of Trustees for the Greater Cincinnati Fire
Museum. While currently working on a campaign to educate children and the public on general
fire safety, Gwen is also working with the Board to generate exposure for the museum as an
important resource to the Greater Cincinnati area. Gwen and Darren, her husband of 19 years,
and a Lieutenant with the Green Township Fire Department, have 3 children and live in Harrison, OH.
DANIEL DUKE HELLER
Daniel 'Duke' Heller was a member of the Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion 9th Marines, a
unit that had fought hard and long in Vietnam in 1965. The 1-9 Marines, in defiance, took Ho's
boast as their nickname; and it was not long before it became one of the most bloodied - and
battle-decorated - units in the Marines Corps. In 2008, Duke realized a lifelong dream of seeing
a headstone at the final resting place of his fellow Marine, Eddie Van Oliver. On the morning of
February 20, 1969, Mr. Heller embraced the Marine code of 'No Marine leaves another Marine behind'.
When the mission was accomplished he and his fellow Marines wrapped the bodies of their fallen
comrades in ponchos - and slung them over their shoulders for a weeklong trek out of the jungle.
Mr. Oliver was laid to rest at Spring Grove, but did not have a marker at this grave. Through the
efforts of Mr. Heller and Gwen Mooney a headstone is now in place at the site of this young soldier.
MELVIN GRAVELY II, PH. D. M.
Dr. Melvin Gravely, II, is the founder of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, a think tank
focused on improving the results of minority business development efforts. The Institute is
nationally known for providing thought leadership, and industry changing research on issues at
the intersection of business and race. The Institute is a trusted advisor to Chambers of Commerce,
major corporations and community leaders across the nation. After ten successful years working for
a large corporation, he co-founded a civil engineering firm and grew it into a multimillion dollar
company. Dr. Gravely is also an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. Dr. Gravely speaks and writes on
various topics related to entrepreneurial thinking and minority business development. Dr. Melvin
Gravely is professionally dedicated to developing capacity and opportunity for minority entrepreneurs.
Dr. Gravely is an active Cincinnati civic leader including the Board of Trustees for Thomas More
College, Board of Directors of The Drake Center, and is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors
of Gwen Mooney Funeral Home. Dr. Gravely resides in Cincinnati, with his wife and two children.
BRENDAN KEEFE
16-time Emmy award winner Brendan Keefe joined WCPO in the fall of 2007. He co-anchors 9 News at
5:30 weeknights with Tanya O'Rourke. Brendan also works as a "multimedia journalist," shooting,
writing, producing, and editing his own reports for WCPO's special projects unit and the I-Team.
Brendan has completed three combat reporting tours in the Middle East. He reported from the rooftops
of Kuwait City as U.S. Forces invaded Iraq in 2003. Brendan returned to the region in April 2004
when he and a photographer were embedded with a U.S. Army Reserve unit from New York. During the
deadliest month for I.E.D. attacks, Brendan endured a 600-mile convoy from Kuwait to Kirkuk in
Northern Iraq. The military convoy was attacked by insurgents near Abu Ghraib while traveling on
the treacherous road between Baghdad airport and the city center. A truck in the column was hit by
a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) and one soldier survived a gunshot wound from an insurgent's AK-47,
but all the soldiers survived and Brendan was not hurt. He earned a bachelor's degree in English
Literature from Kenyon College in Ohio where he also created Kenyon College Television.
Brendan, his wife Tiffany and their two children reside in Anderson Township.
COL. DEAN SMITTLE / KEYNOTE SPEAKER
With a military career spanning more than three decades, two services, reserve and active components,
and years as an enlisted member and senior officer, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Dean Smittle has
taken his expertise on the road as a military analyst focusing on the war against terrorism.
Col. Smittle's military experiences are vast. He was a distinguished graduate of Army ROTC and was
commissioned a regular officer in the Army Signal Corps in 1962. He was first assigned as a company
commander in Germany. There he provided combat communications support for infantry. As an
Audio-Visual Staff Officer for the Department of the Army Photographic agency at the Pentagon he
prepared Joint Chiefs of Staff briefings. He spent some time as Battalion Operations Officer in
Vietnam. His final tour of duty was as Company Commander, Radio-Repair Course, US Army Signal
School in Georgia. Col. Smittle has been awarded 14 medals as well as the Army Combat Infantry badge
and the Master Jump Wings. The colonel is ranger/airborne qualified, a master parachutist, and
served eight years with the signal corps. Col. Smittle, a Cincinnati native and resident,
received a Masters of Arts in Education from the University of Cincinnati in 1971. He is also a
graduate of the Air War College. He has completed the Professional Military information Systems
Course, the Reserve Components national Security Course and the Defense Systems Management
College Executive Management Course. Col. Smittle is currently an instructor of fine arts in the
Princeton City School District, Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a life member of the Air Force Officers
Association, the Disabled American Veterans and is an active member of the Armed Forces
Communications Electronics Association.
HAMILTON COUNTY POLICE HONOR GUARD
The Hamilton County Police Honor Guard represents the agency at formal ceremonies, parades, funerals,
memorial services, and other events. The Honor Guard provides a highly trained, specially uniformed
group of deputies to perform the particulars of these events. The Hamilton County Police Association
remains a vital organization, dedicated to further the interests of all local, state, and federal law
enforcement agencies in Hamilton County, and to serve the citizens and visitors of Hamilton County.
The motto "Cooperation In Operation" is as true today as it was many years ago.
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SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2 - 4PM
REVEREND DR. DAVID FAUST
David Faust is the seventh president of Cincinnati Christian University. A native of Highland County,
Ohio, he has been involved in ministry for 35 years, including South Nassau Christian Church in Baldwin,
New York, University Christian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and East 91st Street Christian Church in
Indianapolis, Indiana. He graduated from New York Christian Institute, Empire State College, Kentucky
Christian University, Cincinnati Christian University, and Fuller Theological Seminary. Since 1996 he
has served as executive editor of The Lookout, a weekly magazine for Christian families, and he has
written or co-authored twelve books. He served as president of the 2006 North American Christian
Convention. Dr. Faust has been married since 1975 to Candy, who is a registered nurse. They have three
adult children, two sons-in-law, and two granddaughters.
KYLEE BOWMAN
Kylee is 14 and is an 8th grade student at Pleasant Run Middle School. Kylee loves to sing and asked to
be part of our Memorial Day tribute to all of those who have served. Kylee has been featured at school
concerts and has lent her beautiful voice to funeral services, including her own mothers last August.
Kylee's grandfather, Jerry Wesley, is a member of the Spring Grove Security team.
JIM MEYERS
Jim Meyers was one of many young men who answered the country's call for duty. As a young Marine,
he entered the Marine's Officer Candidate School and was successfully commissioned a 2d Lieutenant.
He subsequently attended Marine Officer's Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia and
additional specialty training at Camp Lejeune, NC. He was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in
January 1967. With the most decorated infantry battalion in Marine Corps history the 2d Battalion,
5th Marines, he was a participant in many combat patrols and operations, including Operation
Tuscaloosa, Union I, Union II, Dixie, and Hue City, receiving the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat
"V", Two Presidential Unit Citations, The Combat Action Ribbon, and The Vietnamese Cross of
Gallantry with Palm. As a young Captain, he was selected as Aide-de-Camp to the Deputy for Education,
US Marine Corps in 1968 and following his release from active duty in 1969, served as a Special Agent
with the U.S. Secret Service with the Nixon and Ford presidencies. Entering industry, and after
developing a bioactive technology that reconstructs human tissues, he retired from the implantable
medical device industry in 2004. Jim has served as a member on Boards of Directors in industry,
venture capital, church and charities. He currently serves as Chaplain, Marine Corps League Detachment
#968, in Mason, Ohio. Jim is the head of the Security team at Historic Spring Grove Cemetery and
Arboretum. He lives in Blue Ash, Ohio with his wife of 33 years, Susan Rose- with whom he is still
raising the "last in the ranks" of their six children- one of whom is currently serving on active
duty as a Captain in the US Marine Corps.
LARRY DUPREE
Larry DuPree is a U.S. Air Force veteran. He served in Vietnam as a MedEvac Tech with the 903rd
Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. During his tour of duty, he was awarded the Air Medal with 2 oak
leaf clusters and ?ew 368 missions in every major con?ict during 67 and 68, including the Tet
offensive and the Thanksgiving Offensive with the Army at Dak To. The unit ?ew missions for the
Army and Marines throughout the Vietnam theatre of operations. Mr. DuPree is currently retired,
but serves as a "live" Taps bugler for military services. He has sounded "live" Taps for all
branches of the military and is a DOD certi?ed bugler. He recently completed his 700th service.
He is a board member of the Taps 150 organization, formed to celebrate Taps 150th birthday in 2012,
petition congress to have Taps recognized as the national song of remembrance, commemorate the
birthday with patriotic events, and help refurbish the Taps monument at Berkeley Plantation.
STANLEY A. WERNZ
Stanley A. Wernz is the president of the Association of Lincoln Presenters. The Cincinnati
resident has been doing the presentation since 1969 and, after retiring as superintendent of North
College Hill School District in 2000, he began "doing it in earnest." Stan Wernz has had a
professional career as teacher, principal and superintendent of schools. Early in his teaching career,
after growing a beard, a student called him "Abe". The student further commented, "You always acted
like him' now you look like him!" With those words began a conscious promotion and role modeling
of Lincoln's attributes, sayings, speeches and jokes. For more than thirty years Stan has been
recognized in street clothes by friends and strangers for his "Lincoln look-alike" features.
When dressed in Lincoln attire, he fascinates listeners from pre-school to senior citizens as he
relates the life, thoughts and comments of our 16th President. Audiences of all ages are captivated
by the humor and wide range of topics included in the talks - Lincoln's youth, hardships endured,
'lawyering', political life, family, etc. The talks conclude with audience participation in
questions and answers. When questions require research, answers follow in writing. Spring Grove
has been honored to have Mr. Wernz portray Mr. Lincoln for the past three years during our Memorial
Day activities. It is an extraordinary honor to once again invite Mr. Wernz to take the stage this
year as we honor the sesquicentennial of the Civil War and Spring Grove's rich Civil War history.
KAREN GILES / KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Karen Giles is currently the President, Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Prior to her current position, Col. Giles was Director, Port Mortuary, Dover AFB, Delaware from 2003
to 2008. After separating from the active duty military in 1992, Ms. Giles worked for Morehead State
University as an Assistant Professor, HRIM. From 1993 to 2002, she served as Vice President,
Professional Development and Production, Educational Institute, American Hotel and Lodging
Association, Orlando, Florida and Lansing, Michigan. From 2002-2003, worked for DeVry University
as Director, Career Services, Orlando, Florida. Along with her civilian career, Ms. Giles has
completed twenty-two years of active duty and reserve service. Colonel Giles received her commission
through OTS in 1985. Her first assignment was Operations Officer, 44th Combat Support Group,
Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. In August 1986, she was assigned as the Chief of Services, 1012th Air
Base Group, Thule AB, Greenland. During her 16-year active duty and reserve tenure at the Air Force
Institute of Technology (AFIT), Colonel Giles served as course director and instructor for the Air
Force Lodging Manager and Air Force Mortuary Affairs courses. Colonel Giles developed/conducted
numerous seminars and course offerings related to lodging operations, financial management and
mortuary affairs. Because of her experience in mortuary affairs, she was selected as a Division
Chief, Port Mortuary, Dover AFB, Delaware during DESERT SHIELD/STORM, Deputy Personal Effects
Depot Commander during NOBLE EAGLE (Pentagon 9-11) and Mass Fatality Director during the initial
stages of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM/OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. She has served on the
HQ USAF/A1S staff at the Pentagon and HQ ACC/A1S staff, Langley AFB, VA.
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