Governor Ducey Inducts 22 Into Arizona Veterans Hall Of Fame

PHOENIX – Twenty-two Arizona veterans were honored Friday by Governor Doug Ducey during the 9th Annual Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The Hall of Fame inducts “veterans who continue to go above and beyond to serve their communities” after their military service has ended, according to a media release. The types of service that today’s Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame inductees are or have engaged in post-military include providing veterans with necessary resources, assisting veterans who have mental health problems or are disabled, improving library services, raising funds for veterans programs and scholarships, and more.

“Our veterans sacrificed in countless ways to serve our country, and many continue to serve in extraordinary capacities long after they put aside the uniform. Today, we honor them,” said Governor Ducey in a statement. “My thanks to these heroes — the ones who have made service a lifelong calling. They represent the best of us, today and every day, and Arizona is grateful for all they do.”

Joining 400 other veterans previously inducted for their national and community service after the military, today’s 22 inductees are from Phoenix, Tucson and other Arizona communities:

• Arlen Allen, Jr., Army veteran, Phoenix
• William Bates, Army veteran, Sierra Vista
• Francis Blain, Marine Corps veteran, Lake Havasu City
• John Burns, Army veteran, Phoenix
• Patricia Carlisle-Thompson, Army veteran, Wittmann
• James Consolato, Jr., Air Force veteran, Golden Valley
• Robert Conte, Army veteran, Sierra Vista
• Kenneth Dowse, Navy veteran, Tucson
• James Fuller, Marine Corps veteran, Mesa (posthumous)
• Dennis Gardner, Navy veteran, Gilbert
• Roger Gowen, Navy veteran, Gold Canyon
• Bruce Hamilton, Army veteran, Sonoita
• Ludwig Kuttner, Marine Corps veteran, Hereford
• Larry Leighton, Army veteran, Sun City West
• Thomas Meaker, Marine Corps veteran, Laveen
• Paula Pedene, Navy veteran, Scottsdale
• Victor Peterson, Jr., Air Force veteran, Buckeye
• Michael Russell, Army veteran, Glendale
• Jack Sanders, Air Force veteran, Tucson
• Thomas Sheets, Marine Corps veteran, Phoenix
• Donald Watts, Air Force veteran, Peoria
• Michael Wold, Navy veteran, Carefree

And that service doesn't just go one way; Arizona continues to serve veterans, too. One way is through the Be Connected program, which received an additional $1.2 million in funding from the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, the governor’s office reported. Be Connected aims to provide early intervention for veterans and service members, their helpers and families, by providing them with support, information and resources including behavioral health services and peer support.