Cheshire Resident To Be Inducted Into CT Veterans Hall Of Fame

CHESHIRE, CT — A Cheshire resident is among the 14 veterans selected as part of the 20th class of honorees for induction into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Tuesday.

The hall is the state’s official tribute recognizing former members of the United States Armed Forces who are from Connecticut and have continued making significant impacts in their communities after leaving military service.

This year’s class will be celebrated during an induction ceremony that will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23 in the Gold Star Families Memorial Auditorium on the campus of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs in Rocky Hill.

“There are so many veterans from Connecticut who have continued their generosity even after leaving military service by volunteering in their communities and providing leadership that has helped improve the lives of others in many ways,” Lamont said in a statement. “The Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame is a way we can celebrate the many veterans in our state who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and have truly made a lasting impact. I congratulate the 14 veterans who are being inducted this year and I thank each of them to everything they have provided to our nation and the State of Connecticut.”

The local inductee is (biography prepared by the state):

John W. White of Cheshire (United States Navy)

John Warren White is an internationally known author who writes about the human mind and spirituality and their relationship to political, social, and cultural affairs. He has published 20 books, which have been translated into 10 languages. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, Saturday Review, and many other newspapers and magazines around the world.

Mr. White attended Dartmouth College (1961) on an ROTC scholarship, after which he served in the U.S. Navy from 1961 to 1965, plus two years reserve time, as a naval officer (LTJG), primarily in antisubmarine warfare and nuclear weaponry, and was awarded the J.C. Expeditionary Force award (Vietnam, 1964).

He earned a master’s degree from Yale University in 1969 and has taught English and journalism on the secondary and college levels and served on the boards of academic and research organizations and of scholarly journals and popular magazines.

From 1965 to 1969, he taught English at Cheshire High School, and then worked in public relations for a Connecticut utility company. In 1972, Mr. White joined Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell to begin The Institute of Noetic Sciences, a research organization. Two years later, he began a career as a freelance writer. In 1981, he joined another Connecticut utility company as a communications specialist.

For decades, Mr. White served as commander of VFW Post 10052, and as a member and chaplain of the American Legion Post 92 and the Army Air Force Roundtable of Connecticut. He spearheaded many patriotic and educational events that taught citizens to love and honor their country, flag, and veterans, and the highest principles they represent. He was heavily active in supporting and advocating for veterans.

Mr. White lives in Cheshire, Connecticut, and has been married to his wife Barbara for more than 60 years. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

Administered and sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs and the Connecticut Military Department on behalf of the Office of the Governor, the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame was established in 2005 and inducts a new class annually. With the addition of this year’s class, there will now be 215 honorees inducted.

The focus of the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame is on veterans’ service to their communities after they have left military service. Many of the honorees are veterans who have been leaders in a variety of areas, such as the arts, education, public service, volunteer organizations, and community and business leadership.

The honorees are nominated throughout the year by members of the public, and then a committee – consisting of the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, the adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard, members of the legislature’s Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs, and a group of veterans from the state – reviews the nominations and selects inductees.

To be eligible, nominees must have been born in Connecticut or resided in the state for a minimum of five years. They must also meet the definition of a “veteran” under Connecticut General Statutes § 27-103 and have received an honorable discharge from the United States Armed Forces. The submitted nomination package must contain the completed nomination form, the veteran’s discharge documents, and a detailed narrative of the veteran’s community and/or public service at the local, state, and/or national level and the veteran’s contributions to the community at large.

For information on how to nominate a veteran for a future class of inductees, and to read the names and biographies of previous inductees, visit here.