Read about these local veterans

Ralph Hamilton RANTOUL — When Viet Cong fighters infiltrated Ralph Hamilton’s camp ne … By Paul Wood Mike Kessel MAHOMET — Major Mike Kessel gives God credit for saving him in Iraq af … By Paul Wood Randall Smith CHAMPAIGN — Lt. Col. Randall Smith has learned to move fast. He was pu … By Paul Wood Richard Smith FARMER CITY — A Japanese destroyer dropped 14 depth charges in about a … By Paul Wood Richard Underwood URBANA — On Memorial Day, Lt. Richard Underwood remembers family, as w … By Paul Wood Curtis Heck ARMSTRONG — Curtis Heck was in Vietnam in the Army’s 101st Airborne, a … By Paul Wood Harold Thomas PHILO — Harold Thomas saw a kamikaze plane up close as it rammed into … By Paul Wood Jeni Hunniecutt URBANA — The National Guard took Jeni Hunniecutt from being the first … By Paul Wood Floyd Bailey URBANA — Floyd Bailey wondered for a couple days if he was crazy — or … By Paul Wood John Phipps CHAMPAIGN — During the Berlin Wall crisis in 1961, John Phipps was wor … By Paul Wood Nicholas Osborne URBANA — Lt. Nicholas Osborne served an 11-month deployment during Ope … By Paul Wood Larry Martin CHAMPAIGN — Master Sgt. Larry Martin was stationed 1,500 meters from t … By Paul Wood