Nov. 12, 2008

<Herman Zerger Inducted into Veterans Hall of Fame
World War II veteran and former prisoner of war Herman Zerger was one of 20 veterans inducted into Ohio’s Veterans Hall of Fame Nov. 7 at Veterans Memorial in Columbus. Shown between  an  Army honor guard, are Charles P. Clegg, 2007 inductee, Herman Zerger, 2008 inductee; and Governor Ted Strickland, who presented the award.               
                Photo by Martha Ackerman

       
State Representative Jennifer Garrison presented Herman Zerger with a commendation from the Ohio House of Representatives recognizing his induction into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

by Martha Ackerman
Staff Writer
        It was this writer’s privilege and honor to attend the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame, Class of 2008, induction ceremony held Nov. 7 at Franklin County Veterans Memorial in Columbus. Woodsfield’s Herman Zerger  was one of the 20 inductees that included representatives of armed conflicts from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
        Over 30 Monroe County residents, which included Zerger’s family and friends, were on hand to witness the induction ceremony.
        State Representative Jennifer Garrison presented Zerger with a commendation from the Ohio House of Representatives recognizing his induction into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.      
        Zerger, a World War II veteran and former POW, was nominated by Monroe County Veterans Services Director Gary Lake, whose wife Jean wrote the following narrative from the information Gary compiled with the aid of Zerger’s niece, Dee Vargo:
        “It is with great admiration and the highest respect that I nominate Herman Zerger to be inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. He truly is an incredible man and well-deserving of this honor. Not only is he a decorated World War II veteran and former prisoner of war, but he has exemplified what selfless service and true sacrifice is throughout his life as he continued on after his military service with endless contributions to the community, state and nation.
        As a public servant leader, his life epitomizes impeccable character and radiates the qualities of humility, honesty, generosity and fairness to all men. He lives his life with endless energy and continues to be a source of tremendous wisdom and encouragement to every person he meets. With two main passions as the driving force behind his active life – serving fellow veterans and serving his fellowman in the political realm – he has contributed a myriad of accomplishments to his continual service to the country he loves. Honored and highly respected locally, statewide and nationwide, Herman Zerger is one of the most outstanding, unusual people you could ever meet.
        His military years are marked with tremendous selfless service and sacrifice. During WWII in 1942, Herman enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a Platoon Sergeant with Rifle Co. I-141st Infantry, 36th Infantry Division. As a young man, 18 years old, he fought 300 days on the front line in 31 battles in both Italy and France. He received a Bronze Star for valor after he took out a German tank that had his small company pinned down. He cast his first vote (for Franklin Delano Roosevelt) from a foxhole facing the Germans before being taken as a prisoner on Feb. 3, 1945 by the SS troops, Hilter’s elite, the same day sniper and mortar fire pinned down his unit. As a POW, he lived on grass soup infested with bugs, inadequate clothing, unheated and rat-infested quarters with very primitive sanitation and no medical care. Torture was commonplace. He suffered from malnutrition and frozen feet, handling metal railroad rails with no gloves, pulling the skin
 and flesh right off his hands and fingers. And yet, he would do it again for his country. He returned home in May 1945, weighing in at 100 pounds. Later, his unit was presented with the prestigious Presidential Unit Citation, the highest award given to a combat unit.
        Upon his return home from the war, his service to others continued as he worked with his father at Zerger’s Quarry, the family business. He was instrumental in moving the quarry stone to provide today’s foundation for Monroe County roads, surrounding county roads, and state roads and learned the business the hard way – from the bottom up. Many local people remember the tireless efforts of both he and his father as they cleared roads in the blizzard of 1950. During this storm, they worked seven full days, 24 hour shifts opening up snow-blocked state roads. Later, he became owner and operator of the business and is well known for his honesty and integrity as he faithfully served the community for 50 years. At the same time, he also served the local community for 10 years as Special Duty Sheriff under the former Monroe County Sheriff Francis Sulsberger. It became quickly known to all who knew Herman that his word was as good as a handshake. It is no
 surprise that in 1972, he was elected by the local people for five consecutive terms, a total of 20 years, as Center Township Trustee.
        In 1946 Herman began his 62 years of selfless service to his fellowman through veteran activities and politics. Through these two avenues, he discovered the heartbeat that would drive his future. In 1946 he was elected to the Monroe County Democratic Central and Executive Committee where he has worked in every election for 62 years. Also in 1946, he began his involvement with local veteran functions and became one of the founding charter members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5303 where he served as trustee for 40 years, and also the 40&8 Grand Voiture of Ohio No. 363 where he served as chaplain. From those beginning days until now, with heart and soul, Herman continually poured his efforts into selflessly serving veterans and his fellowman through politics. Today, he influences lives all over the state and nation.
        His accomplishments in the political realm are endless, and his honors are many. Herman has represented the community interests as Monroe County Democratic Chairman for 45 years. He is presently honored to be the longest serving and the oldest serving county Democratic chairman in the state of Ohio. He attends all local, district and state-level political events. As chairman of the Monroe County Executive Committee, he attended an Independence Day function hosted by John Kerry and his wife in 2005. He is continually on the go, averaging 1,000 miles a week serving others, campaigning in Canton, Columbus and Chillicothe and continuing in leadership roles at all levels.
        Statewide, he is known to be a man of integrity and impeccable character and has received many honors. Currently, at the state level, he is serving his eighth term as Sergeant of Arms of the Ohio Democratic Chairman’s Association and is in charge of the conduct of the association meetings. He has been personally invited 18 times to the Governor’s mansion in Columbus, for political events hosted by Governor Ted Strickland.
        In 1987, he was chosen from 88 county chairmen to be honored as Democrat of the Year at the Democratic State Dinner. In 1992, he received the State Achievement Award due to his active role in the democratic process. In 2002, he received the Ohio Democratic Service award which was given for longevity of time in serving the Democratic Party for the State of Ohio since 1946. In 2004 he was honored with a Certificate in Applied Politics from Bliss Institute for his active citizen participation in the democratic process in the State of Ohio. In 2007, at the Ohio Democratic State Dinner, he was honored guest of State Senator Brocceria and was bestowed one of the greatest honors of all – leading a crowd of 2,000 people in the Pledge of Allegiance. He is so well respected at the Ohio Demo-cratic Headquarters that during campaigns, bracelets were worn as a reminder with the initials WWHZD – “What Would Herman Zerger Do?”
        Herman Zerger is not only widely recognized across the state, but he has also earned respect nationwide. Due to his humble nature, not many people know that a filmed documentary on his life as a veteran is on record at The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. In 2003 he was the honored guest of Congressman Ted Strickland for the Presidential State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C. In 2004 he was the honored guest of Congressman Ted Strickland in Washington, D.C. for the dedication of the World War II National Monument. He has also accompanied the Ohio Democratic Chairman four times to national meetings at the White House, as part of a delegation representing Ohio political interests and veteran concerns during the Clinton administration. He actively campaigns county and statewide and meets national leaders when they are in the state of Ohio – Al Gore, John Kerry, Bill and Hillary Clinton, among many others. As chairman of the county
 Democratic Executive Committee, he was named to the steering committee of the Ohio Veterans for Gore and served as the county coordinator for the Al Gore for President campaign.
        Herman is presently involved in over 17 local, state and national veteran organizations. Nicknamed “Zerg” throughout his life by all who know him, he is still constantly on the go every day, serving veterans in the political realm, striving in his selfless way to make life better for his fellowman. He actively participates in an average of 12 veteran events each month. He is a founding charter member of at least five different veteran organizations throughout the state of Ohio. He has held many leadership positions and currently serves as Trustee of the 36th Infantry Breakfast Club, Junior Vice of the Mid Ohio Valley Ex-POW Chapter 15, and since 1983, continues to serve as a Lifelong Trustee of Disabled Veterans.
        In recent years Herman has continued to step into new leadership positions of influential veteran advocacy in the political realm. His wisdom and opinion is continually sought and valued by state politicians and political leaders. He was chosen as one of five veterans by Congressman Ted Strickland to serve on his Veterans Advisory Committee during his campaign for governor. In this capacity Herman gathered input from veterans all over the state of Ohio to address issues and voice veterans’ issues and concerns to politicians. He not only serves as Lifetime Honorary Chairman for the Ohio Democratic Veterans Caucus since 2000, but he is also one of 12 District Representatives to the newly formed Ohio Democratic Party Veterans and Family Member Caucus. Recently, he was appointed District Representative to the Advisory Committee for Democratic Veterans Caucus in 2008.
        Herman’s selfless service and genuine concern for veterans is evident in everything he does. He is always thinking of others. No matter how busy his schedule is, he still makes it a priority to stay in touch with fellow veterans and friends through phone calls, nursing home visits, hospital visits and by attending funerals of fellow WWII veterans. Recently, he was instrumental in bringing a new VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic to Marietta, Ohio, and participated in the dedication ceremony for the facility. A few years ago he was asked to present Normandy Invasion medals to 22 Monroe County veterans during a special awards ceremony held by the county Veterans Services officer. He was not only a guest speaker to local residents at Westwood Landing Assisted Living Facility, but he also presented an American flag flown over the nation’s Capitol to the local Woodsfield Nursing and Rehab Center on behalf of Congressman Charlie Wilson. Not only does he
 play an active role in annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day celebrations, but he was recently honored as a founding member of the local VFW when he rode in a Jeep behind the honor guard and American flag in the 2008 WHS Alumni Parade.
        Herman’s friends are a major part of his life and he keeps in close contact with those he fought alongside in WWII. Not long ago, he attended a nationwide reunion of the 141st Infantry Regiment, Co I in Las Vegas. He has returned to Europe five times. This last time he returned with fellow comrades to revisit battlefields, German friends and a monument dedicated to his unit – the 36th Infantry Division – remembering the many sacrifices made by all soldiers. It remains his desire to return yet again. One of his fellow comrades is presently writing a book of shared war experiences of which Herman is a major part.
        Herman has also authored 28 articles for the local paper referencing his combat experiences and is presently working on another for future publication. He has faithfully kept a daily journal of all his adventures for the last 12 years. He has also been involved in local civic groups over the years. He has been interviewed by numerous local papers. He has been interviewed by the local television station, WTRF 7, Wheeling, W. Va. He has also been interviewed by Denver Conley of the American Legion in documenting his veteran experiences. In June 2008 he was featured in a POW special televised in Orlando, Florida.
        At 84, Herman is more active than ever before and his tireless energy and zest for life remain unmatched. His optimism and positive outlook is contagious and inspirational to people of all ages. He relates well to young people and speaks on behalf of veterans to local school students, ensuring their understanding of the historical significance and sacrifice endured by his peers in WWII.
        He seeks to help young people learn about the democratic process and is the founder and mentor of the Young Democrat Club in Monroe County, formed six years ago. One of his newest endeavors is assisting in bringing an Ohio Wilderness Boys Camp for at-risk, emotionally disturbed boys to Monroe County.
        With great enthusiasm and an undying concern for others, Herman has poured his life into numerous veteran organizations and politics influencing people at the local, state and national levels. The innumerable ways he has affected the lives of other people are far reaching, He has held leadership positions in numerous organizations. His accomplishments among veterans continue with each new day. His honors in both the veteran and political realm are many. His lifestyle epitomized the military values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. His devotion and commitment to fellow veterans, his depth of concern for all people and his endless supply of energy and determination against all odds are unspeakable. His years of selfless service to citizens locally, statewide and nationwide leave a legacy for the next generation. He is a true veteran to be remembered always.
        Congratulations, Herman!

<Former Woodsfield Resident is PGA Master Professional

        Former Woodsfield resident Jim Swarthout has become one of only 352 Master Professionals in the United States. He is currently the Regional Manager for New Hampshire’s Pheasant Ridge Golf Club and White Mountain Country Club.

        Jim Swarthout, PGA Certified Golf Professional, just added one more very important term to his title – Master!
        After passing extensive comprehensive testing in the General Management Certification process in March 2006, Swarth-out became eligible to work toward his ultimate goal of becoming a Master Professional.
        The PGA of America is made up of 28,000 men and women. The Masters program was established in 1969 by the board of directors. It was organized to recognize PGA members who make significant efforts to improve themselves as golf professionals and maintain the highest degree of excellence for themselves and their operations.
        Swarthout completed and submitted his 300-page project in General Management in July 2008. The first step of the process was completed after the project was re-viewed and accepted in August.
        Swarthout traveled to Port St. Lucie in Florida to the PGA Education Center in October to present his powerpoint project to a panel of Master Professionals. An extensive question/answer session followed the presentation.
        A few days later Swarthout received  notification that he had earned his Master status and became one of only 352 Master Professionals in the United States!
        The son of Jim and Lil Swarthout of Woodsfield, Jim is a 1987 graduate of Woodsfield High School and a 1992 graduate of Missis-sippi State Univer-sity.
        He became a PGA member in 1994 and is currently employed as a Regional Manager for Pheasant Ridge Golf Club in Gilford, New Hampshire and White Mountain Country Club in Ashland, New Hampshire.
        Swarthout resides in Gilford, New Hampshire with his wife Michelle and two children Tyler and Ellie.


       

<River Advances to Region 23 Final
Dominates Trimble 45-15 in Division VI Semis

River’s Tyler Brooks gains yardage as the Pilots soundly defeat Trimble 45-15 to advance to Ohio Division VI, Region 23 finals. Also shown are D.J. Duke (56), Travis Riesbeck (69) and Jordan Clegg (34). River will  face Malvern at Harding Stadium, Steubenville, Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.
                                                          Photo Courtesy of the Wetzel Chronicle.


The River Pilots advance to Ohio Division VI, Region 23 finals after handily defeating Trimble 45-15 at Don Drumm Stadium in Marietta Nov. 7.
        A six-year veteran coach, Flannery and his Pilots are sporting a 12-1 record on the year as they advance to the Ohio Division VI, Region 23 final Nov. 14. River will face Malvern at Harding Stadium in Steubenville at 7:30 p.m.
        Pre-sale tickets for the play-off match-up will be on sale at the high school Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m. til 5 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. til 2:30 p.m.
        Flannery’s club held a 14-0 advantage with 28 seconds remaining in the half when a punt block out of the end zone and a last-second Trimble touchdown narrowed the lead to 14-9.
        The second half was all River. They chewed up the clock with runs by seniors Tyler Brooks, Jordan Clegg and Taylor Potts who combined for 318 net yards.
        Trimble had not allowed an opposing player to rush for 100 yards since week one of the 2008 season.
        Brooks, an All-Ohio candidate, had five TDs for 182 yards on 19 carries to lead River.
        Clegg added 78 yards, while Potts added 58 on the ground and 52 more on receptions from his junior brother, Dylan Potts, who finished with 94 aerial yards on seven completions.
        The Pilots’ defensive unit, led by seniors D.J. Duke and Travis Riesbeck, forced a punt on the opening series of the game.
        On the first snap, Brooks bolted 73 yards for the first TD with 9:12 showing on the clock.
        Sophomore place kicker  Tanner Wright was accurate for the PAT to give River a 7-0 lead.
        On the Tomcats’ next possession, Duke blocked a punt which Riesbeck scooped up at the 39. The drive stalled when an illegal block denied a first down catch at the 15 and the Pilots punted.
        On River’s next possession, the Pilots went 60 yards in 11 plays as Brooks touched the ball seven times and followed Duke’s 4th-and-goal block from the two-yard line. Wright’s kick was good for the PAT to make it 14-0 River.
        Riesbeck teamed with Duke to force a punt, but River’s Dylan Potts scrambled for the bouncing pigskin on a botched exchange from center to recover at his two.
        Trimble’s big rush on a punt resulted in a block out the end zone for a safety and a 14-2 difference at 28 seconds. On the free kick, Trimble went 45 yards to set up a 23-yard pass which resulted in a TD, bring the score to 14-9 at halftime.
        “At halftime, I told the kids we’d shot ourselves in the foot and this is the time when we show our character,” said Flannery, “and I thought we fought back from this adversity.”
        River opened the second half  gaining ground behind the blocking of Riesbeck, junior guards Jeremy Corrick and Joey Asturi, Duke, junior tight end Tyler Jeffers and Daniel Starr.
        Two Starr catches for 28 yards culminated in a Wright 27-yard field goal for a 17-9 advantage at 7:46.
        Trimble was forced to punt again and the Pilots went 61 yards in 11 plays as Potts connected with Starr once and twice for 32 yards to Taylor Potts.
        Brooks scored and Wright’s PAT made it 24-9.
        On the Tomcats’ next possession, Taylor Potts recovered a Trimble fumble at the nine yard line. Moments later, River fumbled it back to Trimble. A Tomcats’ run made it 24-15 at 8:44, but Duke blocked the PAT.
        Jordan Clegg ran 48 yards for the next TD; Tyler Brooks added a TD with a 30-yard run. Brooks finished the scoring with a 37-yard punt return. Tanner’s kick after each touchdown was good. Final: River 45, Trimble 15.


       

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