Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 2020 includes Kent State alumnus David C. Lange, BA ‘75, who interrupted his own education at Kent State to enlist in the U.S. Navy.
Lange, who lives near Malvern, Ohio, told that following his freshman year at Kent State, he entered the Navy and “after my military discharge in December 1971, I returned to Kent State and majored in journalism, which led to a 40-year newspaper career.”
that Lange’s journalistic career took him to four newspapers in Northeast Ohio. He served as editor at the Geauga Times Leader and worked at Solon Free Press, Chagrin Valley Times and Lake County Telegraph.
The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame is an honor given by the Ohio Department of Veterans Services to veterans who “served their country honorably and continue to serve their communities, state and nation after discharge through volunteerism, advocacy, professional distinction, public service and advocacy.”
According to the Repository, Lange was active duty in the Navy from 1968 until 1971. He spent many years after that as an advocate for veterans in Ohio, having written extensively on topics such as the impact of Agent Orange on Vietnam veterans and post-traumatic stress in the military. He is a member of the New Philadelphia chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and is on the board of the Carroll County Veterans Club.
Lange is also author of the 2018 book "Virginity Lost in Vietnam,” which details his tour with the U.S. Navy riverine forces and his re-acclimation into civilian life and forms “a unique coming-of-age story during one of the most tumultuous eras in American history,” according to the book description.
In September, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the list of 20 inductees for 2020. In lieu of the traditional Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, ODVS representatives and members of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Executive Committee will make personal arrangements with honorees and their families to present the medals and certificates privately in a safe manner.
To learn more about the School of Media and Journalism, visit www.kent.edu/mdj.