An Austintown native and 1934 graduate of Austintown Fitch High School has been inducted posthumously into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor.

Lt. Col. Arnold W. Bokesch, an Army veteran who served in both World War II and the Korean War, received the Bronze Star with “V” Device for valor at the class of 2024 induction ceremony on May 3 in Columbus.

Bokesch died in 1973 at the age of 57 from the effects of chemical agents, such as Agent Orange, that were tested in the 1960s. Immediately after high school, he joined the Ohio National Guard and was put on active duty when the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, according to his youngest son, James Bokesch, 70, who lives in Nashville.

He and his three siblings — William “Bill”, 80, of San Diego, and Dan Bokesch, 76, and Darlene Aiello, 77, both of Austintown — attended the ceremony. Their mother, Magdalyn “Peggy,” died in 2010 at the age of 96. They were married for more than 30 years. Their younger sister, Theresa McMahon, died in 2022 at the age of 69.

William, the oldest, spent 25 years as a naval pilot and served in Vietnam. He was a captain when he retired and was an instructor at the “Top Gun” academy.

But it was James, who was only 19 when his father died, who heard many of his dad’s military stories. He put together a thick scrapbook, has several foot lockers filled with memorabilia, and wrote a book about Arnold Bokesch’s life, according to Aiello.

Bokesch retired from the Army in 1968 as a lieutenant colonel after 30 years of service. His last stint in the military before he retired was as commander of a tank battalion at the Ravenna Arsenal, which is now known as Camp James A. Garfield.

Dan Bokesch said his father earned three Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star for Valor during World War II as a first lieutenant. He also noted that Arnold Bokesch is the fourth Fitch graduate to be inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor.

“Dad was an Eagle Scout, and he loved military life,” James said.

He said Bokesch went to officer candidate school and was in the 30th Division, 117th Infantry Regiment. He was in the second wave of soldiers who arrived in Normandy several days after the D-Day invasion, James said.

“He spent a lot of time in Normandy, France and the European Theatre. He helped liberate a section of France and one of the Nazi concentration camps. He also was in the Battle of the Bulge and participated in the aftermath of the Normandy massacre,” he said. “He also was in the second wave of soldiers in Korea.”

James said his father earned his first Purple Heart after being shot in St. Lo, France. He was shot a second time in Mortain, France. His third Purple Heart was earned after being shot a third time during the Ardennes offensive (Battle of the Bulge) on the border of France and Germany.

James said he heard “many stories” from his dad’s military service, but one that really stood out was when Arnold Bokesch and his sergeant were on a reconnaissance mission and they decided which one would be on the left side and which would be on the right.

“As they were going down the line in enemy territory, the sergeant had his head blown off. That could have been my dad,” he said.

Bokesch earned his Bronze Star for heroic achievement in action in Holland on Sept. 12, 1944, according to the citation presented to him by the commander of the 30th Infantry Division.

“While his unit was advancing toward an enemy held town, an order came to Lt. Bokesch to move his mortar section and two machine gun platoons into support of the rifle companies which had encountered an enemy strong point. Finding that the road given him as the route of advance was under heavy enemy artillery fire, Lt. Bokesch first directed his men to cover and then undertook a personal reconnaisance to find an alternate route of approach,” the citation states. “His efforts were successful, despite the enemy shell fire, and he returned to his men, quickly organized them and led them up to the support positions without casualties. Lt. Bokesch’s brave conduct was a profound inspiration to his men and the supporting fire from his weapons materially assisted in eliminating the enemy resistance.”

The ceremony on May 3 was the 25th induction ceremony for the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor. There are now 498 inductees across Ohio, according to a news release from the OMHF. It honors servicemen and women who were decorated for heroism while in combat situations, the website states.

Bokesch was one of 17 honorees of the Class of 2024, and one of seven honored posthumously.

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