Decorated U.S. Army veteran Leo H. Connelly Jr. was honored last week as a statewide recipient of the Patriot of the Year. He was selected for going above and beyond the call of duty by the Ohio conference of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

That is an understatement.

A testament to his wonderful attitude, Connelly, of Boardman, expressed no disappointment to have missed out on a Columbus award ceremony, canceled due to COVID-19. Instead. he was absolutely humbled and honored to receive his recognition at a small ceremony in Warren.

Overwhelmed, the 1966 Chaney High School graduate said, “There isn’t a greater honor.”

The award was unique for a local veteran. The local Chapter 606 has 162 members and the Military Order of the Purple Heart has 1,800 members statewide. This is the first time a member of Chapter 606 received the state award.

Connelly was being honored for distinguished and meritorious service above and beyond the “call of duty” for the good of the Ohio conference of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

More specifically, he was honored for taking his volunteerism to “another level,” said Herman K. Breuer, commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart’s Chapter 606 as well as the Trumbull County Veterans Services Commission director. “He’s dedicated to serving our brothers and sisters.”

Connelly organizes food drives for military veterans and others. He has spent time dressing as Santa Claus to entertain underprivileged children and veterans during the holidays. He gathers donations of wheelchairs for the needy, and he puts flags along Interstate 680 and state Route 11.

He testified in Columbus to get a bridge on Mahoning Avenue renamed the Women Veterans Memorial Bridge, as well as a street in Austintown renamed Patriot Boulevard. For many years, Connelly has assisted in the local Toys for Tots effort.

He also was behind establishing a Purple Star Room at Austintown Fitch High School, which allows students experiencing difficulties to communicate with family members serving in Iraq and elsewhere.

Connelly also was part of a Freedom Warriors group that partnered with the Austintown Home Depot store to raise funds for a new roof for a veteran’s home in Youngstown.

Connelly has served on the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission and as district commander with DAV Chapter 2. In 2011, he was inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor.

In 2013, the Veterans Association gave him two pins for having served a total of 3,000 hours of volunteer work on behalf of veterans.

Another part of his mission is to educate veterans regarding available resources, entitlements and services they may be unaware of.

He continues to serve the needy with care and respect even after having served his nation, and being injured in that service.

Connelly served two years in the Army, including one year of active duty in Vietnam during the war.

Two months after finishing high school, Connelly was drafted into the Army and began a tour of duty March 27, 1967, in Vietnam with an Infantry Division.

He fought in three major battles — counter offensives 2 and 3, as well as the Tet Offensive in 1968. He served six months each of his tour in Vietnam as a foot soldier and a helicopter door gunner.

Connelly was wounded June 18, 1967, while trying to rescue an American soldier and get him to a helicopter so the soldier could be treated at a Red Cross center. A Viet Cong soldier who Connelly thought was dead suddenly turned and stabbed him in the left arm and side.

It wasn’t until February 2018 that Connelly received his Purple Heart.

The recognition may have arrived late, but the appreciation we all should have for Connelly’s service and his ongoing generosity is steadfast.

This recognition for all his service and volunteerism is well deserved and past due.

We are proud to salute him. Mr. Connelly is the definition of a true hero, both in combat and at home.

editorial@tribtoday.com