The Town of Vinton honored its employees who have served or are serving in the military with a Veterans Luncheon on November 9 at the Vinton War Memorial. They were recognized for their “service, sacrifice, and patriotism.” This is the second year for the event, organized by the Employee Recognition Committee.
Vinton employees who were recognized include: Deputy Chief of Fire and EMS Chris Linkous, Fire and EMS Captain Chad Helms, Deputy Chief of Police Captain Fabricio Drumond, Firefighter/Paramedics Donald W. King and Daniel Noel, Public Works employee Kevin Orange, Vinton War Memorial employee Daniel Hernandez, Vinton Police Officers Joshua Murray, Danny Cox, and Adam Hoover, along with Police Cpl. Silas Chapman, and Mayor Brad Grose.
Town Manager Barry Thompson thanked the veterans for their service to the country in the military and for their service to the community as town employees.
Grose said that “it is not a coincidence that people willing to serve their country are also willing to serve our citizens.”
Chief Linkous served in the United States Air Force as a Senior Airman from the summer of 1991 until the spring of 1995. He was stationed at McGuire Air Force base and worked as a firefighter. He returned from the Air Force on May 25, 1995, and began working for the Town of Vinton the next day.
Capt. Helms served in the Army and Army Reserves from 1996 to 2003. He left the service with the rank of corporal. He was stationed in Ft. Lewis, Wash., Babenhausen, Germany (with an eight-month deployment to Taszar, Hungary), and wrapped up his active duty at Ft. Bragg, N.C. He was assigned to the 2174th GSU in Salem for his reserve duty and was activated for eight months at Ft. Eustis, Va. His job in the service was as a Wire Systems Equipment repairman, working on field phones, switchboards, and power supplies. Helms began working for the Town of Vinton in August 2005.
Capt. Drumond served in the United States Marine Corps from 2002 to 2006. He achieved the rank of sergeant, E-5, and was stationed in Camp Lejeune, N.C. He was deployed to Africa, Cuba, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was trained as an assaultman. He has been employed by the town since 2009.
Firefighter/Paramedic Donald King was a corporal in the U.S. Army. He served in the infantry from 1993 until 2002 and was stationed stateside in California and at Fort Benning, Ga. He has been with the town for a year.
Firefighter/Paramedic Daniel Noel is technically a county employee, but works in the Vinton Fire and Rescue Station. He served as a corporal in the Marine Corps from 2004 until 2012. He was stationed in Norfolk and deployed to the Middle East and South America. He has worked for Roanoke County for four years.
Kevin Orange served in the U.S. Army from 1982 through 1986 with the rank of E-4. He was in light infantry and stationed in Georgia and Kentucky. He has worked in the Vinton Public Works Department for 12 years.
Daniel Hernandez served as a master sergeant in the Marine Corps, entering on August 2, 1970, and retiring on August 31, 1991. He served for 21 years as an aircraft firefighter and was stationed in a variety of locations including Quantico, Camp Pendleton in California, Parris Island in South Carolina, Okinawa, and Hawaii. He has been working at the Vinton War Memorial for three years.
Officer Joshua Murray has worked for the Vinton Police for a year. He served as a sergeant in the Marines, working as a radio operator and drill instructor. He spent eight years in the Marines and was deployed to Iraq and other locations in the Middle East.
Officer Danny Cox served in the United States Army and has been with the Vinton Police since September 2016.
Officer Adam Hoover served as a corporal in the infantry in the United States Marine Corps from 2011 until 2016, stationed in Spain and Africa. He joined the Vinton Police Department in April 2016.
Cpl. Silas Chapman served from 1997 to 2008 in the U.S. Army infantry with the rank of staff sergeant E-6. He was stationed in Germany, the Middle East, Fort Benning, Ga., and also in Texas and California. He has been with the Vinton Police Department for two years.
Mayor Grose served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968 during the Vietnam era, stationed in Korea, and achieving the rank of sergeant E-5. He worked as an electrical technician and in tech/supply. He was elected to Vinton Town Council in 2000 and became mayor in 2004.
Members of the Employee Recognition Committee who organized the luncheon for the veterans and many other events throughout the year, include Donna Collins, April Alterio, Chasity Barbour, Susan Johnson, Karla Turman, Clayton Benson, Jason Davison, Tyler Beard, Mary Beth Layman, John Foutz, and Bonnie Stevens.
