Veterans Day is an opportunity to recognize all those who have served in the military to protect the freedoms we enjoy.
But among that group, a pair of local veterans were singled out for the excellence, bravery and sacrifice they have exhibited during their military careers.
Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger and Sgt. John Rankel were inducted into the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame on Friday, included in the select group of this year’s 21-person class.
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Umbarger is a Bargersville native who served for 45 years in the military, most recently as leader of the Indiana National Guard.
“I was humbled when I got the call that I had been recommended and admitted,” he said. “I’m very honored. The members in the Hall of Fame are great veterans, great guys who have done a lot for our country, and I’m honored to join their ranks.”
Rankel, a former Center Grove High School student, was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 while serving in the Marine Corps.
“We were overjoyed. We’d been waiting on this kind of recognition to take place at that level, and to have it finally happen, it was very emotional,” said Kevin Rankel, a Center Grove-area resident and John Rankel’s father.
The Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame was founded in 2013. Russ Dowden, a retired colonel in the U.S. Army and chairman of the hall of fame, envisioned an organization that recognized outstanding service by Indiana veterans.
Dowden had been inducted into Arkansas veterans’ hall of fame, and thought a similar group would work well here.
“The objective is to publicly emphasize the honor brought to our state and nation by the sacrifice of Indiana military veterans and their families,” said Mark Moulton, a retired technical sergeant for the U.S. Air Force and secretary of the Hall of Fame.
Upon its founding, the Indiana organization became one of only a handful of other states, including Ohio and Kentucky, that have a hall of fame honors for veterans.
In 2018, the hall of fame opened a memorial building in Lawrence, near the American Legion Department of Indiana headquarters at Fort Benjamin Harrison. The five-shaped brick building features a tribute brick walkway in front, and contains memorabilia and items related to Indiana’s military history, including uniforms worn in World War II, the Vietnam War and the Iraq War.
Video boards scroll through the profiles of the hall of fame’s 83 inductees.
“When you walk inside, we’ve tried to populate this with items donated by the inductees themselves,” Moulton said. “It’s open to anyone, free of charge. You can walk in and look at everything, find your loved one and read their narrative to learn about them during their term of service.”
Veterans have to be nominated for the Hall of Fame. They are considered based on two categories: valor on the battlefield and additional contributions to veterans after their military careers.
Judges score each nominee individually and then ranked from highest to lowest. The hall of fame committee typically takes the 10 highest ranked veterans nominated for valor on the battlefield, and the top five who made contributions to veterans, Moulton said.
“They are all chosen for the merits spelled out in the nomination,” he said.
For Rankel’s family, his induction is the culmination of years of efforts to have him included in the hall of fame.
“It means the world to us. We had been trying to get him inducted since the Hall of Fame had been created,” said Kevin Rankel.
John Rankel was killed on June 7, 2010, when his unit came under fire while on patrol in Afghanistan. He had attended Center Grove middle and high schools for three years before graduating from Speedway High School in 2005.
He joined the Marine Corps after graduating, working his way up to the rank of sergeant by the time he was 23. During his first four-year stint in the Marines, his unit, the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, was deployed twice to Iraq.
He re-enlisted when he learned that his unit was going to deployed to Afghanistan.
Throughout his service, John Rankel received multiple Combat Action ribbons, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan and Iraq campaign medals, multiple Sea Service Deployment ribbons and the Global War on Terrorism and National Defense Service medals.
He had also received three individual certificates of commendation during his service in the Marine Corps.
“We feel that his story is very worthy of induction, and fortunately this year, the committee agreed,” Kevin Rankel said.
Umbarger served for 45 years in the military before retiring in 2015. He led the Indiana National Guard for 11 years as the adjutant general, and during his time leading the National Guard, he significantly grew Camp Atterbury.
Under his leadership, Camp Atterbury was a major mobilization site for troops being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He also helped created the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center to be able to train and prepare thousands of soldiers for deployment.
As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wound down, Umbarger was instrumental in transitioning the camp into a regional training center.
He also started the Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy, which focuses on at-risk students.
To be included alongside so many other courageous Indiana veterans has special meaning, Umbarger said.
“It’s nice to recognize veterans like this, and I’m happy that they saw fit to start something like this. And I’m humbled to be joining them,” he said.
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Veteran’s Day events this weekend
Today
8:30 a.m.: Franklin Community Middle School, 625 Grizzly Cub Drive
9 a.m.: Webb Elementary School, 1400 Webb Court, Franklin. The fourth grade choir will perform a patriotic concert.
9 a.m.: East Side Elementary School, 810 E. Main Cross St., Edinburgh. Students will put on a program, with coffee and refreshments available for veterans beginning at 8:15 a.m.
9 a.m.: Creekside Elementary School, 700 E. State Road 44., Franklin. A convocation, preceded by breakfast for active-duty military at 8:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.: Union Elementary School, 3990 W. Division Road, Bargersville
6:30 p.m.: Grace United Methodist Church and Boy Scout Troop No. 228 are hosting a program at the church, 1300 E. Adams Drive, Franklin. A reception will follow the program.
Thursday
3 p.m.: The Greenwood City Court’s veteran’s treatment program will host a tribute to veterans in the city court, 186 Surina Way. A graduate of the Greenwood veterans program will speak about his experiences in the military and the program. A new video about veterans and the Greenwood Veterans Treatment Court also will be unveiled.
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