27-05-2025
Moraine mayor honors two veterans at meeting on Tuesday
Previous Memorial Day event coverage.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – The city of Moraine honored two veterans during the City Council Meeting on Thursday.
Both Navy Veteran Willie Clemons, Jr. and Air Force Veteran Sean Smiddy will be honored with an engraved brick at the Moraine All Veterans Memorial.
Mayor Teri Murphy read biographies for both men at the meeting.
Willie 'Clem' Clemons, Jr. was born in 1927 in Texas. He enlisted in the Navy at 17 years old, after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
He was Seaman First Class in Company 181 in the Pacific theater. He worked as a 'seabee' during World War II. His primary job was unloading goods from supply ships. His ship was stationed off the coast of Japan, so he was aware of the constant threat from possible kamikaze pilots.
Then, as the U.S. entered the Korean War in 1950, Clem reenlisted in the Navy. Eventually, he moved to Dayton, here he worked at a defense supply contractor and raised his family.
Recently, he attended the 80th Anniversary of D-Day Ceremonies in France (2024) and a veteran's event in Arlington, Texas.
His son, Kevin Clemons, attended this event.
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Sean Smiddy enlisted in the United States Air Force Reserve during his senior year of high school in 1987. He became active duty in January of 1990 and worked as an aircraft maintenance (egress) mechanic. He maintained ejection systems on fighters and bomber aircraft. He was deployed to Desert Storm in January 1991 and served with a Strategic Air Command wing in the Operation Desert Storm theater.
Smiddy suffered an injury while maintaining a B-52G pilot ejection seat in July 1991.
He retired, under honorable conditions, because of the service-connected disability in June of 1992.
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To visit the Moraine All Veterans Memorial, go to 4200 Dryden Road, in front of the Moraine Municipal Building.
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