Veteran of the Month for April, 2014.

The Ohio County Veterans Museum and Ohio County Historical Society are so very pleased to honor John Herman Griffin, a 29 year Navy man during the Vietnam era from Ohio County, as its Veteran of the Month for April.
Mr. Griffin was born in Louisville in 1945 to Robert Lee and Francis Louise Phillips Griffin. He grew up in the Prentiss area, attended Beaver Dam School, earned his General Education Diploma and, later, graduated from Indiana University.
His career with the US Navy began in October 1965 with basic training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois, then on to San Diego, Calif., Glenview Naval Station and Getmo, Cuba. Among the ships he was assigned to included the USS Constellation, Plymouth Rock, El Paso, New Port News, John F. Kennedy, Rushmore, and Holland.
Being an almost 30-year Navy person, he saw many ports around the globe – some in Italy, Spain, England, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Bermuda, Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Aruba, Panama, South America, Philippines, Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Kenya, Korea, Australia, Nova Scotia, Guam, Alaska, and Hawaii.
His numerous awards and medals included: Combat Action Ribbon, Sea Service Deployment Ribbons (six awards), Recruiter Ribbon Rep. of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Expert Rifle Award, Pistol Medal, Navy Unit Commendations (four awards), Navy Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Humanitarian Service Medal. He attained the title of Boatswains Mate First Class.
He served in the Recruiting Office in Gary, Ind., and the Reserve Center in Indianapolis, Ind., before retiring in 1994 and returning to Ohio County. He became an active member of the Hartford United Methodist Church.
Griffin passed away in September 2012 in the Hartford and is buried in Nelson Creek Cemetery in Muhlenberg County. His wife, Judith Denise Pressly, preceded him in death. He was a brother to Carol Sue Gordon, Dale Ray Griffin, JoAnn Stevenson of Hartford, Mary Nichols of Washington state, Sandra Griffin of New Jersey and Donna Griffin of Vandetta, KY. He was the father of Tammy Griffin in Texas and Kevin Griffin in Idaho. His illustrious career is represented by many items donated to the museum including pictures, albums, ribbons, medals, uniform, jacket and other items which must be seen to be appreciated for what they represent. These items will be highlighted during the month as a special exhibit to pay tribute to this sailor who served his country so many years.
The museum is located at 415 Mulberry Street in Hartford, with hours of 9 am to 3 pm on Saturdays (pending availability of volunteers). The museum is solely operated by the Ohio County Historical Society and is not affiliated with any government or veterans organization. There is no admission charged, but donations are greatly appreciated.