Cleveland Is April’s Veteran Of The Month
April 11, 2023 at 11:02 p.m.
Cleveland Is April’s Veteran Of The Month
By David [email protected]
Paul Cleveland was born in Cresco, Iowa, and was one of 11 children. His family later moved to Minnesota, followed by La Crosse, Wis., in 1952, according to Veteran Service Officer Darryl McDowell Tuesday as he read Cleveland’s biography to the county commissioners.
“At age 13, he decided to leave the nest and moved to Mindoro, Wis., to work on a dairy farm. Big step, 13. From here he raised himself - and I’m sure it was with a lot of help from the family he was working for,” McDowell said.
Cleveland attended Mindoro High School in Wisconsin, graduating in 1965. After high school, he went to Ivy Tech to learn machine repair. A short time after completing his higher-level learning and the fact that he had two older brothers already in the U.S. Navy, he decided to join the Navy himself in 1966.
“Also, some other events happening at that time, too, key to our nation,” McDowell said.
Cleveland attended his initial military training at Great Lakes, Wis., before being assigned to two different ships during his time of service, the last being the USS Waldron DD-699, which was a Destroyer, both stationed out of Norfolk, Va.
McDowell said Cleveland served 3-1/2 years in the Navy and was honorably discharged in spring 1969 with the rank of machinist repair/second class (E5).
After proudly serving his nation, Cleveland returned to Mindoro to continue where he left off in farming to work again for the McRaes who owned the Black Oak Dairy Farm.
“This is also the point where he started courting, in some ways, his wife,” McDowell said. “Come to find out, she worked in that same area for Salvation Army. And it just happened that her boss loved unpasteurized milk. Well, he’s working on a dairy farm. You can see how that works.”
He and Judy were married in 1973 and will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in July this year.
They moved to Warsaw in 1979. He worked for Union Tool until moving over to work at DePuy Orthopedics in 1981, retiring in 2010.
Paul and Judy have two children and three grandchildren.
“One note is - and I don’t remember the year exactly - but his mother received from the Navy Mother of the Year because she had six children at that time in the service. Five boys and one girl. So that’s an achievement by itself,” McDowell stated.
Today, Paul and Judy continue to live in Plain Township.
After receiving his framed certificate, Paul said, “I’m not really a public speaker, but I just want to thank God for his mercy and grace for protecting me all the times through the service and thank my wife for fiftysome years here soon, for being a loyal companion and support for me.”
He thanked everyone for the Veteran of the Month honor. When they first said something to him about the recognition, he suggested they choose someone else because he didn’t feel he really did anything spectacular.
“But after talking with Darryl and others, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re there to fill the gap and to do your part in service, no matter what position it may be,” Cleveland said. “So thank you very much, I appreciate it.”
Paul Cleveland was born in Cresco, Iowa, and was one of 11 children. His family later moved to Minnesota, followed by La Crosse, Wis., in 1952, according to Veteran Service Officer Darryl McDowell Tuesday as he read Cleveland’s biography to the county commissioners.
“At age 13, he decided to leave the nest and moved to Mindoro, Wis., to work on a dairy farm. Big step, 13. From here he raised himself - and I’m sure it was with a lot of help from the family he was working for,” McDowell said.
Cleveland attended Mindoro High School in Wisconsin, graduating in 1965. After high school, he went to Ivy Tech to learn machine repair. A short time after completing his higher-level learning and the fact that he had two older brothers already in the U.S. Navy, he decided to join the Navy himself in 1966.
“Also, some other events happening at that time, too, key to our nation,” McDowell said.
Cleveland attended his initial military training at Great Lakes, Wis., before being assigned to two different ships during his time of service, the last being the USS Waldron DD-699, which was a Destroyer, both stationed out of Norfolk, Va.
McDowell said Cleveland served 3-1/2 years in the Navy and was honorably discharged in spring 1969 with the rank of machinist repair/second class (E5).
After proudly serving his nation, Cleveland returned to Mindoro to continue where he left off in farming to work again for the McRaes who owned the Black Oak Dairy Farm.
“This is also the point where he started courting, in some ways, his wife,” McDowell said. “Come to find out, she worked in that same area for Salvation Army. And it just happened that her boss loved unpasteurized milk. Well, he’s working on a dairy farm. You can see how that works.”
He and Judy were married in 1973 and will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in July this year.
They moved to Warsaw in 1979. He worked for Union Tool until moving over to work at DePuy Orthopedics in 1981, retiring in 2010.
Paul and Judy have two children and three grandchildren.
“One note is - and I don’t remember the year exactly - but his mother received from the Navy Mother of the Year because she had six children at that time in the service. Five boys and one girl. So that’s an achievement by itself,” McDowell stated.
Today, Paul and Judy continue to live in Plain Township.
After receiving his framed certificate, Paul said, “I’m not really a public speaker, but I just want to thank God for his mercy and grace for protecting me all the times through the service and thank my wife for fiftysome years here soon, for being a loyal companion and support for me.”
He thanked everyone for the Veteran of the Month honor. When they first said something to him about the recognition, he suggested they choose someone else because he didn’t feel he really did anything spectacular.
“But after talking with Darryl and others, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re there to fill the gap and to do your part in service, no matter what position it may be,” Cleveland said. “So thank you very much, I appreciate it.”
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