The Congressional Veteran Commendation (CVC) for the Ninth District of Indiana is a nominations-based program designed to publicly recognize the wartime sacrifices and peacetime community involvement of veterans.  The great sacrifices of our veterans deserve the utmost recognition, and our office is proud to help ensure that their devotion to this country is not forgotten.

To be eligible, veterans must currently reside in the Ninth Congressional District.  Nominees must have served as active duty military personnel or been reservists called to active duty and must be retired or honorably discharged from a branch of the United States Armed Forces. 

Anyone can serve as a nominator and submit as many nominations as they would like by filling out the 2015 Nomination Form.   Complete nomination packets should be mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered to any of your 9th District Constituent Service Centers. The deadline for 2016 nominations is Tuesday, June 28, 2016.  If you have any questions or inquries regarding the nomination process, or if you are unable to access the nomination form, please click here.

Please call (812) 288-3999 for additional details.

View/Download the Nomination Form Here

2015 CVC Winners

• Sergeant Thomas Lee Mitchell Sr.: Today we honor Sergeant Thomas Lee Mitchell Sr. for his service to his country and to his community. Mitchell served with the 27th Marines while in Vietnam from December 1965 through December 1968. While in the employ of his country, Mitchell and his compatriots came under fire by North Vietnamese troops in the early morning of May 5, 1968. A firefight ensued and, after a barrage of North Vietnamese mortar rounds, an American weapons platoon tent became engulfed in flames. Sergeant Mitchell stormed into the conflagration amid exploding ammunition and carried a badly wounded Marine, who was trapped in the tent, to safety.
  
  Later that same day, Mitchell’s company was ordered to begin an assault on two villages. The platoon embarked on the mission and eventually encountered an open trench – which was riddled with North Vietnamese soldiers. North Vietnamese soldiers lobbed grenades at the American troops from the trench; in response, Mitchell and two of his fellow Marines fired their weapons into the trench, killing the entire line of North Vietnamese soldiers. With the trench cleared of enemy fire, the American platoon was able to proceed with the attack on the villages. Mitchell was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions. In addition, Mitchell also earned, among others, a Purple Heart, a Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbons, and a Presidential Unit Commendation Ribbon.
  
  Mitchell coached little league baseball from 1975 until 1985. He is currently a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Charlestown and the VFW.

• Mr. Bert Dodds: Today we honor Mr. Bert Dodds for his service to the United States Navy and to his country. A Hospital Corpsman, Dodds was a medical professional attached to the 1st Platoon, 2nd Combined Action Group, 3rd Marine Amphibious Force, 1st Marine Division in Vietnam from November 1967 through November 1968. During his tour of duty in Vietnam, Dodds provided medical expertise to Vietnamese orphans and various local villages. On November 4, 1967, while on patrol with his detachment, a booby trap exploded on a nearby rice paddy dike and injured Dodds’ leg and head. In spite of his injuries, Dodds continued to treat the Marines in his detachment until a medical evacuation was arranged. Dodds’ heroism earned him, among other awards, a Purple Heart, a Navy Commendation, a Meritorious Unit Citation, and a Combat Action Ribbon.
  
  
  Dodds’ drive for selfless service continued beyond his tenure in the Navy. After his homecoming, Dodds lectured at the Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia and served as a medical corpsman during a massive peace march in Washington, DC, in which hundreds of thousands of demonstrators converged on the Capitol to protest the Vietnam War.
   
  Today, Dodds’ heart for his community is reflected by his volunteerism. He visited local grade schools on Veterans Day to teach the children about proper flag etiquette. In conjunction with the Marine Corp League, he has visited numerous veterans in a VA hospital and local nursing homes.
   
  He is an active member of the Marine Corp League Morgan County Detachment #1367 and was elected Commandant in April 2015. Earlier this year, Dodds organized a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima at the American Legion in Martinsville.

• Staff Sergeant Magnus Johnson: Today, we honor Staff Sergeant Magnus Johnson for his service to his country and community. Johnson is a veteran of the United States Army and a former Green Beret, with tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Johnson’s record of service included work with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDS) and Unexploded Ordinances which garnered him a Bronze Star; moreover, Johnson’s service overseas earned him a Combat Medal.
  
  
  Following Johnson’s final tour, he was struck with grief when a close friend and fellow service member committed suicide in 2013. Johnson’s personal experience with suicide led him to create “Elder Heart,” an organization dedicated to healing. His organization strives to repair the divide between veteran and civilian by encouraging both to engage in projects that enhance the community. Elder Heart’s approach lead to the creation of public art; a sculpture built by veterans and civilians in Nashville, Indiana which highlights Elder Heart’s hands-on approach to a veteran’s healing process.
   
  Moreover, Johnson aims to raise awareness of veterans who commit suicide – twenty-two every day – through social media, magazine and newspaper advertisements, and other forms of media. Coined “Mission 22,” Johnson hopes to educate the public about the plight of some of our service members. Elder Heart is currently planning to construct a national memorial to bring attention to suicide among America’s veterans.
   
  Johnson’s work has not kept him from becoming a loyal husband and father; he hopes that his 6-year-old daughter and newborn son will come to know the sacrifice of America’s veterans.

• Sergeant James “Lee” Hutchinson: Today, we honor Sergeant James “Lee” Hutchinson for his service to his country and to his community. A southern Indiana native, Sergeant Hutchison served with the US Army Air Corps during the final years of World War II. After attending training to become a radio operator, Sergeant Hutchison shipped out with the 490th Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force. While serving with the “Mighty Eighth,” Hutchison was aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress; he and his crew executed missions deep within Nazi Germany, and often faced anti-aircraft fire and attacks by the German Luftwaffe.
  
  Hutchison’s numerous awards and commendations include, among others, a World War II Victory Medal, European African Middle Eastern Service Medal, and an American Theater Service Medal.
  
  He arrived home at the age of 20 and enrolled in Indiana University with a desire to study history and journalism. He pursued further education after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1949, and enjoyed a 37 year career in education in the Bedford-North Lawrence school system. Hutchison’s experiences in World War II inspired him to author “Through These Eyes: A World War II Eighth Air Force Combat Diary,” which chronicled his life in the US Army Air Corps. Hutchison published three more books that detail memorable moments from his life and highlight his record of service.
  
  An accomplished author, educator, and serviceman, Sergeant Hutchison remains involved in his home church. Moreover, he served as the president of the local Rotary Club, and is an active member of his Masonic Lodge.