Clermont natives served in Afghanistan and Iraq

The Clermont County Commissioners welcomed home four soldiers from service in Iraq and Afghanistan with the help of representatives from Congresswoman Jean Schmidt’s office, the Veterans Service Commission, and the Thank You Foundation at their Wednesday, March 9 meeting.

Two New Richmond graduates, Army Sergeant Curry Oberklaus, and Army Specialist Nick Randolph served in the same unit in Afghanistan. Marine Lance Corporal Kyle Vismara is a Glen Este graduate and also recently returned from Afghanistan, and Felicity-Franklin alum Ohio Army National Guard Specialist Billy Smith recently returned from Iraq.

Spc. Randolph said it was a unique coincidence that led two New Richmond graduates who had been friends in high school to serve together in the separate companies of the same unit in Afghanistan.

Sgt. Oberklaus worked as one of two tech inspectors that focused on ensuring each piece of equipment in the battalion was properly maintained and repaired. Randolph said he had to sign out trucks from Oberklaus and they usually were able to meet up once a month in Afghanistan.

“It was pretty sweet,” Randolph said. “His office was 100 feet down the hall from where I worked in rear facility (in the U.S.). We weren’t together during the deployment but it was good to catch up with people and anything we could help each other out with along the way…because the supply system is not always what you want it to be it’s nice to know people.”

Oberklaus has served eight years in the Army and previously served in Afghanistan. He was also stationed in Korea, and Louisiana. Randolph has served two-and-a-half years as a medic and this was his first deployment.

Lance Cpl. Vismara served in a targeting intelligence branch in Afghanistan where he was assigned to track high level members of the Taliban. He hopes to continue to work in the intelligence field after he is discharged in three years.

Spc. Smith has spent half his life serving in the National Guard in one capacity or another. He has been stationed in Egypt and deployed to Iraq twice. While serving in the Guard Reserves he earned a degree in communications from the University of Cincinnati. As a public affairs specialist he served as a combat cameraman during his first mission to Iraq, and more recently served as a supervisor facilitating the missions of new combat cameramen and facilitating interactions with the media.

Each man said the support they and their families received from Clermont County while deployed was appreciated a great deal.

“It’s almost like the bat signal goes out, because Clermont is a relatively tight-knit community. When somebody gets deployed everybody knows,” Smith said. “I think I could have fed the entire country of Iraq with Gold Star Chili.”

They each agreed that they received more packages from more people than anyone else in their unit and not only were they very grateful, but their fellow unit members were grateful.

“I always get packages, I was that guy,” Randolph said. “The boxes would be heavy and I’d open the box and it’d be gone in a matter of minutes. That’s what it’s all about, I had to hand it all out.”

Smith said that many soldiers who have been active for so long they really are not residents of the community any longer still receive the support, the letters, and the packages and are able to maintain a relationship with their hometown.

“I love my hometown and it’s really good to know how much we’re appreciated when we’re down range,” Vismara said. “It makes our lives easy when we’re doing what we’re doing.”

Oberklaus said the support from the community is important for the soldiers and their families when they are deployed and while they are stationed throughout the U.S.

“It’s always nice to come in and know that the entire county cares not only while we’re deployed, but when we’re back here stateside,” Oberklaus.