Vic Dodds was honored by the Logan County Commissioners in a flag presentation ceremony on Tuesday morning in the Commissioners’ office. Dodds, a former Captain in the United States Navy, received the flag that was flown over the Logan County Courthouse in June.
Dodds grew up in Harper, Ohio, and is a 1963 graduate of Buckeye Local High School and a 1967 graduate of The Ohio State University. He was drafted into the Navy in 1967 and retired with the rank of Captain in 1994. Dodds also has received Master’s Degrees from Pepperdine University and the Naval War College.
During his time in the Navy, Dodds became the first pilot to reach 3,000 hours in the EA-6B Prowler, had over 6,000 hours in jet aircraft, and made over 800 carrier-arrested landings, one-third of which were at night.
In addition to combat missions over Vietnam, he participated in Operation Praying Mantis in the Persian Gulf, Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, missions in Lebanon, and mobilization efforts during Operation Desert Storm. He saw deployments in the Bering Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Philippine Sea, the North Sea, and all the world’s oceans.
During his time in service, Dodds received many commendations and awards, including the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal for heroism in combat, and the Navy Commendation Medal. He was named Pilot of the Year by the Fleet Replacement Squadron, the Battle ‘E’ for various deployments, and the Admiral Radford Award as the best Prowler Squadron when he was the skipper of the VAQ131 Lancers.
Dodds said when his military service ended, his desire to help others didn’t:
As impressive as his military service is, Dodds also gives back to the community. Dodds was asked to serve as the project manager for the transportation logistics of the then-newly formed Benjamin Logan School District. He designed the routes and coordinated with the administration and parents to ensure they were safe and efficient.
In addition, served in a leadership role in the transportation operations of the Dublin City School system and acted as the Assistant Business Manager for the district.
He is currently a member of the Dublin Singers and the Kentones, a men’s singing group, and the Zanesfield Community Choir.
He and his wife, Grace, currently live in Dublin, Ohio.
