OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Marion County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously, 5-0, to approve the proposed Marion County Veterans Hall of Fame at their Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, meeting.
The proposal was developed directly from the conversations and ideas that were shared during Marion County’s veterans’ quarterly meetings. Commissioner Craig Curry, District No. 1 serves as the liaison to the local veterans’ groups and organizations. In that role, Commissioner Curry launched the quarterly meetings to bring the county’s veterans groups together, strengthen communication and foster collaboration in Marion County, said Amanda Tart, Marion County assistant county administrator.
The quarterly meetings have produced many positive outcomes, including new veterans’ housing options, coordinated memorial park updates, local cancer screening initiatives, and much more, said Tart.
In 2023, Marion County resident Col. Craig Ham was inducted into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame, and this led to the discussion of other Marion County veterans who could be nominated for recognition at the state level. With the groups’ collaboration and preparation of the application, U.S. Army Capt. Steve Petty was nominated and subsequently inducted into the Florida Hall of Fame this past year, said Tart.
A place of honor
Out of the spirit of collaboration came another natural next step: the proposed creation of a local veterans’ hall of fame, which will honor veterans with a dedicated recognition display at the Ocala/Marion County Veterans Memorial Park. This local hall of fame will honor military veterans who have made significant contributions to Marion County, not just through their service in uniform, but also through leadership, specific engagement, business and public service. The establishment of a local hall of fame would not only keep Marion County visible as a strong candidate for the next state veterans’ nursing home but will also create a valuable pipeline of nominees for the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame, said Tart.
“We are proposing to model our local veterans’ hall of fame after the state’s program,” said Tart. “The state’s program was established by the Florida Legislature in 2011 to honor Florida veterans who have made significant civic, business or public contributions and is managed by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs with a dedicated advisory council. Eligibility includes honorably discharged veterans, including the National Guard, with strong ties to Florida. Nominations to the state program are reviewed yearly, and the governor and the cabinet approve the inductees. Inductees’ names are then prominently displayed in the Florida Capitol, providing official statewide recognition for their service and contributions.”
By mirroring this structure at a local level, Marion County can ensure consistency and standards, while recognizing veterans who’ve made an impact specifically in the community, said Tart. To ensure that the Marion County Veterans’ Hall of Fame operates fairly, consistently and with long-term stability, the proposal would have the hall of fame overseen by the county. County oversight provides neutrality, so no single veteran group is favored, and all branches and service eras are represented equally, said Tart. This would ensure broader community representation reflecting the full diversity of the local veteran population. The county’s transparency standards guarantee public accountability and trust in the program.
“The proposed county oversight of this program also provides long-term stability because the program does not depend on volunteer turnover, and it allows coordination across all veterans organizations, without one group controlling the program,” said Tart. “Official recognition from the county gives the hall of fame greater weight, and uniform criteria and processes ensure fairness year-after-year.”
Selection criteria
The county’s communication channels would maximize public visibility. Official records and archives will be maintained for future generations, and veterans’ groups can support and participate in the event without ownership conflict, said Tart. Nominations for the Marion County Veterans’ Hall of Fame will open upon approval and will run through January 31, 2026, or until the list 25 nominees is filled. Nominations forms are available at marionfl.org/vetshalloffame and may be submitted by mail or email. The criteria will mirror the state’s program including proof of veterans’ status, education and career summaries, veteran advocacy, civic contributions, and a narrative explaining why the nominee deserves induction.
The Marion County Veterans Services Director will establish a selection committee made up of local representatives from veterans’ 501 (c)(3) organizations to review eligible applications using standardized selection criteria, including the following organizations Veterans Helping Veterans USA, the Marion County Memorial Honor Guard, Friends of the Marion County Veterans Park and the Veterans Council, along with one Marion County resident who has been inducted into the State of Florida Veterans Hall of Fame. In the event that the inducted veteran isn’t able to participate, the Marion County Veterans Services Director would participate in their place, said Tart.
This committee will make their selections and then present their selections to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners at a regularly scheduled commission meeting for recognition. The plan is to limit the number of inductees to a maximum of three, in addition to those who’ve been inducted previously at the state level, as well as posthumous nominations, said Tart. One local business will also be recognized annually for its contributions to the veteran community.
Making it a reality
The proposed inaugural hall of fame ceremony will be held in March 2026. Proposed seed funding will come from Veterans Helping Veterans with the approval of the prospective board, with donations and sponsorship helping to sustain the event in future years. All handling of the funds will also be done through Vets Helping Vets, said Tart. The proposal was that this be a Marion County department policy and would be handled by veterans’ services. All local veteran organizations are encouraged to participate by volunteering, purchasing tables, donating and sharing resources with the community.
“I just want to make sure they understand that the military service part of this is only part of the selection process. If you take Captain Petty as the most recent recipient at the State Hall of Fame, he certainly qualifies by military service, but what really qualifies you at the state level isn’t just that, it’s the community involvement,” said Marion County Commissioner Craig Curry, Dist. No. 1. “It actually counts in a heavier way from the community, what you did once you got out of the military for the community. That’s how this is developed. There’s not a lot of counties who do this, until we did these quarterly meetings and Col. Ham brought it to our attention, I didn’t even know it existed. This is with 45,000 plus veterans in Marion County. We were trying to figure the numbers and kind of how to start this and ease into it. That’s how we came up with 25 submissions. That will be closed and three will be selected. It will also be available to the reserve components.”
As the county goes through the process, the community is going to find out that there are more heroes in Marion County than people are aware of, as people come forward, said Jim Hilty, Sr. Ocala City Councilman and Vets Helping Vets board president.
“This has been talked about at Vets Helping Vets for a while, the groundwork has been laid, we’re ready, willing and able to go forward in the fundraising portion of this year to make this as a 501 (c)(3) to make this a success,” said Hilty Sr.