# Columbus employee inducted into Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame

/ Published Jan. 14, 2016
COLUMBUS, Ohio, A father’s guidance and the drive to help veterans in need paved the way to the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame for one DLA Land and Maritime associate.Alan Briggs, who works as an acquisition supervisor in Maritime Supplier Operations, was inducted into the Class of 2015 during a ceremony this past November at the Lincoln Theatre in downtown Columbus.When he got the call, Briggs said his first thought was “Really? Are you sure? On the one hand it’s a huge honor and it’s really humbling. Then I thought I wish my dad was still alive.”This year’s 20 inductees make a total of 478 members of the Hall, which includes Ohio presidents, astronauts, elected officials, teachers, members of law enforcement and scores of community volunteers, businessmen, activists and coaches. Many members are well-known veterans — such as John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Woody Hayes and Dave Thomas. In addition to wanting his father to be at the ceremony to celebrate with the rest of his family—wife Carrie and daughters Laria and Carly—Morris Briggs is also a Hall of Famer, a member of the Class of 2004. The elder Briggs was a veteran of three wars—World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He flew 50 combat missions over Korea in a B-26, Alan said. But when the fog of war lifted,  Morris felt a duty to help and inspire others—something that rubbed off on his son. “(My induction) is a reflection of him,” Briggs said. “We were raised that way. When he was in the Philippines, he would go with a nurse to a leper colony and it shaped a lot of what he did later in life. He was always doing stuff for other people.Alan served in the U. S. Air Force for ten years from 1984-94 as an avionics technician.  He deployed during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm with the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, the famed “Flying Tigers.” While his service is to be commended, it’s what these veterans do when they trade in their uniform that gains the attention of the Hall of Fame, said Karen Kish, of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services and the event’s coordinator.“Those selected for the honor of induction are veterans who have not only served their country through military service, but who have continued to serve and inspire their community with their deeds and accomplishments throughout their lifetime,” Kish said. Kish said she is unaware of any other father-son combos in the Hall of Fame.Alan Briggs is a life member of VFW Post 7883 in Westerville and served as a past commander, senior-vice commander, service officer, and is currently serving as trustee. Since he has been a member, the post has two national community service awards from the VFW. Two other Hall of Fame inductees call Post 7883 home, something unique in the state, Briggs said.He is also a member of American Legion Post 171 in Westerville and has been their service officer for the past two years.  He serves on the rifle squad, providing funeral honors at veteran burials when uniformed personnel are unable to attend the burial.If that wasn’t enough, Briggs volunteers at the Port Columbus Airport USO canteen. When Briggs found out a few years ago that the USO was only able to be open four hours a week due to a lack of volunteers, he and his wife took it upon themselves to keep it open as much as possible. Now it’s open for up to twelve hours daily, and even has satellite television and more than 100 movies available to those waiting to fly out.Briggs has flown on five Honor Flights to Washington D.C., serving as color guard and guardian. He photographs the event and provides a digital slide show for the veterans as a lasting personal souvenir of their day. He started a GoFundMe account named “Lunches for Veterans.” He takes the donations and buys gift cards at eating establishments in and around Columbus. He said he hands the cards to the cashier, sits quietly at a table, and gives the cashier a hand signal if he wants to pay for someone’s meal, such as a veteran or a guardsman on a drill weekend.His latest endeavor is with his daughter, working with homeless veterans. First he got the American Legion and VFW involved to donate meals and clothing. “I asked a social worker who helps them with what else they need and she said a job search,” Briggs said. “They don’t have cars and it’s hard for them to apply for jobs. So we set up a resume writing and interview class. We’ll keep doing it.”When he travels around to schools and talks to students about the VFW scholarships, he always brings up patriotism, service, and the feeling you get when you make a difference. He likes to say “you do what you can do,” meaning if it’s a little or a lot, it’s all the same. He doesn’t believe in taking the responsibility off of the veterans to help themselves, but there’s times when even a little bit helps, especially for those veterans who are most deserving. “I don’t toot my own horn, but I acknowledge that there is a certain responsibility when you’ve got the lieutenant governor telling you ‘well done’ and other people can be inspired by that to (start helping.)”“You can wear yourself out trying to do it all by yourself. The leadership positions I’ve been in at the American Legion and VFW, I’ve tried hard to set up a culture within the organization to go out and make these things happen to help deserving veterans out.“Anybody with the drive can do it.”If you’re inside a restaurant one day and the cashier tells you that you’re meal costs nothing, look around because unbeknownst to you, an unassuming Alan Briggs may be silently sitting there, with a hidden smile on his face.